The Boston Red Sox will soon be re-adding to their starting pitching staff.
Garrett Whitlock, who was placed on the 15-day injured list back on April 28 with right elbow ulnar neuritis, made his latest rehab assignment early Sunday with Triple-A Worcester. Whitlock was spotless, going 4 2/3 innings of scoreless work, which prompted Boston skipper Alex Cora to suggest the right-hander could soon make an appearance in the coming days.
But after the Red Sox dropped their series finale to the San Diego Padres, Cora confirmed the return date for Whitlock -- Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"He'll be ready (for Saturday)," Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage.
Whitlock last made a start on April 22 against the Milwaukee Brewers, when he pitched four innings and surrendered five earned runs off eight base hits. It'll be Whitlock's first full season in Boston's starting rotation, splitting time both there and in the bullpen last season.
"Everything went fine," Cora said of Whitlock's final rehab outing. "I watched part of it and it was good. I was joking with him. He throws a slider and today it was a sweeper so I guess we got a sweeper now. But everything went well. The changeup was good, which is something that we really wanted to make sure."
With the Red Sox in need of stability in their pitching staff, more specifically in their current six-man rotation, Whitlock could provide a major boost as Cora continues to contemplate directions with Boston's staff moving forward.
