Boston Red Sox fans were dealt quite the scare when they heard Garrett Whitlock was headed to the injured list with an elbow injury.
Things got even more unsettling when it was revealed Whitlock’s injury had to do with the nerves in his pitching arm.
Somehow, someway, everything keeps coming back positive for the 26-year-old, though.
Whitlock returned to throwing baseballs Tuesday, just four days following his placement on the 15-day IL with right elbow ulnar neuritis. The right-hander had a follow-up appointment with a doctor prior to the Red Sox’s win over the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, in which it was shown that there were no ulnar nerve symptoms. He then threw 20 pitches at 45 feet and plans to throw again Wednesday, per McCaffrey.
“It was good, good to kind of get back on track and get things going again,” Whitlock told McCaffrey. “It felt really good, none of that nerve (tingling) feeling.”
Whitlock previously assured fans that there was no discussion of Tommy John surgery, but there were plenty of people still holding their breath. The news that he’s already back to throwing should put those nerves to bed.
It looks as though Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s hopes that Whitlock would only miss two starts could come to fruition. If they do, and James Paxton finally makes his debut with the team following an extensive rehab assignment, we could see a healthy Boston rotation for the first time in a very long time.
