Alex Cora Provides Update On Red Sox Starter Garrett Whitlock After Injury

The starting rotation of the Boston Red Sox took another hit Sunday, and it could be a substantial one.

Garrett Whitlock was removed from the contest against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre only after one inning due to right elbow tightness.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t have all the answers about Whitlock’s injury after Boston’s thrilling 5-4 win, but should have them Monday.

“He’s going to get an MRI tomorrow,” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “Like the same feelings as before. Hopefully, it’s not bad.”

When talking with reporters after the game, Whitlock alluded to dealing with ailments leading up to his scheduled start, but tried to push through anyways.

He was looking for a bounce-back performance after allowing 11 hits and six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Miami Marlins in his last time out. He got the first two Blue Jays batters out, including fanning Bo Bichette, before surrendering a solo homer to Brandon Belt. Whitlock got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to line out on his 18th pitch of the first inning.

Whitlock didn’t show any apparent signs of an injury, but Cora caught some cues that the 27-year-old wasn’t right and brought on Brennan Bernardino to start the bottom of the second.

“I saw him moving his wrist and elbow and I was like, ‘We got to be smart about this,'” Cora said.

Whitlock already dealt with elbow issues earlier this season. He landed on the injured list after just three starts due to right elbow ulnar neuritis before returning in late May.

Whitlock didn’t want to jump to any conclusions about his injury and said this injury was different than the one he previously dealt with this season.

“Right now, we’re just going to wait and see until we get into Boston, see what the doctors say about it,” Whitlock told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “… It doesn’t really feel very nervy, so it’s not really like that.”