Alex Cora Issues Discouraging Injury Update On Red Sox Pitcher Garrett Whitlock

There was plenty to celebrate for the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.

Rafael Devers set a franchise record and Tanner Houck dazzled again on the mound in a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

But it wasn't all positives for the Red Sox, especially given the update Red Sox manager Alex Cora had on injured pitcher Garrett Whitlock after the game. It appears the season for Whitlock, who experienced elbow soreness after his rehab start last week, might be over.

"There's damage in the ligament," Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. "So, there's a possibility he's going to get surgery. He'll fly to see the doctor this week and they'll go from there."

Whitlock had been on the injured list since April 17 but seemed to be making strides in his recovery. He looked good in his rehab outing with Triple-A Worcester, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings and giving up just two hits while striking out five. But Whitlock didn't bounce back well from the start and was bothered by his elbow the next day.

Injuries have plagued Whitlock the past couple of seasons. He appeared in only 22 games due to injury in 2023 as he missed two months due to various ailments.

Tommy John surgery hasn't been ruled out yet for Whitlock and the 27-year-old is familiar with the procedure after going through it in 2019 while he was in the New York Yankees farm system.

"We've been through this path before," Cora said. "I know it sounds harsh, but we've got to turn the page. We got to go. It sucks for the kid. He has been through a lot but he has been through worse in the last 12 months. He's a kid that he has faith. We talked about this before. He's only looking up. He's a believer, we've been praying for him and trying to stay strong for him and he will be strong."

Whitlock was a key cog in Boston's starting rotation and seemed poised for a breakout campaign in his first full season as a starter. He went 1-0 with a 1.96 ERA in four starts.

"I know how much work he put in, in the offseason. He wanted to be better and push himself," Tanner Houck told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. "It's unfortunate. Injuries are part of our game and part of any sport but you just don't like to see them. He'll be missed, but I'm sure he'll be around."