The Boston Red Sox won't have Garrett Whitlock on the mound for the next few weeks, at the very least.
After the Red Sox lost against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy shared that Whitlock is dealing with elbow inflammation and that it's why he wasn't on the hill in the contest. On Thursday, the Red Sox followed up with bad news. Whitlock is heading to the 15-day Injured List. In response, Boston is set to turn to recently demoted reliever Greg Weissert to come in and try to replace him.
"The Red Sox today placed RHP Garrett Whitlock on the 15-Day Injured List (retroactive to August 10) with right elbow inflammation. To fill his spot, Boston recalled RHP Greg Weissert from Triple-A Worcester," the Red Sox announced.
The #RedSox today placed RHP Garrett Whitlock on the 15-Day Injured List (retroactive to August 10) with right elbow inflammation. To fill his spot, Boston recalled RHP Greg Weissert from Triple-A Worcester.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 13, 2026
On the bright side, Whitlock didn't sound too concerned about the move.
"I think it’s just the safe move and smart move,” Whitlock said, as transcribed by MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo. “They were telling me, ‘We just need to go and put you on the IL, take care of you and get you back as soon as we can. ...
"That’s the nice thing… I don’t think we’re worried about it needing surgery or anything like that. It’s not something where I’ve felt anything like I did the previous times I needed surgery. It’s nothing that concerning.”
The Red Sox can't afford to lose Whitlock for long if they want to try to make a run this season. He's arguably the best set-up man in the business right now. Hopefully, this is just a two-week absence and we're able to see him when he's eligible to return.