PHILADELPHIA — For years, Garrett Whitlock offered the same refrain when asked if he preferred to pitch out of the rotation or the bullpen for the Red Sox. Time after time, Whitlock said he’d be the team’s janitor if it meant he’d remain in the majors.
That never transpired, of course. But the Red Sox finally added some definition to Whitlock’s role before this season when, after four injury-plagued seasons in a row, they returned him to a similar relief role to the one in which he was dominant as a rookie in 2021. So far, the decision has paid off.
“We expect him to be out there and be a dude out of the bullpen,” manager Alex Cora said.
Whitlock, somewhat quietly after returning from elbow (internal brace) surgery that ended his 2024 season after just four starts, has been that “dude.” He has had a couple of blow-up outings but has largely been great for the Red Sox, posting a 3.17 ERA while striking out 61 batters in 48 ⅓ innings. Entering his outing Wednesday, Whitlock ranked in the 92nd percentile among MLB pitchers (31.1%) and the 91st percentile in whiff rate (32%). His Statcast page is rather red.
In a bullpen that has been anchored by Aroldis Chapman while lacking certainty in other late-inning spots with Justin Slaten and Liam Hendriks both injured, Whitlock — who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to preserve a tie in Wednesday’s win — has been a consistent piece. In recent weeks, he has assumed the primary setup role ahead of Chapman, an All-Star, and is no longer serving a versatile multi-inning role. There was a method to the madness when Alex Cora removed Whitlock after a scoreless ninth inning that featured 11 of his 13 pitches as strikes. If the Red Sox use Whitlock for one inning at a time, they can use him more often.
“We have made some adjustments with him and I think for him, being a one-inning guy is going to help him to recover,” Cora said. “He’s doing an amazing job.
“(He has been) outstanding,” the manager added. “The last month, we made adjustments with him, subtle, and it’s paying off. He’s pounding the strike zone again. Early in the season, he wasn’t throwing strikes against righties. He was walking a lot of them. Now, he’s dialed in. What he did (Monday) against a really good lineup, that was very ‘21-like.”
Whitlock burst into the majors as a late-game weapon as a Rule 5 pick in 2021, when he logged a 1.96 ERA and struck out 81 batters in 73 ⅓ innings for the postseason-bound Red Sox. He then, after signing a four-year extension that included lucrative incentives should he emerge as a capable big league starter, bounced back and forth between the rotation and bullpen for the last three years. He had season-ending hip injury in 2022, dealt with various elbow issues in 2023, then blew out after an oblique injury last year. In an effort to keep him healthy, the Red Sox decided to make it simple and re-install him in the bullpen — with no designs on starting — heading into this season.
For whatever reason, Whitlock — whose career 2.65 ERA and 10.2 K/9 rate in 132 ⅔ innings as a reliever outshined a 4.29 ERA and 8.4 K/9 rate in 109 innings starting before this year — is better and healthier as a reliever. He thinks he could still start in the future but isn’t questioning something that’s working.
“Unfortunately, I got hurt more as a starter so I’ve never had a fair, healthy go at it,” Whitlock said. “I’ve stayed healthy as a reliever so I’m happy with where I’m at right now.
“I’m comfortable being anything. Whatever that role is, my answer still hasn’t changed. I’m glad I’m still here.”
Since his last multi-inning outing (a five-out appearance in which he took the loss on June 23), Whitlock has been lights-out, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out 12 batters — and issuing zero walks — in 8 ⅓ innings. He has often been used to set up Chapman (or in the case of his last two outings, after him because Cora turned to the closer against the top of Philadelphia’s lineup in the eighth inning of a tie game.)
“Any time he has the ball in the ninth, it’s like, ‘Game’s over.’ It’s the kind of confidence you have in the guy,” Whitlock said of Chapman. “He’s fantastic. In my opinion, he was a Hall of Famer before this season even started and now he’s just adding to his campaign.”
Whitlock, who achieved his goal of being ready for Opening Day after experiencing no setbacks in spring training, expected some bumps when he returned this year. His 19 walks in his first 40 innings proved costly, with free passes contributing to four of his five multi-run appearances so far. That he has thrown 91 of his last 125 pitches (72.8%) for strikes is a sign he is rounding into form.
“Coming off a second (elbow surgery), I’m still trying to figure out my command,” said Whitlock, who had Tommy John surgery as a minor leaguer in 2019. “Everything feels a little off there still.”
“But what I said at the beginning is what I wanted to do was be healthy. I’m focused on that and trying to make sure I do all 162.”
The Red Sox are expected to pursue bullpen upgrades before next Thursday’s trade deadline in an effort to lessen the load on well-used pieces like Greg Weissert, Justin Wilson and Brennan Bernardino and reduce the pressure on Slaten and Hendriks to get back healthy. But lately, Whitlock has re-emerged as a weapon — in one-inning stints.
“That’s why they’re in charge,” he said. “My mentality is to hand the ball to me when you want to and take the ball when you want.”
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