Tanner Houck

ARLINGTON, Texas — Lefty Austin Davis will start for the Red Sox on Sunday against the Texas Rangers here at Globe Life Field. He’ll serve more as an opener but manager Alex Cora said Davis is capable of pitching beyond the first inning. “He can give us multiple...

Houck allowed a run on a hit and a walk in three relief innings during Sunday's loss to the Rangers. The right-hander worked behind opener Austin Davis during Sunday's matchup, marking the fourth time he's pitched out of the bullpen in his last five appearances. Manager Alex Cora hasn't provided a clear reason for keeping Houck in a bullpen role, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him continue to work as a reliever since Michael Wacha (side) is expected to return next weekend. Houck has posted a 5.40 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 26.2 innings over eight appearances (four starts) this season.

The Boston Red Sox are desperately trying to get their season back on track. Boston is eight games below .500 through the first month of the season, dropping four straight games heading into Sunday’s finale against the Chicago White Sox. Michael Wacha was the Red Sox probable starter until...

BOSTON — Red Sox righty Michael Wacha has been scratched from his start Sunday vs. the White Sox. Tanner Houck will pitch instead. The Red Sox have placed Michael Wacha on the 15-day IL due to left intercostal irritation. The IL stint is retroactive to May 5. Wacha will not start in Texas next weekend as Alex Cora had hoped.

We found out Saturday that Tanner Houck was moved to the Red Sox bullpen with the intent of being a long man in relief. But as it turns out, the right-hander will start for Boston on Sunday when the club wraps up its three-game series with the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park.

Michael Wacha is out, and Tanner Houck is in for Red Sox today. In a surprise to those of us who were preparing to see Michael Wacha take the hill against the Chicago White Sox in today’s series finale, the righty won’t be pitching. Just moments ago, it was reported that Wacha won’t be making his scheduled start for the Red Sox today and Tanner Houck will be on the bump instead.

Garrett Whitlock officially is a Red Sox starting pitcher. The right-hander has been fantastic for Boston since being selected from the New York Yankees in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft as a relief pitcher but he will make the move to the position he was brought up as. Whitlock underwent...

BOSTON — The Red Sox will keep Garrett Whitlock in the starting rotation and Tanner Houck in the bullpen for now. Whitlock will start Tuesday in Atlanta. The Red Sox envision using Houck in a similar bullpen role to the one Whitlock mastered last year and earlier this season.

Houck is listed as the Red Sox's starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the White Sox, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. On Saturday, manager Alex Cora confirmed that Houck would remain in the bullpen for the foreseeable future with Garrett Whitlock having earned a spot in the rotation, but the team will be forced to adjust its plans just one day later after Sunday's scheduled starter, Michael Wacha, was scratched due to side soreness. An MRI on Wacha's side returned clean, and while the Red Sox are optimistic he won't require a trip to the injured list, Houck will be summoned from the bullpen to make a spot start in his stead. Don't expect Houck to work deep into Sunday's outing, as he'll be pitching on only two days' rest after he piggybacked Rich Hill in Thursday's loss to the Angels and gave up seven runs across 2.1 innings (56 pitches) in that long-relief appearance.

Houck (2-3) was charged with the loss Sunday against the White Sox after surrendering three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and zero walks over 2.2 innings. The 25-year-old was pressed into starting duty with Michael Wacha (side) a late scratch, and he was pitching on two days' rest after throwing 56 pitches Thursday. Manager Alex Cora recently indicated that Houck would be working out of the bullpen for the foreseeable future, but Houck could move back into the rotation with Wacha on the 15-day injured list and Rich Hill (illness) on the COVID-19 IL.

Houck will remain in the bullpen for the foreseeable future, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports. Houck made three starts to open the year before shifting to the bullpen for his next three appearances. With Rich Hill out after testing positive for COVID-19, there's a path for Houck to return to the rotation, but that job will go to Garrett Whitlock instead. Houck has fallen far short of the standards he set last season, with his ERA rising from 3.52 to 5.14, and his underlying numbers have taken similarly large steps back across the board. If he sorts things out in a multi-inning relief role, it's certainly possible he'll return to the rotation before too long, but his fantasy appeal will be greatly diminished until that happens.

The Red Sox have a bullpen problem. This is not a new revelation that I am bringing up out nowhere, of course, as the latest bit of evidence to this point was put into the world on Wednesday when the group blew yet another save, exploding in the late innings in a 10-6 loss to the Angels in what should have been a win with the way Garrett Whitlock pitched to start. Many, many people pointed out before the season that the Red Sox just did not have any real top-end talent in their bullpen before the season, and with four blown saves this season (no other team has more than two) we are seeing those concerns come to fruition in practice. It’s frustrating to see something so many could see as a problem be ignored, and then become that problem.

Houck (2-2) picked up the loss Thursday, allowing seven runs on five hits, one walk and a hit batsman while striking out four over 2.1 innings against the Angels. Houck's second turn as a piggyback pitcher behind Rich Hill did not go as well as his first. After Hill's five scoreless innings, Houck allowed a two-run home run to Jared Walsh in the seventh inning then was raked for five runs in the eighth. It's unclear what the next step is for Houck, who opened the season in the rotation but pitched in relief since missing a turn in Toronto due to his unvaccinated status. What is becoming clear is that Boston can't afford to leave Garrett Whitlock in the rotation -- he's much more valuable in the bullpen, which is seriously underperforming (4.50 ERA, 25th) -- so Houck could return to the rotation as a traditional starter.

The Red Sox must define Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck’s roles. It’s a new month and the Red Sox need to wipe the slate clean as they look to rebound from a dismal April. As they continue to try and shake off the rust and work out the kinks, Alex Cora and his team need to put some focus on one specified area, the pitching. So far the starters and bullpen have both exceeded expectations but that won’t last, and messing with the equation now won’t do any good either.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Houck is likely to be used in a piggyback arrangement when Rich Hill's next turn in the rotation comes up Thursday against the Angels, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports. After Houck was reinstated from the restricted list April 29, he was used...

BALTIMORE -- For now, Garrett Whitlock is staying in the Red Sox’ starting rotation. Whitlock will start Wednesday night’s game against the Angels, manager Alex Cora said Saturday afternoon. It will be the righty’s third consecutive start after he began the year as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen.

BALTIMORE -- Tanner Houck is done talking about his vaccination status. After missing the Red Sox’ four-game series in Toronto because he’s unvaccinated against COVID-19, he returned to the team Friday in Baltimore in no mood to to keep talking about the situation. “I kept up watching the...