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.
“I think where we’re at right now and obviously with Whit stretched out and us believing that Tanner can actually do what Whit was doing early in the season and what he did last year, it’s a good spot for us to put him in the bullpen and use him like a hybrid kind of guy,” manager Alex Cora said.
“We still want him to get extended,” Cora added about Houck. “It’s not a one-inning thing. It’s actually a multiple-inning reliever. So that’s where we’re at. And I don’t think he’s going to be available today. Maybe tomorrow. But obviously from Tuesday on, that’s the structure we’re going to have.”
Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said Whitlock remaining in the rotation the rest of the season “is on the table.”
There has been much spirited debate over whether Whitlock is more valuable as a starter or reliever.
“I see the fact that this as a debate is just a really good thing,” Bloom said. “What we really need is a machine that can clone him. There’s just one of him. It is important to me that we don’t bounce him around too much. I think with the bullpen role that he was filling, it’s not too dissimilar to what he’s doing right now. Right now, it’s a little less frequent, a little more length. Really all these jobs are important. I think because of the way we lost some of these games, we have felt his absence in the bullpen more.
“But it’s worth remembering that a couple of the games that were most painful, if he doesn’t start that game in St. Pete, we’re not talking about how painful of a gut punch that was. We’re just talking about getting no-hit probably,” Bloom added. “So there’s different ways to impact a team. I think we all know that starting pitching is so important. There’s different ways he can have an impact. We’re trying to give him some consistency, some regularity in whatever role he’s in. But ultimately, and I think the same applies to Tanner, as much as we can to position these guys to maximize the important innings that they throw.”
Related Content
James Paxton injury: Boston Red Sox starter’s rehab set back because of posterior elbow soreness
Boston Red Sox roster moves: Jarren Duran sent back to Worcester, Kiké Hernández activated
Boston Red Sox’s Rich Hill, Jason Varitek test positive for COVID-19
Ad Choices