Boston Red Sox pitchers Brayan Bello (forearm) and Garrett Whitlock (hip) will throw live batting practice sessions in spring training on Saturday, according to manager Alex Cora. The Red Sox are taking it slow with Bello after he started having soreness in his right forearm in mid-February. The 23-year-old has a bright future in Boston, but he could be slightly delayed for the start of the 2023 regular season. Meanwhile, Whitlock's Opening Day status is in doubt, but like Bello, he might not need to miss much time to open the regular season, barring any further setbacks with hip. The 26-year-old has been more dominant for the BoSox out of the bullpen, but he could have a higher fantasy ceiling if used in Boston's rotation this year.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) will throw live batting practice on Friday. He is expected to go two innings and hopes to return before the season starts. We can't rule out a stint on the injured list to begin the season, but Whitlock still has some time to be ready for Opening Day. Whitlock spent his 2022 season in the bullpen, but the Red Sox are in the process of molding him into a starter. He made nine starts in 2022, and there is reason to believe he will be the fifth man in the rotation if he's healthy. The 26-year-old composed a 3.45 ERA (3.29 FIP) with 82 strikeouts across 78 1/3 innings. As a starter, Whitlock shaped a 4.15 ERA with a 23.2% strikeout rate and a .315 opponent's wOBA. The Georgia native was not his productive self in 2022, and adjusting as a starter will take time.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora admitted on Monday that right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) may not be ready for Opening Day. "He's throwing the ball well, he's moving well. Not yet doing PFPs. We're not concerned. We've got a plan. We'll see where we're at in the upcoming weeks. If he's ready for opening day he's ready, but if he's not, he's not going to lose too much time," Cora said. Whitlock had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip last September and is still recovering in spring training. It remains to be seen if the 26-year-old will open the season in Boston's starting rotation or bullpen, or if he'll even be healthy at all on Opening Day. Whitlock was more dominant in relief in 2022, which is also something to keep in mind.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) and left-hander Joely Rodriguez (shoulder) threw for the first time in spring training on Friday. Whitlock is coming off a hip injury that required surgery and is expected to be a full-time starter for the BoSox in 2023. The 26-year-old finished his second MLB season in 2022 with a 3.45 ERA (3.29 FIP), 1.02 WHIP, six saves and a 26.4 percent strikeout rate in 31 appearances (nine starts). Whitlock was much more dominant as a reliever, and there's injury risk, but there's still a lot to like if he sticks in a full-time rotation spot. Rodriguez comes to Boston after posting a 4.47 ERA (3.23 FIP), 1.35 WHIP and career-high 57 K's in 50 1/3 relief innings for the New York Mets last year.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that right-handers Garrett Whitlock (hip) and Tanner Houck (back) have been throwing this offseason and are on track for the start of the 2023 season. Whitlock is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right hip, while Houck had a lumbar discectomy. If healthy, Whitlock should begin the year in the starting rotation after he had a 3.45 ERA (3.29 FIP), 1.02 WHIP, six saves and 26.4% strikeout rate in 78 1/3 innings over 31 outings (nine starts) for Boston in his second MLB season. Houck was used mostly in relief (four starts in 32 appearances) and had a career-high eight saves, but Boston is expected to stretch him out for a potential starting role this spring. However, he's also a trade candidate, so he could find himself pitching somewhere other than Boston in 2023.

The Boston Red Sox told right-hander Garrett Whitlock that he will almost certainly be used as a starting pitcher in 2023, according to general manager Brian O'Halloran. The team also plans to have Tanner Houck build up as a starter, but there's still a chance he's used out of the bullpen. Whitlock had arthroscopic right hip surgery in September, but he's expected to be ready for spring training next year. The 26-year-old was solid in both starting and relieving roles for the BoSox in 2022, going 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA (3.29 WHIP), a 1.02 WHIP, an 82:15 K:BB and six saves in 78 1/3 innings over 31 appearances (nine starts). Whitlock will certainly be an intriguing fantasy up-and-comer in a starting role in just his third MLB season.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) will undergo hip surgery next week and will be shut down for the rest of the 2022 season. The Red Sox are hoping that he'll be ready to go again for spring training next year. There's a good chance that the 26-year-old was pitching through pain for much of the season. Whitlock had allowed seven runs on 10 hits while walking two and striking out 10 in seven innings in his last five appearances, so something clearly wasn't right. He'll finish his second season in the big leagues with a 4-2 record, 3.45 ERA (3.29 FIP), 1.02 WHIP, six saves and 82 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings covering 31 appearances (nine starts). Whitlock was much more effective as a reliever for Boston.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock (hip) is expected to return from the injured list this weekend. The 26-year-old made it through his second minor league rehab outing on Tuesday. He didn't experience any issues, so Whitlock is set to return to the bullpen. He holds a 3.51 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 49/11 K/BB ratio over 48 2/3 innings on the season. It's unlikely that Whitlock carries reliable fantasy value unless he moves into the starting rotation or becomes the full-time closer. Until then, it's tough to trust Whitlock to produce reliable value.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) will throw one or two innings in a rehab start at Triple-A Worcester on Friday. The 26-year-old has been out for a month now due to hip tightness. Whitlock has worn a few different hats for the Red Sox this year, but manager Alex Cora recently confirmed that Whitlock will return to the team in a relief role. He's been effective in just about every role he's had with the team this year. Over 13 appearances (nine starts), he's gone 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.

Boston Red Sox right-handers Nathan Eovaldi (back) and Garrett Whitlock (hip) are both scheduled to throw bullpen sessions on Saturday. It will be Eovaldi's first time throwing off a mound since he landed on the injured list almost three weeks ago with lower back inflammation. He might need a couple bullpen or live batting practice sessions before going on a minor league rehab assignment, so he's unlikely to return before the All-Star break. Whitlock is ahead of Eovaldi in his quest to return, but the Red Sox are leaning toward using him out of the bullpen once he's reinstated from the injured list. The 26-year-old made his first four appearances in relief for the Red Sox this year, but he'll lose plenty of fantasy value if he's not in the starting rotation.

The Boston Red Sox are considering moving right-hander Garrett Whitlock (hip) to the bullpen when he returns from the injured list. Skipper Alex Cora sounds as if the team is leaning toward making him a reliever when he returns. Whitlock has been on the injured list since June 10 with right hip inflammation, but he's getting close to going out on a minor league rehab assignment. We should have a better idea of how Boston plans to utilize him based on how many pitches he throws in his rehab outings before he's activated. The 26-year-old opened the season with four relief appearances before moving to a starting role. In 13 appearances (nine starts), Whitlock has a 3.51 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP with 49 strikeouts, 11 walks and one save in 48 2/3 innings. He'll unfortunately lose most of his fantasy appeal if he moves back to relieving.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock (hip) has been dealing with an injury for recent weeks. This hip tightness could explain why Whitlock has been inconsistent throughout the season. The Red Sox have been using Whitlock in the starting rotation with their starters being banged up. However, he could return to the bullpen once Chris Sale (ribs) is able to get back on the field. It doesn't sound like the team plans on placing Whitlock on the injured list. Although, things could quickly change, assuming his performance doesn't improve.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock earned his second win of the season against the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday, allowing one unearned run on five hits across six innings. He managed to complete his outing with only seventy pitches, including fifty strikes, and did not walk or strike out any batters. This is Whitlock's second consecutive quality start, and he has only allowed more than three earned runs in one of his twelve outings this season. Whitlock will not offer top-end strikeout numbers, with just 33 in 35 innings since moving to the rotation, but he's an excellent option for run prevention.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock was solid on Monday night against the Houston Astros, taking a no-decision in the 6-3 victory. Whitlock lasted five innings, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Whitlock has been consistently excellent this season, recording a 2.43 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings, but his fantasy upside is limited by the fact that he has yet to pitch more than five innings in a start. This leaves him a very small window to pick up wins, and quality starts appear to be out of the question for the moment.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock, who has a 1.25 ERA and 12 strikeouts per nine innings over seven games (three starts) so far this year, could remain in the starting rotation for the foreseeable future. However, the Red Sox will have an innings cap on the youngster eventually. He has thrown 21 2/3 innings over seven appearances, which is already almost 30% of his innings total from 2021. The 25-year-old missed all of the 2020 season after having Tommy John surgery. Whitlock has only once in his career thrown as many as 75 innings in a season, and that was way back in 2018 when he threw 120 2/3 frames. It's possible that Whitlock has a long enough leash to stay in the rotation the rest of the year, but that remains to be seen. It's likely that Whitlock won't go very deep into games if that happens, but if he continues to pitch well, he'll remain fantasy relevant.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock will remain in the team's starting rotation and face the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. This season, the 25-year-old has been lights out in both of his starts, posting a 0.54 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 16 2/3 innings. The right-hander began the year as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen. "Let's see how it goes," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "We've got the off-day on Monday. Obviously, we've got another off day a week from Monday. He'll start on Wednesday, and then we'll keep making decisions." Overall, Whitlock owns a 0.54 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings. Fantasy managers should add Whitlock in all league formats and can start him for Wednesday's tilt against the Angels.

With Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck unvaccinated and unable to travel to Canada for the team's four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays this week, right-hander Garrett Whitlock is scheduled to start on Thursday for the series finale at Rogers Centre. Houck is set up to pitch Friday against the Baltimore Orioles on regular rest after coming out of the bullpen on Saturday. In his first career start on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays, Whitlock struck out seven in four scoreless innings. The matchup in Toronto against the Jays is a tough one, but the 25-year-old has been outstanding in the first 13 2/3 innings of his 2022 season, allowing just one earned run on a homer while walking two and striking out 18 in five outings.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said there's a good chance that right-hander Garrett Whitlock will start on Saturday on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays. Tanner Houck will likely pitch after left-hander Rich Hill on Sunday in the series finale. Whitlock has worked exclusively out of the bullpen as a reliever so far this year, and he picked up his first save of the season after throwing a perfect inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. The 25-year-old has allowed just one earned run while walking two and striking out 11 in his 9 2/3 innings of relief so far, but he won't be an attractive DFS streamer on Saturday because he's unlikely to go more than a few innings as the "opener."

Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock pitched a clean ninth inning to close out the 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday for his first save of the year. He allowed no hits, no walks, and didn't strike anyone out. Whitlock's now sporting a 0.93 ERA with 11 strikeouts over 9.2 innings pitched. The former Rule 5 draft pick has appeared mostly as a bulk guy out of the pen, as 8.2 of his innings this season have come across three games, but could become a factor later in games given his success. The Red Sox bullpen has become hard to predict, with Hansel Robles, Jake Diekman, and Whitlock all with one save apiece, while 2021 closer Matt Barnes has been more of a middle reliever. Tuesday's result doesn't mean Whitlock's been anointed the new closer in town, so fantasy managers shouldn't jump all over the 25-year-old and expect him to factor too much in the category.

The Boston Red Sox announced on Sunday that they have signed right-hander Garrett Whitlock to an undisclosed four-year contract extension for the 2023-26 seasons. The extension includes team options for 2027 and 2028. Whitlock has the ability to throw multiple innings out of the bullpen or serve as a high-leverage arm for Boston, so he's a valuable pitching asset for the team. The 25-year-old had a very nice 1.96 ERA and 1.10 WHIP while notching his first two career saves in 73 1/3 relief innings last season. He may not see many save chances as long as Matt Barnes is healthy and effective, but Whitlock could be valuable for his ratios in deeper leagues and if he's eventually shifted to a starting role.