Garrett

Whitlock

Bello threw just 28 pitches in a losing effort against the Bombers in Game 2 on Wednesday, so he’ll be available if he’s needed on Thursday. Garrett Whitlock will also be available. The only pitcher on the Red Sox’ staff that’s unlikely to be available is Garrett Crochet, and Cora even hinted that he could be in a pinch when saying “probably not” when asked about his availability. Expect an all hands on deck situation as the Red Sox attempt to stave off elimination.

It would likely fall to Garrett Whitlock to handle a save situation, if one arises on Monday night at Target Field. Cora added that they believe Chapman will be ready to pitch on Tuesday or Wednesday. The 37-year-old All-Star closer left Sunday’s relief outing against the Dodgers with back tightness. It doesn’t appear to be a serious concern, but back issues can be tricky and fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his status.

The 37-year-old southpaw was experiencing very diminished velocity before exiting with a trainer, topping out at 95 mph. He’ll head for further evaluation to determine exactly what’s going on there, but there are some rumors that he was seen vomiting in the bullpen before the game, so there’s a chance he’s simply battling an illness. Jordan Hicks came on to replace him, but Garrett Whitlock figures to be the next man up if Chapman requires a trip to the injured list. He was unavailable today after pitching in four of the last six games. Stay tuned as the Red Sox should have an update on his status after the game.

The Red Sox decided to give Aroldis Chapman a second straight day off after he pitched five times in seven days. Whitlock came in with two on and Aaron Judge up in the eighth and got an inning-ending double play. He then retired Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe in the ninth, striking out the last two. Coming off elbow surgery, Whitlock had a 4.43 ERA in his first 15 appearances this season. His last 11, though, have seen him allow one run in 14 innings and earn four wins, two holds and now his first save.

It wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement from Cora, who added that he wouldn’t be surprised if there was some mixing and matching depending on situational matchups. It sounds like Cora is leaving the door open to use Chapman prior to the ninth inning with a lead to protect if there are a couple tough left-handed batters coming up, which would lead to someone like Liam Hendriks, Justin Slaten or Garrett Whitlock to vulture the occasional save. It’s not quite a full-fledged closer by committee situation, but it’s close.

Whitlock’s return from elbow surgery has gone very smoothly, and he’s all set to open the season in the Red Sox pen, probably as one of their key guys. It wouldn’t be stunning to see him wind up closing at some point.

The 28-year-old hurler is recovering from an internal brace procedure and has yet to face live hitters this spring. He’s ahead of schedule though and has already thrown multiple bullpen sessions where he looked sharp. While the window is narrowing for him to ramp up fully before the season begins, the Red Sox seem confident that he’ll be ready to go.

Not bad for the start of spring. Hendrick has not pitched in the majors since 2023, but the 36-year-old is not long removed from being one of the best bullpen arms in all of baseball. If healthy, there’s a chance Hendriks wins the closer’s role with Boston, but he will be competing with Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten.

The five potential candidates were specifically highlighted by Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow on Tuesday at the outset of spring training, just a few hours after former stopper Kenley Jansen agreed to a one-year pact with the Angels. Hendriks and Chapman are the clear-cut favorites to secure Boston’s ninth-inning role given their extensive closing experience, but Slaten — who was outstanding last year as a Rule 5 selection — and Whitlock figure to be in the mix for high-leverage roles. Red Sox manager Alex Cora re-affirmed to reporters Tuesday that he would prefer a set closer as opposed to mixing and matching. If healthy, Hendriks seems like the logical choice to win the competition this spring, but he’s thrown just five innings in the big leagues over the past two seasons. It’s a developing situation fantasy managers should monitor once Grapefruit League action kicks off.

It’s no surprise, but it’s nice that the pitcher is confirming it, since the brass wasn’t yet willing to. Whitlock is coming off internal brace surgery, but he expects to be ready for Opening Day or at least soon afterwards. He unfortunately struggled to stay healthy as a starter, but he has a 2.65 ERA with a 150/29 K/BB in 132 2/3 career innings as a reliever. He might be a fallback in the closer’s role if Liam Hendriks struggles.