Garrett

Whitlock

Whitlock got the call to protect a three-run lead in the final frame with Aroldis Chapman unavailable after pitching three of the previous four games, including back-to-back outings against the Yankees over the weekend. He struck out Dylan Crews and got pinch-hitter Daylen Lile to pop out before giving up a two-out single to a red-hot Luis García Jr. He prevented things from getting interesting by whiffing pinch-hitter Jorbit Vivas to extinguish any hopes of a Washington comeback.

Whitlock missed just the minimum 15-day stint after being diagnosed with left knee inflammation. He’ll be one of the key cogs in the bullpen again as a bridge to Aroldis Chapman now that he’s healthy enough to pitch in that role.

Whitlock has rejoined the Red Sox down in Tampa Bay after wrapping up a minor league rehab assignment with scoreless inning for Triple-A Worcester over the weekend. The 29-year-old could wind up getting the occasional save chance with Aroldis Chapman dealing with a minor hamstring issue that could limit his availability for back-to-back situatuins.

It wasn’t the smoothest of innings, as Whitlock gave up a hit and a couple of walks and threw just 10 of his 21 pitches for strikes, but he managed to escape without any damage being done. His fastball topped out at 97-mph in the outing. It’s unclear if the Red Sox will want to see him once more in a minor league setting or if he’ll be cleared to return following Saturday’s appearance.

Whitlock has made a rapid recovery after hitting the injured list with knee inflammation back in late May. The 29-year-old high-leverage specialist figures to make it back to Boston’s bullpen at some point next week, possibly as early as Monday’s series opener against the Rays.

It was Whitlock’s first side session since hitting the injured list with knee inflammation last week. The 29-year-old isn’t expected to miss a ton of time and it’s possible he’s ready to rejoin Boston’s high-leverage mix by mid-June.

Whitlock had a 3.20 ERA in 19 2/3 innings for the Red Sox as their main setup man for Aroldis Chapman, blowing a save on Sunday before sitting out the next two days with the injury. Justin Slaten looks to be the main cog in this pen for holds now, with Jovani Morán potentially joining the mix as well.

Tracy did caution that Whitlock has already undergone imaging and there’s no structural damage. The right-hander jammed the knee when he slipped on the mound during a rain-filled game against the Twins last week. Right now, Whitlock is considered day-to-day, but it’s good news that he appears to have avoided a significant injury.

Whitlock missed the series against the Padres and will be right back in high-leverage innings for the Red Sox as they look to break their early-season funk.

Congrats to Garrett and his growing family. He’ll be out for the weekend series and should be back with the team on Monday.