The Boston Red Sox collapsed in the eighth inning on Wednesday night in Toronto to drop their fifth straight game.
Tied up 1-1 going into the frame, the Red Sox went with right-hander Tyron Guerrero out of the bullpen rather than the typical eight inning option in Garrett Whitlock. Guerrero, who had pitched the night before, came in with a stellar 2.03 ERA in his first 30 appearances this year.
This figure ballooned to a 3.19 after Wednesday's blow-up which began with a Willson Contreras error, featured three hits and four earned runs, and ended with the Blue Jays up 6-1.
When asked about the decision to go with Guerrero, manager Chad Tracy revealed that Whitlock was unavailable due to elbow inflammation. According to Whitlock, the issue has been "building" for a few weeks, but he doesn't believe that any "drastic measures" are necessary.
“I don’t think there’s anything structurally wrong with it," Whitlock told MassLive's Chris Cotillo. "Obviously, I’m sure there’s probably a lot of inflammation in there. My concern for need of any drastic measures is very low.”
Tracy had hinted at the growing discomfort during the Dodgers series at the beginning of the month, explaining that Whitlock has been "beat up" as rationale for giving him and some of the other high-leverage relievers a breather. The 30-year-old hurler has already done a stint on the injured list this season which came at the end of May and into June with knee inflammation.
But elbow inflammation obviously invites some more concerning thoughts, especially for a player like Whitlock who has an extensive history of arm injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and a less significant but still season ending internal brace procedure in May of 2024.
It will be an important ailment to monitor for Boston, who can't afford to lose their late-inning stalwart ahead of the stretch run. Despite the off-and-on elbow soreness, Whitlock has posted a tremendous 2.05 ERA and 0.89 WHIP through 45 appearances, most coming in the eighth inning of close games ahead of closer Aroldis Chapman.
Whitlock's lack of concern is promising, though the Red Sox would be wise to operate with caution to get their reliable right-hander back to full strength for the final months of the season.
