The Boston Red Sox are going to place Garrett Whitlock on the 10-day injured list, after suffering a right pectoral injury. The right-hander was removed from Sunday’s game against the Orioles. As a corresponding move, they’ve recalled Ryan Brasier from Triple-A Worcester.
“We’re gonna put him on the IL,” Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Tuesday ahead of their series opener against the Mets. “We don’t think it’s that serious but obviously he’s not gonna be ready in the upcoming days — it’s gonna be actually closer to ten days, so we’ll make that move.”
“We’ll announce it later on but Brasier is here,” Cora added.
Whitlock, who has been by far Boston’s most reliable reliever this year, will be a big loss for the Sox. However, Cora remains confident in the club.
“We got some capable guys and somebody has to step up,” Cora said. “We got Tanner (Houck) now in the bullpen, so he’ll do his job back there, and actually, we got some guys that we were able to reset over the weekend, staying away from them — they’re fresh.”
“We believe so,” Cora said when asked if the Red Sox believe Whitlock will be able to return to the team before the season ends.
Boston will the Mets tonight, with Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound for the club. They open a three-game series at Fenway Park before the Sox end the final homestand of the year with a three-game set against the archrival Yankees, the fellow New York club.
“(Rodriguez) did an amazing job in Seattle,” said Cora. “(The Mariners) put together some good at-bats in the second inning, fouling off stuff, and I think his stuff was really good — his command was great. He finished strong, gave us a chance to win the ballgame, and that’s what we ask him for.”
“Same thing with this team obviously,” Cora continued. “They’re not where they wanna be, but still, it’s a very talented group. We have to pitch. We have to pitch. The way he’s been throwing the ball we feel very comfortable.”
UPDATED: RED SOX MAKE IT OFFICIAL
The Sox make it official, announce the move along with Christian Arroyo’s activation.
The #RedSox made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/7I74NeqFcK
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 21, 2021
(Photo of Boston Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)