Garrett Whitlock lands on IL with elbow injury, Red Sox recall Brayan Bello
BOSTON -- The Red Sox rotation took a hit on Friday, with Garrett Whitlock landing on the 15-day IL with a right elbow injury.
Whitlock was placed on the Injured List with right elbow ulnar neuritis, which is irritation and inflammation on the inside portion of the elbow. The move is retroactive to April 25.
It's extremely concerning news for the 26-year-old, as Rays pitcher Jeffrey Springs was recently diagnosed with ulnar neuritis and a few days later it was reported that he needed to undergo Tommy John surgery. It's unclear how severe Whitlock's injury is, but it's not great news for the righty or the Red Sox.
Garrett Whitlock said he felt something akin to a numbness or tingling two side sessions ago, and had felt it sporadically when throwing pitches since. He said he’s not concerned that this is anything like the torn UCL that led to Tommy John surgery in ‘19. He hasn’t had an MRI.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) April 28, 2023
Whitlock underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 when he was with the New York Yankees, which paved the way for the Red Sox to snag him in the Rule 5 draft. The 26-year-old is 1-2 on the season with a 6.19 ERA over his three starts.
To take Whitlock's place on the roster -- and likely the rotation -- Boston recalled 23-year-old rightly Brayan Bello from Triple-A Worcester. Bello has made 15 appearances in the Majors (including 13 starts), and last appeared for Boston last Sunday in Milwaukee, allowing three runs over 4.2 innings in a 12-5 Red Sox win.