Garrett Whitlock making his return to Red Sox rotation Tuesday night

BOSTON -- A promising arm will return to the Red Sox rotation Tuesday night in Tampa. Garrett Whitlock is being activated off the IL and will make his 2023 debut Tuesday against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Whitlock, 26, started the season on the Injured List as he recovered from a hip arthroscopy that he underwent last September. He made a pair of minor league starts over the last two weeks, and looked strong in both. 

Whitlock made a rehab start for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs last Thursday and surrendered just one hit -- a solo homer -- while striking out eight over six innings of work. He started for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox on March 31, and allowed one run off six hits while fanning six.

Now he's set to join a Boston rotation that has gotten back on track after a rough start. To make way for Whitlock on the roster, the Red Sox are reportedly sending Kutter Crawford to Worcester.

Whitlock started his pro career as a starting pitcher but has primarily been a reliever -- and a darn good on at that -- since the Red Sox snagged him from the Yankees through the Rule 5 Draft in 2021. That was by design, a move to build up his strength after Whitlock underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019. 

He was dominant as a reliever, racking up a 2.73 ERA and 1.062 WHIP over 151.2 innings, striking out 163 batters (to just 32 walks) over his two seasons out of the Boston bullpen. Whitlock got his first chance to start for the Red Sox last season, going 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.256 WHIP over nine starts.

He landed on the IL in June with his hip injury, and returned to the bullpen upon his return. In 22 games as a reliever, Whitlock was 3-1 with a 2.75 ERA and a 0.788 WHIP for Boston last season.

He's now returning to a Boston rotation that struggled out of the gate, allowing 23 earned runs over the team's first five games. Boston starters looked much better in their second turn through the rotation, with the staff allowing just seven earned runs over its last 25 innings.

The return of Whitlock, plus the eventual return by 23-year-old Brayan Bello, should help stabilize the Red Sox rotation even more.