This afternoon, it was announced that Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Garrett Whitlock would be placed on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation. While the exact timetable is unknown for his return, the injury is serious enough to warrant an IL stint. In his absence, reliever Tyler Samaniego has been recalled to join Boston again.
Garrett Whitlock to Go on Injured List: Details
Whitlock had been a key piece in the Red Sox bullpen, seen as the middle guy of the stellar trio of Justin Slaten, himself, and Aroldis Chapman used in the last three innings of a game. On Sunday afternoon, however, the right-hander exited in the sixth in a situation where the Red Sox were up one against the Minnesota Twins. With two outs in the fifth inning, he let up back-to-back hits and would leave the sixth with Minnesota in the lead.
The #RedSox today placed RHP Garrett Whitlock on the 15-Day Injured List (retroactive to May 25) with left knee inflammation. To fill his spot, Boston recalled LHP Tyler Samaniego from Triple-A Worcester.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 28, 2026
When coming back, though, he appeared to have a freak injury, having slipped on the mound and hurt his knee. It wasn’t an unprovoked slip. During Sunday’s game, there was light rain throughout the day. It wasn’t enough to delay or postpone, but it was enough to where someone could get hurt, as seen in this situation.
Over the past few days, the Red Sox had been monitoring Whitlock’s knee, hoping to avoid an outcome like this current one. Even manager Chad Tracy had hoped that it would be nothing, as the scans came back negative. But the fact of the matter is that he is injured. This is not only a huge blow to the Red Sox bullpen, but to Boston as a team.
The Injury Woes In Boston Continue
Whitlock is the latest, but not the first, to take an IL stint with the Red Sox recently. The month of May (and slightly before) has not been kind to the Red Sox on the injury front. Just before the start of the month, Garrett Crochet went down with left shoulder inflammation. On May 7th, Roman Anthony went down with a sprained finger after swinging against the Detroit Tigers. Trevor Story and fellow reliever Danny Coulombe have also gone down with injury this month.
It’s been a tricky place right now for a Red Sox team trying to catch fire and get out of the bottom of the division. But one positive thing to come from the injury bug has been the prospects that come up and contribute in big ways. Whether it’s Mickey Gasper or Alec Gamboa making his MLB debut with the Red Sox, most times, when someone comes up to Boston, they’ve had an impact.
Tyler Samaniego Called Back Up To Boston
One of the successful call-ups and impactful rookies has been Tyler Samaniego. One of the players sent to Boston in the Johan Oviedo trade, he has been a solid reliever coming out of the bullpen. In 17 ⅓ innings, Samaniego holds a 1.04 ERA, making him the third-lowest ERA on the team, behind Eduardo Rivera, Gamboa, and Chapman (Rivera and Gamboa are tied at 0.00, while Chapman is 0.51). He has proven to be one of the more consistent pitchers on the staff. He had originally been sent down when Coulombe came back from his injury, but with the recent news, it will be good to bring back a productive arm.
The Last Word
A timetable for Whitlock, as mentioned, is unknown as of now. This is a big loss for Boston, even with a good replacement. Slaten’s role may be moved to setup, while Samaniego might take the seventh inning role, or vice versa. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see what happens in the short term.
Main Photo Credit: © Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
