The Boston Red Sox face their arch-rival New York Yankees for a crucial four-game series starting Friday in the Bronx.
With Boston closing in on the Yankees in the wild-card standings, and home-field in a potential best-of-three wild-card playoff series on the line, the four-game set looks increasingly like the series that will define the 2026 season for both teams.
Before making the trip to Yankee Stadium, after completing a three-game set in Miami against the Marlins, the Red Sox received an update on their top right-handed relief pitcher, who has been on the injured list with an arm issue since Aug. 13.
Whitlock faced live hitters Wednesday afternoon in Miami, boosting his chances of returning to the Boston Red Sox bullpen as soon as Friday.
Whitlock threw at loanDepot Park ahead of Boston’s series finale against the Marlins, striking out both hitters he faced, Eli White and Caleb Durbin, according to MLB.com’s account of Wednesday’s session. The right-hander has been sidelined since Aug. 10 with right elbow inflammation.
“You don’t want to go too many days without having someone try and swing off you,” Whitlock said. “Knock the rust off. Make sure everything’s moving the way it’s supposed to.”
Interim manager Chad Tracy struck a similarly encouraging tone.
“He looked good. He felt good. So that’s a good outcome,” Tracy said, adding the club still wants to see how Whitlock’s arm responds Thursday before deciding on an activation.
Whitlock said he believes he’s ready.
“I feel like I’d be good,” as quoted by MassLive reporter Christopher Smith. “I’m just gonna let them make that decision. So I’m not that decision-maker.”
Garrett Whitlock’s Elbow Injury Timeline
The Red Sox placed Whitlock on the 15-day injured list Aug. 13, retroactive to Aug. 10, after discomfort that had been building for weeks forced him out of a scheduled outing in Toronto, according to a Boston Globe report. He last pitched Aug. 9 against the Athletics.
Tracy said at the time the issue had first surfaced on Boston’s previous West Coast trip. Whitlock has a lengthy elbow history that includes Tommy John surgery and a 2024 internal-brace procedure, but he downplayed any fear of a repeat operation.
“I don’t think we’re worried about it needing surgery or anything like that,” he said. “It’s nothing that concerning.”
Greg Weissert was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to fill the roster spot Whitlock left open. Whitlock carried a 1.20 ERA over his final 15 outings before landing on the injured list.
Garrett Whitlock’s Season and Career Arc
Whitlock has been one of Boston’s most reliable relievers in 2026, posting a 6-1 record with a 2.05 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP and 49 strikeouts against just seven walks across 44 innings, setting up for closer Aroldis Chapman, according to Whitlock’s official MLB.com page. He carries a 1.67 ERA in 24 career appearances against the Yankees.
Boston found Whitlock in the Rule 5 Draft, selecting him from the Yankees organization in December 2020 after New York left him exposed following Tommy John surgery that, combined with the canceled 2020 minor league season, wiped out nearly two years of his development, according to a CBS Sports report. He made Boston’s Opening Day roster as a rookie in 2021, posting a 1.96 ERA over 73 1/3 innings, then signed a four-year contract extension in April 2022.
The 30-year-old, a former University of Alabama at Birmingham pitcher, has posted a 2.99 ERA across 210 career games for Boston, working as both a starter and setup man. He also missed roughly two weeks in late May with left knee inflammation, a separate issue from his current elbow trouble. The Red Sox bullpen leads the majors in ERA at 2.87 this season, well ahead of the second-place Yankees at 3.06.
Red Sox Get New Garrett Whitlock Injury Update Before Crucial Yankees Series