After his first rehab start in Worcester last week, Red Sox All-Star pitcher Tanner Houck was feeling pretty good. He had last been on the mound in May for Boston, in what might be called the worst outing of his career (he allowed 11 runs, and it only might be the worst because it was the second time Houck let up 11 runs in a start this season). But he had been off for more than a month, rehabbing a “right flexor pronator strain,” is it is known.
Houck gave up one run in one-plus innings in that game. He gave up two hits, too, and a walk to lead off the second inning. The stat line was not impressive, but the vibes were good.
“It felt good to be back, it felt good to be out there competing,” Houck said at the time. “I felt in sync, the stretch was a little stiff but for the first one back happy to be able to get the two ups and in terms of pitch shapes I like where everything’s at, now it’s just continuing to go out there and compete.”
Tanner Houck Has Rough Outing
But then came the follow-up start on Tuesday. Houck was expecting to work up to the 90-pitch range before being ready to come back to the Red Sox rotation, and there was hope that he would accomplish that before next month’s All-Star break.
Alas, Triple-A rehab start No. 2 did not look much better for Houck than Start No. 1. In fact, it looked worse, and it’s fair to wonder just when we will see Houck pull it together and get back to Boston.
Houck put up a perfect first inning against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but the wheels came off in the second inning. He allowed four runs, walking two and hitting a batter, while also yielding three hits. He threw 49 pitches, and only 26 were strikes.
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Houck addressed the problem after he was pulled from the rotation. He said arm soreness is perfectly normal for a pitcher, but for him, elbow soreness is unusual. That’s why red flags were raised that something is wrong.
“I just wasn’t quite recovering in the same way I know my body should,” Houck said last month. “At this point in my career, I know where I get sore and I know where I need to get sore and what’s normal for me. Ultimately, it was going into the wrong spots. For me, I’m a shoulder soreness guy. For me to get sore in the elbow like that, it’s just not normal.
“I had a little bit starting in spring training. All in all, I just want to pitch and be out there. It flared up a little bit more than feels comfortable. It was time to take a step back and trust the other guys.”
The Red Sox have brought Richard Fitts off the injured list, and he will assume a spot in the rotation. Boston has two new candidates–Jordan Hicks and Kyle Harrison, acquired in the Rafael Devers trade–to join the staff, too.
Red Sox Star Roughed Up as Injury Return Looking Shaky