Boston Red Sox right-handed pitcher Garrett Whitlock has been sidelined with knee inflammation, landing him on the 15-day injured list as of Thursday.
The roster move dates back to Monday. To fill the spot, Boston brought up rookie left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego from their Triple-A affiliate in Worcester.
Whitlock serves as the primary setup pitcher ahead of closer Aroldis Chapman. He injured his left knee during last Sunday’s 6-5 home defeat against the Minnesota Twins, when slippery field conditions caused him to hyperextend the joint.
“First warmup pitch on Sunday, obviously, the conditions were super wet, I kind of slipped and hyperextended my knee and everything,” Whitlock explained about the moment he got hurt.
The 29-year-old pitcher gave up one run on two hits while recording just one out in that appearance.
“Honestly, I got pretty sped-up just because it was on the very first (warmup) pitch, and then I was like, ‘Man, that didn’t feel good.’ And it was just kind of in my head,” Whitlock said. “And then I saw the clock going. I was like, ‘Oh, they didn’t stop it. I need to keep throwing.’ So yeah, I probably should have taken some time to be like, ‘All right, slow things down.’ But that’s part of it. You’re just trying to compete and everything. I’m never going to make excuses.”
Whitlock has been out of action for three games through Thursday and received a pain-relieving injection on Tuesday. He also had an MRI scan performed earlier in the week.
“Luckily, no structural damage, like no ligament or anything like that,” Whitlock said. “So I’m just kind of trying to get everything out of it now.”
This season, Whitlock has compiled a 3-1 record with a 3.20 ERA, issuing six walks while striking out 25 batters across 19 2/3 innings in 20 relief outings.
Since joining Boston in 2021, Whitlock has posted a 28-15 record with 10 saves and a 3.13 ERA, walking 82 and striking out 368 in 333 1/3 innings over 185 regular-season appearances, including 23 starts.
Samaniego brings a 0-2 record with a 1.04 ERA this season for Boston, walking seven and striking out 13 in 17 1/3 innings across 18 relief appearances.
