After a string of good news on the injury front, the Boston Red Sox bullpen was dealt a big blow ahead of Thursday's series finale with the Atlanta Braves.
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox bullpen was dealt a massive blow ahead of Thursday afternoon’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves, as the team announced reliever Garrett Whitlock was placed on the 15-day injured list because of left knee inflammation.
Whitlock's placement on the injured list comes just a day after interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters that Whitlock injured his knee after slipping on the mound during his warm-up pitches in Sunday's rain-soaked loss to the Minnesota Twins.
"First warmup pitch on Sunday, obviously, the conditions were super wet, I kind of slipped and hyperextended my knee and everything," Whitlock told MLB.com's Ian Browne about the injury.
The team announced that left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego has been recalled in Whitlock's absence.
About Samaniego
Samaniego is back in Boston just four days after he was optioned back to Triple-A Worcester as the corresponding move for Danny Coulombe's activation from the injured list. The 27-year-old rookie has performed admirably in his first two stints in big leagues, allowing just two earned runs in 17.1 innings - spanning 18 appearances - and allowing opponents to hit .206 against him. His 1.04 ERA is the eighth-lowest among all qualified relievers in the sport.
Who will step up in Whitlock's absence?
The loss of Whitlock is a massive blow to a Red Sox bullpen that has faltered on multiple occasions over the last week. The 29-year-old right-hander has appeared in 20 games in 2026, posting a 3.20 ERA while holding opponents to a .216 batting average and being Boston's primary setup man in front of closer Aroldis Chapman.
Whitlock has been one of the most valuable relievers in baseball over the past two seasons, posting the fifth-highest win probability added among all relievers since the start of the 2025 season.
Despite the recent issues, the Boston bullpen has been one of the best in baseball in 2026; It has the second-lowest ERA among any group in baseball at 3.06, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers. But the injury to Whitlock places an increased amount of pressure on fellow right-handed setup man Justin Slaten, who figures to take on Whitlock's role as the primary bridge to Chapman.
Tracy has several options to fill Slaten's typical role in the seventh inning, including right-hander Greg Weissert, who has struggled mightily in 2026, especially when entering an inning with runners already on base. Both Samaniego and fellow left-hander Jovani Moran could both find themselves working in higher-leverage spots as well. Moran has performed well when he is not used as an opener, holding opponents to a .134 batting average and allowing just five earned runs on 11 hits over 24.2 innings.
The Red Sox will go for the series win over the Braves on Thursday afternoon as Payton Tolle (2-2, 2.45 ERA) takes the mound, opposite former Red Sox ace Chris Sale (7-3, 1.89 ERA). First pitch from Fenway Park set for 4:10 p.m. ET.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Remember to join our RED SOX on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Red Sox fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
