Just as the last piece of the Boston Red Sox starting rotation was healthy and neared a return to the lineup, the team shared unfortunate news.
After his May 15 rehab start, Garrett Whitlock experienced elbow soreness. He initially went on the injured list with an oblique strain and the elbow injury was a new development that the team had not investigated.
Imaging and tests confirmed the worst outcome — Whitlock has ulnar collateral ligament damage and season-ending surgery is a real possibility.
Whitlock earned a spot in the Red Sox's starting rotation out of spring training and pitched exceptionally well until his original placement on the IL on April 17. He logged a 1.96 ERA, 17 strikeouts and seven walks in 18.1 innings.
If Whitlock undergoes surgery to repair his ligament this season, Cooper Criswell will likely remain in the starting rotation in his absence. The young righty has posted a 2.76 ERA in 29.1 innings of work and he's served Boston's pitching staff well when multiple of its pieces were injured. But that won't be the same production Whitlock would've been able to offer.
Garrett Whitlock has ligament damage, Rafael Devers makes Red Sox home run history
How about some good news, though? On May 20, Rafael Devers made Red Sox history at Tropicana Field. His fourth-inning home run marked his sixth straight game with a long ball.
Devers flung his bat in the air and rounded the bases as a chorus of Red Sox fans' cheers accompanied his trot. He donned the home run medal in the dugout and celebrated with his teammates accordingly,
Rafael Devers is the only player in Red Sox history to homer in 6 consecutive games. pic.twitter.com/TOssP5sAKy
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 20, 2024
Devers broke away from some familiar names and elite company in Boston's history books. Bobby Dalbec, Jose Canseco, George Scott, Dick Stuart, Ted Williams, and Jimmie Foxx all hit home runs in five consecutive games in a Red Sox uniform. Devers is the first Sox to hit a bomb in six straight games, and his streak may not even be over yet.
The third baseman missed 11 games in March and April due to multiple injuries — shoulder pain and a bone bruise in his knee kept him sidelined for longer than he's used to in most full seasons. But the slugger recovered and he's been an integral part of his team's success since his return.
Now, he's also a part of Boston Legend. He has over nine more seasons seasons to make more history in a Red Sox uniform, and he surely will.