After a rocky start to the season and months on the injured list, the Boston Red Sox finally have a plan for Tanner Houck.
The righty will undergo Tommy John surgery, Alex Cora told reporters on August 2 (first reported by Christopher Smith of MassLive). Houck has been on the IL since May 14 with a flexor pronator strain. He was sent on a rehab assignment on June 18, but it didn't go well and the Red Sox shut him down again. Houck was placed on the 60-day IL on July 31 to add trade deadline addition Dustin May to the roster.
Cora said Houck's surgery has not yet been scheduled. Last season's ace underwent an MRI and got multiple opinions from doctors.
“I know that throughout the whole process, there were different opinions and that was the last one,” Cora said. “And Tanner decided to go with that one.”
Houck's struggles and regression in the lead-up to his extended stint on the sidelines were gradual. He was the breakout star of Boston's rotation last season, with a 3.12 ERA, 154 strikeouts and 48 walks in 178.2 innings. He earned his first All-Star appearance and made 30 starts for the first time in his career.
Red Sox's 2024 ace Tanner Houck to undergo Tommy John surgery after long IL stint
Houck was lights out in the first half of last season, but things changed in the second. His pre-All-Star ERA was one of the best in the American League (2.54), but it shot up to 4.23 after the break. He threw strikes at a lower clip and walked more batters — he gave up 26 walks in 117 innings in the first half and walked 22 in just 61.2 innings to finish out the season.
The righty's regression continued into the 2025 season. He let up a brutal 17 runs in 13.2 innings during spring training, and posted an 8.04 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP before Boston placed him on the IL in May. He didn't bounce back well after his rehab appearances, and now we know why.
Tommy John surgery entails a grueling recovery process, and since Houck will have the procedure so late in the season, it's hard to know when the Red Sox will be able to use him next. If his rehab takes longer than a year, he may not be able to join the rotation again until 2027.
Boston's rotation could still be in decent shape while Houck recovers. The Red Sox have Garrett Crochet locked up until the 2032 season, they have control of Lucas Giolito in 2026 if he pitches fewer than 140 innings this year, and Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval will hopefully be ready to pitch by Opening Day.