As Garrett Whitlock takes a big step forward, he has a message for the Red Sox on their role in 2025

BOSTON — Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock reached a major milestone in his return from elbow surgery this week, and as he looks ahead to next year, his one and only focus is health.

Whitlock, who underwent an internal reinforcement procedure on his throwing arm on May 30, played catch Thursday, marking his first time throwing a baseball since the surgery. He said his arm feels “fantastic” and he doesn’t expect any restrictions once spring training begins in February.

At this point, the Red Sox will once again be tasked with deciding which role best suits Whitlock. The 28-year-old won a spot in the rotation this spring and made four starts before elbow soreness ended his season, but he has bounced between starting and relief throughout his career. In four big league seasons, Whitlock logged 109 innings in 23 starts and 132⅔ innings in 80 games out of the bullpen.

In previous years, Whitlock often stated that he would accept whatever role the Red Sox envisioned for him, although both sides acknowledged that he would become a rotation force in the future. Now, after being limited to just 168⅓ innings over the past three years, Whitlock’s tone has changed a bit.

“Honestly, I told them whatever can keep me healthy (is the best role),” Whitlock said Friday. “That’s where I’m at. We will consult the doctors and see where this takes us.

“It’s my thing. I hated that I missed this whole year. I made four starts and that’s it. Next year I’m just looking for 162 (games) of health and that’s all I’m asking for.

Whitlock was a dominant reliever as a Rule 5 rookie in 2021 (1.96 ERA in 73⅓ innings), but was a starter in the minors with the Yankees and the Red Sox planned to stretch him out in 2022 and beyond . The four-year extension Whitlock signed in April 2022 even included innings-related escalators based on the fact that Whitlock had accumulated a significant number of innings as a starter from 2023 to 2026. But he spent most of 2022 in as a reliever, making 22 appearances in the bullpen sandwiched around a nine-start midseason rotation cameo and underwent hip surgery in September. He entered 2023 as a rotation member, but was placed on the injured list three times early in the year and was moved to the bullpen upon his return in mid-August. He was expected to start in 2024 before injuries took over.

Whitlock’s role in 2025 will once again be a spring training scenario for the Red Sox, who plan to enter camp with Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Lucas Giolito, Richard Fitts, Quinn Priester and Cooper Criswell – as well as, probably, externals. additions – into their rotation mix.

“I think we’re ahead of all of this,” manager Alex Cora said. “We will make decisions when necessary.

“Overall, heading into spring training, it’s a deeper group. There’s going to be a lot of tough decisions as far as roles and who gets Triple-A… There’s going to be a lot of good competition and we’re looking forward to it.”

For now, though, Whitlock – who underwent the same surgery as Giolito, just 2 1/2 months later – is encouraged by his progress and hopes to contribute to it.

“I feel like I have a whole new arm,” Whitlock said. “It was a lot easier (than full Tommy John surgery). In its entirety, it takes a lot longer for him to actually feel normal and for you to be able to use him as an arm again. This one was much faster.