Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock says he played the back half of the 2026 season with a broken right tibia.
Whitlock told the Boston Herald that he turned up despite the pain in his leg, and that he and the team’s medical staff worked hard to keep the team competitive for the playoffs for thirty years.
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The extent of the injury was not known until the Red Sox were swept by the New York Yankees in the Wild Card League, when imaging was performed on the leg.
Whitlock won’t need a hand on his leg, but he will have the boot for six weeks and be ready for spring training if owners and players resolve their issues, which is expected to lead to a lockout when the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1.
Urn: Garrett Whitlock
Whitlock had a 1.72 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings this season. In a relief appearance in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card, he earned three earned runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings as the Yankees won 9-2 to complete the series sweep.
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Boston has an $8.25 million club option on Whitlock for the 2027 season and will have to decide the deal five days after the World Series.
This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock is out with a broken leg during the season