Latest news with #TannerHouck
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alex Cora explains why Red Sox shut down Tanner Houck (and gives other injury updates)
PHILADELPHIA — The Red Sox are back to square one when it comes to injured starter Tanner Houck. Houck felt arm soreness after his last rehab outing for the WooSox on July 9 and has been shut down from throwing, manager Alex Cora said Monday. There's no timetable on his return. Houck, who first went on the injured list due to a flexor pronator strain in his throwing arm on May 13, was pulled off his rehab assignment Friday and remains on the IL. After pitching five times in the minor leagues over a three-week period, he appeared close to returning before re-aggravating the injury. The Red Sox hope rest will help Houck bounce back. Tests revealed no significant damage. 'He's going to stay on the IL,' said Cora. 'They checked on him. There's no surgery needed. Just rest. Re-set him now, get treatment and see where we're headed after that.' Houck, an All-Star last season, looked lost in the first six weeks of the season. He posted an 8.04 ERA and allowed 57 hits in 43 ⅔ innings, blowing up twice in a four-week span (April 14 in Tampa and May 12 in Detroit). He had mixed results in his rehab outings but had better numbers toward the end, pitching five shutout innings for Double-A Portland on July 4, then striking out six and allowing a single run for the WooSox in a 4 ⅓ inning outing in Rochester five days later. Houck's 30-day rehab window expired over the All-Star break. It was clear to the Red Sox then that they could not activate him. For now, they're hoping treatment on his arm will help put him in a place where he can resume throwing. Cora didn't have a timetable for Houck's return. 'I can't give you an answer right now,' Cora said. 'This happened during the week. He felt it in his last one. He saw the doctors and all that stuff. We've got to go to Step 1, I guess." Rookie Richard Fitts will stay in the rotation with Houck and Hunter Dobbins (torn ACL) out. 'He's part of the rotation,' Cora said. 'He has done an outstanding job since last year, giving us a chance to win games. We expect the same thing out of him.' Bullpen arms progressing Cora is encouraged by the progress of righties Justin Slaten (right shoulder inflammation) and Liam Hendriks (right hip inflammation), who are both playing catch and getting stretched out. Right-handers Luis Guerrero (right elbow strain) and Zack Kelly (right oblique strain) have progressed to facing hitters for the first time since hitting the IL. 'Slaten is playing catch and he's feeling better. Hendriks is doing the same thing. Guerrero threw a live (BP). Kelly threw a live today and will throw another one Thursday,' Cora said. 'Everyone's progressing. They're feeling better. I don't know when they're going to go on a rehab assignment if needed, but we're in a good spot.' More Red Sox coverage Red Sox starter not ready to say 'I'm back' after great outing, but pushing to keep spot ahead of trade deadline With strike looming, Fenway concession workers have Red Sox players' support Red Sox question MLB rule after becoming second team since 1920 to lose in 'really weird' way Red Sox reactions: Walker Buehler's solid night spoiled as Boston loses on bizarre walk-off Red Sox sign first-round pick for $5 million, plus a few other top draft picks Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox rookie expected to take Hunter Dobbins' spot; What about Tanner Houck?
BOSTON — Richard Fitts is expected to take injured starter Hunter Dobbins' spot in the Red Sox rotation after the All-Star break. Dobbins, who has made the fifth most starts for Boston this season, suffered a season-ending ACL tear Friday. 'Nobody has to step up. Somebody has to just jump in,' manager Alex Cora said Saturday. 'And we've got capable guys. Fitts is here now. We'll set up the rotation after the break probably with him in mind. And we'll go from there.' How about Tanner Houck returning to the starting rotation? 'He's in the equation but like I said, I think Fitts is the one that will jump into the rotation,' Cora said. Houck has been on the IL since May 15 (retroactive to May 14) with a right flexor pronator strain. He has pitched well in his past two rehab starts. His 30-day rehab clock is set to expire Thursday, the final day of the All-Star break. The Red Sox will need to make a decision. Houck, an All-Star last year, posted an 8.04 ERA (43 ⅔ innings, 39 earned runs) in nine starts for Boston before landing on the IL. He has minor league options remaining and so the Red Sox could option him to Triple-A Worcester. They also haven't ruled out bringing him back as a reliever. Cora confirmed the Red Sox and Houck have not had discussions about his role (starter or reliever) when he returns. 'I think we're still talking through what the situation looks like,' chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said in regard to Houck. 'Obviously, he's been a really good starter in the big leagues for some time. We'll have to figure out what's right for Tanner and what's right for the team.' Breslow said before Friday's game (and before Dobbins' injury) that the Red Sox are looking to add an impact starter before the trade deadline. 'You never have too much pitching,' Breslow said. 'Some of this is, as guys get healthy ... how do we figure out who do we want to keep built out as starting pitching depth and who do we think might be a weapon in a multi-inning role out of the 'pen. And does that ease some of the workload on some of the guys who have been workhorses for us in the first half?' Cora said he feels good about the rotation depth and mentioned Kyle Harrison (from the Rafael Devers trade) as an option, too. Harrison has been working on his pitch mix in Worcester. 'Harrison, Tanner, Fitts. We've got guys,' Cora said. 'So we'll be OK.' More Red Sox coverage Red Sox ace's team-first decision sends the right message Does Futures Game invite predict MLB success? How Red Sox prospects fared after participating 'Incredible' throw in Boston Red Sox shutout win 'shocked' Garrett Crochet Red Sox' Garrett Crochet: 'I didn't even know what to do when the third out was recorded' Red Sox reactions: 'The leader' Garrett Crochet hurls complete game shutout Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox not ruling out optioning Tanner Houck to Worcester, no decision made yet
CHICAGO — Tanner Houck's maximum 30-day rehab assignment has expired and he's not here with the team in Chicago. The Red Sox will soon need to make a roster decision. Houck's rehab assignment began June 18. The final day was Thursday. Once a player reaches the end of a rehab assignment, his team has two additional days to reinstate him to the roster. So Boston doesn't need to make a decision Friday. 'As of now, we haven't made a decision,' manager Alex Cora said before the Red Sox' game against the Cubs on Friday at Wrigley Field. Houck, an All-Star last year, posted an 8.04 ERA (43 ⅔ innings, 39 earned runs) in nine starts for Boston before landing on the injured list May 14 with a right flexor pronator strain. The 29-year-old has minor league options remaining. Asked if optioning Houck to Triple-A Worcester is on the table, Cora replied, 'Yes.' Houck's last 60 outings in the majors have all been starts. He hasn't made a relief appearance since Aug. 2, 2022. But the Red Sox aren't ruling out him returning as a reliever. 'Bres (chief baseball officer Craig Breslow) is not here. So they'll make a decision and we'll inform you guys,' Cora said. Houck allowed 10 runs in 15 ⅔ innings (5.74 ERA) on 18 hits and six walks while striking out 15 over five rehab outings (four starts). Four of those five outings came with Worcester. One outing was with Double-A Portland. He did pitch better in his final two rehab outings, allowing just one run, six hits and two walks while striking out 10 in 9 ⅓ innings. More Red Sox coverage Red Sox reactions: Baserunning blunder, early hole ends 10-game win streak Red Sox' Alex Cora outlines plan for when Alex Bregman will play on road trip Red Sox' Alex Cora was at Coldplay show for viral incident during 'good' break Red Sox lineup: Alex Bregman, Roman Anthony batting back-to-back; Masataka Yoshida sits Red Sox veteran looked like trade candidate; could he now sign extension before free agency? Read the original article on MassLive.
Boston Globe
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Red Sox finally draft a pitcher in the first round, grabbing Kyson Witherspoon at No. 15
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Advertisement Witherspoon is the first pitcher selected by the Sox in the first round since Tanner Houck in 2017, and represents the their highest selection of a college pitcher since 1988, when they took college lefty Tom Fischer with the No. 12 overall pick. It's the earliest the Red Sox have taken a college righthander, a mark previously held by a pair who went No. 19 overall: Roger Clemens (1983) and Matt Barnes (2011). Advertisement This marks the fourth time the Red Sox have had the No. 15 pick. Previously, they used that position to select Hall of Famer Jim Rice (1971) and two players (first baseman Otis Foster in 1975, pitcher Andy Yount in 1995) who never reached the big leagues. Rice, Chase Utley (2000), and New Hampshire native Chris Carpenter — who went on to win the 2005 NL Cy Young Award — represent some of the best picks at this spot. The Red Sox have three picks remaining on Day 1, No. 33 (acquired from the Brewers this year for Quinn Priester) in the Competitive Balance round that falls between the first and second rounds, No. 75 (compensation for the free agent departure of starter Nick Pivetta) at the end of the second round, and No. 87 in the third round. The draft began with a surprise and then a shock, as Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits went to the Nationals with the No. 1 overall pick, followed by UC Santa Barbara righthander Tyler Bremner — who seemed like he had a longshot chance to be on the board for the Red Sox — going to the Angels at No. 2. Alex Speier can be reached at
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tanner Houck's potential Red Sox return date remains uncertain
The post Tanner Houck's potential Red Sox return date remains uncertain appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Boston Red Sox are in the middle of a good stretch, winning three of their last four games. Boston manager Alex Cora has kept his team focused even with Tanner Houck, Hunter Dobbins, and Walker Buehler on the injured list. His job could get easier soon with the return of Houck after nearly two months on the Red Sox's IL. Advertisement Houck last pitched on May 12, where he gave up 11 runs to the Detroit Tigers. A forearm strain sent Houck to the IL, where he has spent weeks recovering. The sixth-year pro has made multiple rehab starts, but Cora confirmed that he needs at least one more, according to Boston Globe reporter Tim Healey. Houck is closer than ever to making his way back to the major leagues. However, his return date is up in the air. Boston has nine more games until the All-Star break, giving Houck a runway to return before the off week. However, nothing has been confirmed. Cora could decide that the righty does not need to come back before he is completely recovered and ready to go. The Red Sox's recent stretch could inform Cora's decision. If the Red Sox can keep winning without the pitcher, sitting him and giving him more rest helps in the long run. For a team looking to steal an American League wild card spot, every game in the second half of the season counts. When Houck returns, he could be the first of many. Buehler and Dobbins are further away from coming off the injured list, though. Despite the wait, Cora will appreciate the boost Houck provides alongside Garrett Crochet and Lucas Giolito. The latter is in the middle of his best stretch of the season for the Red Sox. Houck slots in behind him in the starting rotation. Advertisement Cora and Boston are under pressure to make a run in the back stretch of the season. Houck could play a big part in that, even if the Red Sox have to wait a bit longer. Worst case scenario, Boston exits the All-Star break with a trio of starters featuring Houck, Crochet, and Giolito. Related: Red Sox get big Masataka Yoshida update, but there's a catch Related: Red Sox's Lucas Giolito gets 100% real on recent hot stretch
