Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Tanner Houck (89) reacts after the end of the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The Red Sox placed closer Tanner Houck on the 15-day injured list with lower back inflammation and recalled righty Kaleb Ort from Triple-A Worcester, the team announced shortly before Tuesday’s game. Houck’s IL stint is retroactive to Aug. 6, meaning he can return on Aug. 21 (at the earliest).
Tanner Houck injury: Boston Red Sox place closer on injured list with…
Houck’s injury is somewhat out of the blue, though the right-hander has not pitched since Tuesday, when he recorded a five-out save in Houston. He did not appear in any of Boston’s four games in Kansas City from Thursday to Monday.
Houck is 5-4 with a 3.15 ERA (21 earned runs in 60 innings) in 32 appearances (four starts) this season, including a 2.70 ERA in his 28 relief outings. He is 8-for-9 in save opportunities and is tied for the team lead in relief innings.
In his absence, the Red Sox will likely turn to John Schreiber and Garrett Whitlock as their primary ninth-inning options.
READ MORE:Former Nike executive refutes long-held claims about…,”I used to represent Stephen Curry’s dad; how am I going to…
Whitlock recorded two multi-inning saves during Boston’s last homestand in late July.
Ort made 10 appearances for the Red Sox before being optioned back to Triple-A on Thursday when Matt Barnes was activated from the injured list. The 30-year-old owns a 9.49 ERA in 12 ⅓ innings on the season; he allowed eight runs over two-thirds of an inning on July 22 against the Toronto Blue Jays but has a 3.97 ERA (5 earned runs in 11 ⅓ innings) in his other nine outings.
