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Injury-Plagued Red Sox Pitchers Struggling in Spring Training

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Liam Hendriks is one of several Red Sox pitchers nearing the end of a long road back to major league action this spring.

Boston Red Sox batters got hit with the injury bug early and often in 2024. But Red Sox pitchers were arguably even more affected. How else to explain turning to elder statesmen James Paxton and Rich Hill in the season’s final months?

Heading into 2025, a trio of pitchers who missed most or all of last year are back — sort of. Here’s a rundown of their comeback stories.

Behind the Spring Struggles of Three Red Sox Pitchers

Hendriks Struggling, But Pragmatic

Among Red Sox pitchers, the one with the longest layoff also has the team’s most complicated comeback story. A three-time All-Star, Liam Hendriks missed the start of the 2023 season. But it wasn’t for a typical pitcher injury — he received treatment for Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Declared cancer-free in April 2023, he returned to the Chicago White Sox the following month. However, he went on the 15-day injured list that June and had Tommy John surgery that August. Hendriks then signed a two-year, $10 million deal with Boston prior to the 2024 season. Considered a top candidate to take over closing duties from Kenley Jansen, he looked strong in minor-league rehabilitation appearances. However, he felt forearm tightness after his last game for Triple-A Worcester and was shut down in mid-September.

Jansen signed with the Los Angeles Angels this past offseason, suggesting the Red Sox were content with Hendriks. Yet that faith has yet to be realized in spring training. The 36-year-old relief pitcher has posted a 9.95 ERA through 6 1/3 innings.

Not Rushing Comeback

According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, Hendriks is content with taking his time to shake off the rust and find his old form. But while he’s struggled, fellow former All-Star Aroldis Chapman is throwing missiles. The offseason signee has a 2.45 ERA and 17.2 K/9 — and looks like the Red Sox’s 2025 closer. Manager Alex Cora hasn’t made an official decision, yet Hendriks recently endorsed Chapman as the man for the job.

“I think it’s been pretty well proven this spring training who deserves that spot after earning it all spring and that’s definitely not me,” Hendriks told reporters after facing one batter in Boston’s 2-1 loss March 20 to the Minnesota Twins. “I always said I wanted to win it, but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t.”

Giolito Not Quite Ready for Primetime

In his short tenure with the Red Sox, Lucas Giolito can’t seem to catch a break. A 2019 All-Star with the White Sox, he missed the entire 2024 season following elbow surgery in March. Poised for a healthy 2025, he entered spring training with Cora hoping for 30 starts from him this season. But in his March 11 preseason debut against the Philadelphia Phillies, Giolito pulled his hamstring after his first pitch. He then labored through one inning, giving up a hit, two earned runs, and two walks. He also struck out one.

Giolito experienced hamstring injuries in 2019 and 2021, which may explain the team’s abundance of caution with him. Cora is currently planning for Giolito to miss the start of the season. However, the pitcher himself claims to feel “100% fine” as of March 13. Brayan Bello (shoulder) and Kutter Crawford (knee) are also on the injured list. Red Sox pitchers Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, and Walker Buehler are confirmed for the starting rotation. Meanwhile, Quinn Priester, Richard Fitts, Cooper Criswell, and Josh Winckowski are top candidates for the final two spots.

Prior to the injury, Giolito showed glimpses of his former self. The pitcher re-introduced a curveball that he hasn’t used extensively since his minor league days. But beyond that one spring training inning and live batting practice against his teammates, he’s yet to show it off.

Whitlock: Is He Back?

One of the most encouraging preseason stories among Red Sox pitchers is Garrett Whitlock. The breakout reliever turned starter is happily back in the bullpen. And in four innings of work, he’s recorded a stellar 0.00 ERA and 15.8 K/9.

That’s terrific news for an injury-plagued pitcher who was effective as a starter to begin 2024 (1.96 ERA in four starts with only one home run allowed). Whitlock underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 while in the New York Yankees organization. After last year’s strong start, he went on the IL in April, followed by a season-ending procedure to repair his right ulnar collateral ligament.

According to Ian Browne, Cora says there’s a “100 percent” chance Whitlock will be ready for the start of the season. A return to top set-up man status is a real possibility, but durability remains the main issue.

The post Injury-Plagued Red Sox Pitchers Struggling in Spring Training appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.