Garrett Whitlock pitches on fractured tibia for Red Sox

The Red Sox had some bad luck with the injury bug all season, and apparently one star’s injury was more serious than anybody realized.

Garrett Whitlock missed some time late in the season with a leg injury, but was available to pitch for Boston in its Wild Card series against the New York Yankees. However, after the Red Sox were eliminated, the severity of his injury came to light.

According to the Boston Herald‘s Gabrielle Starr, Whitlock suffered a fractured tibia, which was not properly diagnosed until this week. He isn’t expected to require surgery, but he will be in a walking boot for 4-6 weeks.

What was initially tabbed as simply leg pain turned out to be a far worse ailment, and it’s remarkable that Whitlock was even able to pitch through the pain to begin with. He’ll now begin rehab on the injured leg.

Whitlock pitched well in 2026, playing the integral role of setup man ahead of future Hall of Fame closer Aroldis Chapman. He posted a 1.72 ERA in 54 appearances for the Red Sox, striking out 59 batters across those contests.

Whitlock has been all over the bullpen in his Boston tenure. He’s been a starter, bulk reliever, and most recently a leverage arm, with the latter suiting him best. But he’s not opposed to moving wherever the Red Sox need him most.

As a whole, Boston’s pitching staff had a strong year. Whitlock and Chapman were, of course, a big part of that, but unexpected steadiness from Payton Tolle was helpful, too.

Whitlock appears locked into the Red Sox for at least the next two seasons. His guaranteed contract is up after 2026, but he has club options that Boston will almost certainly exercise in 2027 and 2028, before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2029.

Given not only what he was able to accomplish on the mound in 2026, but also the heart he showed pitching through what nobody — even Whitlock himself — realized was a serious injury, the reliever should be welcomed back next season with open arms by both the Red Sox front office and the Fenway faithful.