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The Boston Red Sox have had a series of injuries to their starting pitchers, including Tanner Houck, Chris Sale and Garrett Whitlock. The news on Houck is somewhat encouraging, as he will start throwing again Tuesday, two weeks after undergoing facial surgery.
Tanner Houck is expected to start throwing on July 11, per Alex Cora. Cora said it’s possible he could be ramped up for a role other than starter. Schreiber will start a rehab assignment this weekend.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) July 6, 2023
Houck was hit with a line drive to the face while pitching against the New York Yankees last month. New York's Kyle Higashioka lined a pitch back up the middle that struck Houck in the cheek area. While the pitcher was able to pick himself up off the ground and walk off the field under his own power, he underwent surgery at Mass General Hospital for an “open reduction and internal fixation of a right orbito-zygomatico-maxillary complex (OZMC) fracture.”
Manager Alex Cora said that Houck has begun exercising and will resume throwing again. That means that Houck should be able to get back on the mound in a rehab assignment fairly soon, followed by a return to the Red Sox.
Houck has served as a starter for the Red Sox throughout the majority of the season, but he could return to the team in a relief role. That may be for several reasons, and one of them is the development of starter Brayan Bello and the resurgence of starter James Paxton.
While the Red Sox have had several pitching issues this season, Bello and Paxton have exceeded expectations. The Red Sox also expect Sale to return to the rotation, but no specific dates have been listed as to the timing of his comeback.
Tanner Houck has had varying degrees of success as a starter and a reliever during his career with the Red Sox.
