The Boston Red Sox were heading into the 2022 MLB season prepared to start their journey for a title without the services of ace starting pitcher Chris Sale, who is dealing with a broken rib. However, Boston received some news on Monday that was perhaps worse than even they imagined, as Sale was placed on the 60-day injured list with the rib ailment, forcing him to be sidelined for the first two months of the season. That makes a relatively thin Red Sox pitching rotation even thinner with Opening Day just a few days away. While the Red Sox could look to deal for a pitcher, it's far more likely that they'll look to rely on their internal pitching options- as well as a powerful lineup- to help them weather the storm without Sale. Even though Sale hasn't pitched a full workload since 2018, there's still no replacing a pitcher like him, as he has totaled a 3.03 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings for his career.

That said, someone will have to step up in his absence. Will it be Nathan Eovaldi, who is coming off of an All-Star appearance and one of the best seasons of his career in 2021? Eovaldi will undoubtedly be important to the Red Sox's success, but he's not the x-factor Boston will need without Sale. Will it be Nick Pivetta or Rich Hill, veterans who have been solid contributors in past years?

The Red Sox need this young pitcher to step up in the 2022 MLB season without Sale.

That pitcher is Tanner Houck. Houck, 25, briefly pitched in the majors back in 2020 but had his first extended stay in the big leagues this past season, pitching to a 3.52 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 1-5 record with 87 strikeouts in 69 innings pitched. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander is a former first-round pick by Boston in 2017. He has flashed some serious strikeout upside in the minors and the majors, posting a 31 percent strikeout rate in his young career- the MLB average is 20 percent. He has also shown the ability to keep the ball on the ground as well, a key component of young pitchers looking to break out, particularly in the homer happy AL East.

Houck relies on four pitches- a four-seam fastball, which touches an average MPH of 94.5, a slider, sinker and split-fingered fastball. The 25-year-old has emphasized the fastball-slider combo in his young career, with the latter pitch, generating just a .159 opponent batting average this past season.

The Sox have limited Houck's workload in past years, though they may have no choice but to turn him loose in 2022 without Sale. Eovaldi and Hill have been injury-risks in their careers, while Pivetta and Wacha are both a bit inconsistent. Why not give Houck the opportunity to take the next step forward in his career?

He has all the tools to be a strong starting pitcher in the big leagues, which is exactly what the Red Sox need with Sale on the shelf for longer than they anticipated.

The Red Sox need to turn Houck loose this year and see what he can do with a bigger workload.