Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock was removed from his start Tuesday against the Guardians after throwing just 54 pitches.
He exited with left oblique tightness, the team announced.
Reliever Joely Rodriguez replaced him to start the fifth inning.
The 27-year-old Whitlock allowed two runs, three hits and one walk while striking out one in 4 innings. Of his 54 pitches, he threw 36 strikes. He has a 1.96 ERA (18 ⅓ innings, four runs) in four starts this season. Opponents have batted .212 against him.
Whitlock made three trips to the 15-day injured list last year. He missed 27 games with right elbow ulnar neuritis from April 25-May 27, 2023. He missed 32 games from July 3-Aug. 13 with right elbow inflammation. He also began last year on the IL while recovering from hip surgery.
The Red Sox already have both starting pitchers Lucas Giolito and Nick Pivetta sidelined. Giolito is out for the season after undergoing an internal brace procedure on the partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow. Boston placed Pivetta on the 15-day IL last Tuesday because of a mild elbow flexor strain.
