Article: When Tanner Houck Returns, Where Will He Fit In With The Current Pitching Staff?

[Bryan Jaeger]

Tanner Houck had a career year last season for the Red Sox, logging a 3.12 ERA, 154 strikeouts, and nine wins all while 178 2/3 innings, 72 more than his previous highest. Those marks the Red Sox reasons to be encouraged for the 2025 season, and adding Garrett Crochet gave the team a stellar one-two punch at the top of the starting rotation.

Then this season began, and those expectations quickly flew out the window. Houck's season has been so bad (8.04 ERA) that there is no clear path for him to return to the rotation, barring injuries, when his injured list stint ends. The 28-year-old went on the 15-day injured list on May 14, with a right flexor pronator strain.

Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reported there's no structural damage, and manager Alex Cora said, "I don't know how long he's going to be out." With no clear timetable to return, this could end up being an extended injured list stay in order to give the righty time to figure out what mechanics he needs to tweak to get back on the right path. Of course, if the injury has been playing a significant part in his struggles this year, perhaps just some rest and time off could help get Houck back on track.

A few noticeable differences between last season and this season for Houck come from the quality of contact he's generating with his pitches. According to BaseballSavant, his sweeper and sinker are his primary pitches, and he has thrown them a combined 73 percent of the time over the last two seasons. His sinker's numbers are similar to the past, but his sweeper has seen drastic differences.

His putaway percentage of his sweeper dropped from 22.3. percent last season to 18.4 percent this season. The reason for the drop-off is that the horizontal break dropped from 16.7 to 14.2 inches, and the spin direction movement dropped from 18.1 to 15.6 inches. In other words, his sweeper is sweeping less. It doesn't take a baseball genius to recognize why that's an issue for a pitcher. Looking at his quality of contact metrics, the drop in topped rate (i.e., when hitters hit a ball into the ground) and increase in solid and barrel rates from opposing hitters are tributes to the decrease in horizontal movement.

If Houck can correct his struggles, Cora will decide whether he can return to the starting rotation or needs a stint in the bullpen. Hunter Dobbins, as a rookie, has filled in decently with a 3.90 ERA in 27 2/3 innings, and Brayan Bello is back after missing the start of the season. Likewise, Walker Buehler is returning soon from the injured list, and Kutter Crawford will return later in the season. With all of the moving parts, Houck's return to the rotation is far from a guarantee, especially if the Red Sox fancy themselves as contenders over the summer.

Another outside addition could be in the cards if none of the in-house options live up to the billing. Regardless, Houck simply can't be trusted right now. Barring a long rehab stint in the minors where he rights the ship, it's hard to imagine the 2024 All-Star taking another turn through the rotation any time soon.

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[Maxbialystock]

A fair article and a good analysis of Houck's issues and the available remedies/roles for him.  

[mvp 78]

Houck still has 2 MiLB options. 🫣

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Houck still has 2 MiLB options. 🫣

What a difference a year makes for Houck.