$3.95 Million All-Star Is Red Sox's 'Biggest Cause For Concern,' Per Insider

Can this righty sort himself out?

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have had a topsy-turvy start to their season, and it's because some of their most important contributors haven't shown up when their team has needed them.

Much has been made of the struggles of first baseman Triston Casas. But the player who had the most shocking start to the season of anyone was Tanner Houck, who was the only Red Sox pitcher to make the All-Star Game last season.

Houck made it through his first full season as a starter last year, making 30 starts and posting a 3.12 ERA. But his stats faded down the stretch as he began to fatigue, and he was getting lit up like a pinball machine in spring training, suggesting that the Red Sox may need to brace for bad times.

Houck has had two good outings against the Toronto Blue Jays, including his most recent one on Thursday night. But otherwise, he's been one of Major League Baseball's worst starting pitchers, compiling -0.7 bWAR to this point.

On Friday, Sean McAdam of MassLive singled out Houck as the Red Sox's "biggest cause for concern" so far after his shaky start.

"It’s not just the 0-2, 7.58 start (prior to Thursday’s outing). It’s the fact that this trend goes all the way back to the All-Star break last season," McAdam wrote. "In the final two and a half months last season, he posted a 4.23 ERA.

"There was speculation that Houck had hit something of a wall as he reached 30 starts for the first time in his career, but his issues through the first five weeks suggest something more than that. If he can’t figure out a way to navigate lineups without swing-and-miss stuff, Houck’s future could be cloudy."

Friday, of all days, is an tricky one to be predicting the future for Houck. He looked like his 2024 self on Thursday night, not only by holding the Blue Jays to one run over seven full innings, but by throwing his sinker at an average of 95.8 miles per hour, nearly two mph faster than his season average.

Hopefully, that start was the beginning of an upward trend for Houck, especially now that Walker Buehler is dealing with a mysterious shoulder injury. The Red Sox still need this former All-Star to rack up some quality starts.

More MLB: Red Sox 1B Triston Casas 'Fortunate' To Still Be In Big Leagues, Insider Says