Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox's Tanner Houck Announces Significant Injury Return Update

What will the righty be when he comes back?
Jackson Roberts|
Apr 14, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck (89) leaves the game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Apr 14, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck (89) leaves the game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck has had a rough year -- there's no way around it.

Coming off his first career All-Star appearance in 2024, Houck pitched to a grisly 8.04 ERA in his nine starts last season before hitting the injured list with an elbow issue that eventually proved to require Tommy John surgery to fix. Whether he will throw a pitch for the Red Sox this year remains uncertain.

However, Houck announced some good news on Monday with regards to his plan to make a comeback by the end of the season.

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Houck believes he can pitch by September

Tanner Houck
Worcester’s Tanner Houck faces Buffalo at Polar Park June 18. | Rick Cinclair/Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to a report from Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, Houck threw a ball on Monday for the first time since his surgery, making just 25 throws from a 45-foot distance. There are many more milestones to cross, but the righty knows when he wants to be back on a mound in a game.

“My whole goal is to be back in September,” Houck said, per McCaffrey. “I set that goal basically the day after the surgery. I wanted to do it smart and the right way.

By the time September rolls around, it's anyone's guess how the pitching staff might look. At this time last year, we would have been hard-pressed to know that names like Payton Tolle and Connelly Early would factor into the mix down the stretch.

With that said, the Red Sox bolstered their rotation with such high-end talent this offseason that it's not only possible, but perhaps likely that there will be no room for Houck when he comes back. And we've seen some of his most effective moments come out of the bullpen in years past.

Houck also admitted that the timeline was still subject to change, depending on how his body responds to various steps in the process. But his excitement was palpable.

“Been looking forward to this day for a while,” he said, per McCaffrey. “Exciting first day.”

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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