Whitlock tossed four scoreless innings against Tampa Bay on Saturday, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out seven.
Whitlock was making a spot start after coming out of the bullpen for each of his first four appearances, so he was removed after the fourth inning despite a dominant performance during which he retired the first nine batters he faced and allowed just one hit overall. The right-hander registered 11 swings and misses among his 48 pitches and struck out a season-high seven batters. Whitlock is likely to move back into the bullpen following this start, but his 0.66 ERA, 0.51 WHIP and 18:2 K:BB this season suggests he is capable of thriving in any role.