Whitlock will likely start Saturday's game against the Rays, unless he's used in relief Thursday or Friday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
Whitlock served mainly as a starter in the minors, but his first 50 big-league appearances have come in relief. He's been effective early in 2022, posting a 0.93 ERA and 0.62 WHIP in 9.2 innings while picking up a win and converting one of two save chances. However, the Red Sox are shuffling their rotation ahead of their upcoming road trip to Toronto, so manager Alex Cora said Whitlock will likely make his first major-league start on the road against Tampa Bay on Saturday. The rotation change is expected to be temporary, brought about by unvaccinated starter Tanner Houck being unable to start when the Red Sox head to Canada for a series in Toronto.