Red Sox starter Tanner Houck will undergo surgery that inserts a plate in his face next week, manager Alex Cora told the Boston beat (via Ian Browne of MLB.com). The right-hander was diagnosed with a fracture after being struck in the face by a comebacker during his start against the Yankees last Friday.
While the surgery seems like an ominous development, Cora called it “the best news we could get” (link via Alex Speier of the Boston Globe). Boston has declined to provide a timetable for Houck’s return, though Speier writes the team is confident he will pitch again this season. They placed Houck on the 15-day injured list over the weekend.
Before last week’s scary incident, the right-hander had gotten mixed results in 13 outings. He owns a middling 5.05 ERA over 67 2/3 innings. Houck’s underlying marks were better than the run prevention figure. His 22.5% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk percentage are around average for a starting pitcher, while his 49.7% grounder rate is quite strong.
As has been the case throughout his career, platoon splits tell a significant story. Left-handed batters have teed off for eight home runs with a .262/.312/.500 showing in 145 trips to the plate. Houck has absolutely dominated righty opponents, holding them to a .224/.300/.272 line with just one homer over 140 plate appearances.
The Sox have stayed committed to using Houck in the rotation after shuttling him between the starting staff and the bullpen in prior seasons. He and Garrett Whitlock both made the move to full-time starting this year, eventually bumping Corey Kluber and Nick Pivetta to relief in the process. James Paxton and Brayan Bello have secured rotation spots, while Kutter Crawford was moved to the starting staff when Chris Sale landed on the injured list a few weeks ago. Boston has yet to announce who’ll take Houck’s scheduled start against the Twins on Thursday afternoon.
Poor guy, wish him well. NESN did a great show on him last year.
He’s fortunate, old school Sox fans would remember Bryce Florie who was never the same after being hit in the face with the ball. He never recovered fully mentally and at times looked scared out there after. I hope that doesn’t happen to Tanner, I’m glad it’s just minor plastic surgery needed (he’d have a sunken face he doesn’t have surgery). Time will tell if he’s really alright though.
The first thing I thought about was Bryce Florie, and you’re right: he was never the same again.
I remember Mussina hit in face too
Knowing Tanner, he’ll probably ask to be reinstated two days after his surgery. The kid is a bulldog and loves pitching. I can definitely see him coming back sooner than expected, even if that requires him to wear some sort of protective head gear.
I’m not sure why Cora said this was the best news we could get. Surgery is never the best news when it comes to athletes.
Odd choice of wording from Cora. If having facial reconstruction surgery with a plate installation was ‘the best news we could get’ it makes you wonder if there were much more serious issues of concern going on than was let on?
GASox – I’m thinking Cora was saying if it had hit Houck in the eye, he’d probably have lost some or all vision permanently. And if it had hit him in the temple … well, we know what could have happened then.
I read additional comments from Cora somewhere else, he definitely mentioned both the eye and temple.
He could also have developed brain bleeding or seizures. Definitely, good news scenario when procedures aren’t addressing loss of life or function.
He was hit in the head with a line drive. The issues of concern have been obviously serious
Didn’t see it but talking like it’s a depressed zygomatic arch (cheekbone) fracture. Relatively simple fix. Best you could hope for with a broken face bone.
foppert – Wouldn’t it be easier to just give the cheekbone some Prozac?
It would be awesome if a simple surgery could fix that depression !
@foppert1 – Did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?
Agree. Cora says a lot of really clueless things during inteviews sometimes. That was probably 1 of the dimmest, yet notice not 1 beat reporter said a thing about it when questions came afterward.
As for how Houck will probably come back? my 2c is he’ll be fine. He seems to me to be a combo of super competitive with a lighter, jokier side sometimes. A good combo and for the plate in the skull? Worst Sox manager in my memory (and go back past Pesky early 60’s) for Sox managers was Don Zimmer. He had a plate in his forehead from being drilled, but believe he was probably a brain dead dimwit before getting hit in the head.
GWS Tanner
I know it’s hard to believe, but he was fortunate that the EV wasn’t 115.The fact that it was 89.7 might have saved his life.
No, he wasn’t lucky, but what I mean is that it could have been much worse.
Hope he recovers fully.
The worst I ever saw was Chris Bassitt getting hit flush on the right side of his face at Sox Park in 2021. A line drive by Brian Goodwin caught Bassitt flush in the face. He was bleeding profusely and had to be carted off the field. He ended up having surgery on more than one broken bone. Fortunately his vision wasn’t affected.
For me as a Sox fan I instantly thought of Bryce Florie. Physically he was ok after but mentally it pretty much ended his career he was scared after, not that I blame him. It’s not that often you get that close to death and live to tell about it.
The shot Bassitt took did look and sound horrible.
Reading facial fracture makes me shiver, hope for a speedy recovery to Houck
In my late thirties (not quite washed up but ready for the rinse cycle), I took a line drive off my head that “bounced” over the first base dugout for a ground rule double. That alone was worth a chuckle. It hit me an inch or two above the eye and I was wearing protective eye wear. Two black eyes but no concussion. I knew enough to get on the ground so I wouldn’t pass out. Everything checked out fine. It was the league championship series and we went on to a state tournament where I did not pitch. The next year someone hit a line drive right at my head and I got my glove up but I wasn’t able to hold on so it was an infield single. I finished the inning and was pretty shaken up. Everyone is different. For me, it’s worse seeing someone else hit because you feel powerless, but it also reminds you of your own experience. I think Houck will be back on the mound dealing when given the permission, but he may have to wear something protective. I will say that the Bryce Florie incident really hit home. He was about on the Red Sox pitching staff as I was on my team, a spot starter and long reliever. Watching him get hit was brutal. Also, I grew up with Tony Conigliaro being one of my favorite players and I was listening to the game that day. Awful.
Obviously, I hope Hauck is ok.
On a baseball note, I would just throw Pivetta back in there.. He ain’t bad for a number 5.
Just back to the numbers, I am not surprised by the L/R splits. Some of those hard breaks look impossible for a righty to handle. Hopefully, we have some coaches to develop some pitches to make his results against lefties less egregious.
As a side note, Houck has faced more lefties this year than righties, so teams are certainly loading their lineups against him.
IRT his replacement, while Pivetta might be a more logical choice, I’d be interested in promoting Murphy for a shot. You could use him as an opener in a BP game. Or do a R/L/R thing with Winc coming in for 2-3 IPs followed by Murphy for 2-3 IPs.
I just wish they had a pitcher named Nudge so they could go Nudge Nudge Winc Winc.