Tanner Houck

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck (elbow) resumed throwing on Monday. He made about 25 throws from 45 feet out, marking the first time he had thrown a baseball since undergoing Tommy John surgery nearly six months ago. It's a major step in the right direction for Houck, whose long recovery gives him a timetable to return around September 2026. He hasn't pitched in the majors since last May, when he suffered a right flexor pronator strain and later experienced a setback while rehabbing in the minors. The right-hander didn't pitch very well even when healthy, allowing 39 earned runs over 43.2 innings (nine starts). His strikeout rate dropped to a career-low 6.60 K/9 while his home run rate ballooned to 2.06 HR/9. Therefore, in addition to getting healthy, Houck will look to make mechanical adjustments focused on helping him return to pre-2025 form. He was an All-Star in 2024, and he looked like a potential Cy Young candidate during the first half of that season before things fell apart in the second half.