BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck, who suffered a facial fracture after getting struck by a line drive last week, will undergo surgery next week to insert a plate into his face.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave the update, adding he had no timetable for Houck’s return but said he expects the 26-year-old back this season.
The team placed Houck on the 15-day injured list on Sunday.
Cora did call it a “best-case scenario” for Houck, who was hit below the eye and temple.
“Sounds bad, right? Fracture,” Cora told reporters Tuesday. “But the fact that he knows he’s going to be part of this, it’s good. It’s the best news we can get.”
Houck was struck just under his right eye by a line drive from Kyle Higashioka of the New York Yankees on Friday night.
Houck, 26, is 3-6 with a 5.05 ERA through 13 starts this season.
He has a 12-15 record with nine saves and a 3.66 ERA in 66 career games (33 starts) with the Red Sox.
–Field Level Media