Red Sox 2024 All-Star In Danger Of Losing Role After Latest Brutal Performance

At this time last season, Tanner Houck was still rocking an ERA under two and polishing up his All-Star Game case.

Oh, what a difference 365 days can make.

Houck got torched yet again on Monday night in the Boston Red Sox's 14-2 loss against the Detroit Tigers. He allowed a stunning 11 earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings, his second time allowing double-digits this season before getting out of the third inning. His season ERA now sits at 8.04.

One can't help but feel for Houck, who is clearly a talented pitcher who has lost the ability to miss bats. He's given up 57 hits, the most in the American League, and after allowing a .617 OPS to opponents in 30 starts last year, he's up to .920 through nine starts in 2025.

“Probably the most lost I’ve ever been,” Houck said, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “I’m just not getting the job done, which weighs on me heavily.”

The Red Sox are now 2-7 in games Houck starts. Even though he has the All-Star appearance on his resume, they can't afford to keep trotting him back on the mound every fifth game if he's going to get hammered. And Walker Buehler, Richard Fitts, and Kutter Crawford will all return from the injured list relatively soon.

Unfortunately for Houck, it appears the Red Sox are already feeling the urgency. Manager Alex Cora was asked if the righty would make his next start as scheduled, and wouldn't guarantee it.

“We’ll talk about it, of course,” Cora said, per Cotillo. “I’ve got to take a look at the video and we’ve got to see what we’re gonna do. Right now, it’s too fresh. It’s too quick. We have to take a look at it and see if it’s mechanical, usage, or where we’re at.”

Houck has proven himself to be an effective reliever in the past, so maybe there's a silver lining in all of this. But one has to feel for the 28-year-old, because just as he looked to be carving out a career for himself, everything has gone sideways.