Whitlock's heartbreak serves as reminder: 'Hug the ones you love'

This story was excerpted from Ian Browne’s Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

As Garrett Whitlock came back to work on Sunday following the most emotionally devastating week of his life, he had a heart-to-heart with his best friend, fellow Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck.

“Putting into perspective, I was kind of talking to Tanner today and telling him you never know how long you’ve really got with someone,” said Whitlock. “Just make sure to hug the ones you love.”

When Whitlock came off the mound following his second and final inning of scoreless relief in Sunday’s 7-3 win over the Orioles, he was the one who got a hug from Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

“We’re here for him,” said Cora. “That’s the most important thing and he knows that. We're family here. We're going to keep helping him out throughout everything and I’m glad he’s back.”

On the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend, Whitlock tragically lost his 23-year-old brother Gavrie, who slipped running down a dock, fell into the water and drowned in suburban Atlanta's Lake Lanier.

Whitlock received the brutal news last weekend when the Red Sox were in Kansas City, and immediately left the ballclub to be with his family.

“The relationship between any brothers is a good one,” Whitlock said. “He meant a lot to me.”

Known to all who know him for his humility and giving nature, Whitlock’s return to the clubhouse on Sunday made for an emotional day.

“It’s good to be back around the guys but it was definitely an emotional return to the mound for me, that’s for sure,” Whitlock said. “It was just kind of a good distraction, I guess. Just kind of try and focus on each pitch and not worry about what else is going on.”

With three weeks left in the season, the Red Sox will do whatever they can to support their teammate.

“Garrett’s one of the most awesome people I know,” Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas said. “We all know what he's going through. At one point or another, everybody's lost a loved one in their life.”

During baseball season, clubhouses become a family unit. From February through October, players and staff spend nearly every day together.

That closeness should serve Whitlock well during this difficult time.

“The whole team has been supportive through this whole thing,” Whitlock said. “The front office, management, everyone. Just to have guys like that and have them have your back, and AC too and all the coaching staff, it’s been a huge help going through what I’ve been through.”

Unprompted, Cora referred to Whitlock’s pitching performance on Sunday as “unreal.”

“Just to show up and be here with us and be able to compete, that was good enough for me,” Cora said.