Category: Baseball

Red Sox pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins makes professional debut for Low-A Salem

Nearly 11 months after getting drafted, Red Sox pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins made his professional debut for Low-A Salem on Sunday night.

Pitching in front of 2,017 spectators at Carillion Clinic Field, the right-hander got the start and allowed two earned runs on four hits, one walk, and one strikeout over three innings of work in Salem’s 7-4 win over the Columbia Fireflies.

After retiring six of the first eight batters he faced, Dobbins gave up three straight hits — two of which produced runs — to begin things in the top half of the third. Following a brief mound visit from Salem pitching coach Nick Green, he bounced back by fanning Carter Jensen and getting Guillermo Quintana to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Of the 45 pitches Dobbins threw on Sunday, 30 went for strikes and five of those were whiff-inducing. The 22-year-old now owns an ERA of 6.00 and will likely start again for Salem in its next series against the Charleston RiverDogs later this week.

The Red Sox originally selected Dobbins in the eighth round of last year’s amateur draft out of Texas Tech University and signed the native Texan for $197,500.

One of the primary reasons Dobbins fell to the eighth round was because the righty had just undergone Tommy John surgery in March, which resulted in him missing the entirety of his junior season with the Red Raiders.

As a sophomore during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, Dobbins posted a 1.35 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 25 strikeouts to just five walks over six appearances (three starts) spanning 20 innings pitched.

Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the 6-foot-2, 185 pounder throws from a three-quarters arm slot and — prior to going under the knife — operated with a four-pitch mix that consisted of a 91-94 mph fastball that reached 98 mph, a 77-79 mph curveball, a circle changeup that evolved from a split-fingered change, and a slider.

Dobbins, who turns 22 in August, is not yet regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. He was, however, identified by FanGraphs back in March as “enviable bullpen depth” given his ability to miss bats with both his curveball and changeup in college.

With that being said, SoxProspects.com notes that Dobbins still has a “wide range of outcomes” when it comes to his career outlook on account of the uncertainty surrounding what kind of pitcher he will be post-Tommy John.

If he can pitch similarly to the way he did in 2021, though, Dobbins represents another intriguing addition for the Red Sox’ minor-league pitching pipeline.

(Picture of Hunter Dobbins courtesy of the Salem Red Sox)

Red Sox promote versatile prospect Ceddanne Rafaela to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting versatile prospect Ceddanne Rafaela from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as confirmed by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield.

Rafaela, 21, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 22 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter began the 2022 season in Greenville and batted a stout .330/.368/.589 with 16 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 36 RBIs, 37 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 15 strikeouts over 45 games (209 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Among qualified South Atlantic League hitters, Rafaela ranks first in batting average, 23rd in on-base percentage, second in slugging percentage, second in OPS (.957), fourth in isolated power (.259), and ninth in stolen bases, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On May 17, Rafaela became the first player in Drive history to hit for the natural cycle, as he went 4-for-5 with a first-inning single, third-inning double, seventh-inning triple, and eighth-inning home run in an 11-6 win over the Hickory Crawdads at Fluor Field.

Originally signed for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Curacao in July 2017, Rafaela began to open eyes with Low-A Salem last year because of his defense. After playing six different positions (second base, third base, shortstop, left, right, and center field) in 2021, the Willemstad native was named the Red Sox’ Minor League Defensive Player of the Year in September.

So far this season, Rafaela has gotten playing time at second base, shortstop, and center field. To be exact, the 5-foot-8, 150 pounder has logged 270 1/3 innings in center while impressing the Red Sox with his defensive ability there, according to The Athletic’s Chad Jennings.

Rafaela, who turns 22 in September, will join the Sea Dogs before they open a six-game series against the Hartford Yard Goats at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

That the Red Sox are promoting Rafaela has deeper meaning when you consider the fact that he can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft in December. By allowing him to face stiffer competition in Portland, Boston gets the chance to further evaluate Rafaela before deciding if he will be added to the 40-man roster by the deadline in late November.

(Picture of Ceddanne Rafaela: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

2022 MLB Draft prospect Tucker Toman works out for Red Sox in Greenville

The Red Sox hosted Hammond School (Columbia, S.C.) infielder Tucker Toman for a pre-draft workout at Fluor Field in Greenville on Saturday, according to SportsTalk Media Network.

Toman, 18, is the son of current Middle Tennessee State baseball coach Jim Toman. He is also currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 42 draft-eligible prospect and by Baseball America as the No. 70 prospect in this year’s draft class.

A switch-hitter, Toman batted .487 and slugged .887 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs in his senior season with the Skyhawks. The South Carolina native is committed to play his college baseball at the esteemed Louisiana State University, but he is expected to go pro this summer.

Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, “Toman shows better bat speed with his left-handed stroke but is proficient from both sides of the plate. He understands his swing and barrels balls with ease when he just concentrates on making hard contact to all fields. He got too aggressive and pull-happy at times last summer but has the hittability, bat speed and strength for at least average and perhaps plus power without swinging for the fences.”

Baseball America, on the other hand, notes that Toman “has impressive power potential as a switch-hitter and is an offensive-oriented infielder who had an up-and-down summer. At his best, Toman barreled the baseball and sprayed line drives and deep fly balls all over the field, but he also had events where he swung and missed consistently and got himself out with bad chases on pitches out of the zone.”

Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 190 pounder is described by MLB Pipeline as a player with an uncertain future given that he only has below-average speed and average arm strength.

“The best-case scenario would be third base, where his arm and hands might be a little light but he has the work ethic to possibly make it to happen,” Toman’s scouting report reads. “Second base seems like a bigger stretch with his lack of quickness, and he could wind up on an outfield corner.”

Toman, who turns 19 in November, could very well be someone the Red Sox target in the second round as opposed to the first in this year’s amateur draft, which begins in Los Angeles on July 17.

Boston owns the 24th and 41st overall picks in the 2022 draft. They also own the 79th overall selection, which they received as compensation for losing Eduardo Rodriguez to the Tigers in free agency.

While it remains to be seen just how interested the Red Sox are in a prospect such as Toman, it is somewhat intriguing that this information got out there.

(Picture of Tucker Toman via his Instagram)

Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata strikes out 2 in first start of rehab assignment

Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata officially began his rehab assignment with Low-A Salem on Saturday night.

Pitching in front of 3,971 spectators at Carillion Clinic Field, the right-hander allowed one unearned run on no hits, two walks, and two strikeouts over two innings of work in Salem’s 6-2 win over the Columbia Fireflies.

Of the 45 pitches Mata threw on Saturday, 27 went for strikes and nine were of the swing-and-miss variety. The 23-year-old reportedly topped out at 98 mph with his fastball.

Not including extended spring training, this marked Mata’s first in-game action since August 2019 and, more significantly, his first official minor-league appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery last April.

Originally signed by the Red Sox for just $25,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2016, Mata is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fifth among pitchers in the organization.

When healthy, many believed Mata had some of the best pure stuff in the system as he complemented his high-octane fastball with a changeup, a curveball, and a slider, among other offerings.

After tearing his ulnar collateral ligament and having his elbow reconstructed last spring, it remains to be seen if Mata will remain effective as a starter or will instead transition to a relief role at the next level. Either way, he still has a high ceiling.

Already a member of Boston’s 40-man roster, Mata will make his next start for High-A Greenville, per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. He is expected to reach Triple-A Worcester by the time his rehab assignment comes to an end. At that point, the 6-foot-3, 229 pound hurler could be paired up with fellow righty Brayan Bello in the WooSox’ starting rotation.

Bello, the top pitching prospect in the Sox’ farm system, made his fourth start for Worcester since being promoted from Double-A Portland on May 17. The 23-year-old yielded three runs on five hits while walking one and striking out eight over five innings on Friday. His ERA with the WooSox now sits at 3.63.

Between Bello and Mata, the Red Sox have two extremely exciting young pitchers who have the chance to make their big-league debuts at some point this season. At the same time, Chaim Bloom and Co. will surely exhibit patience when it comes to the development of these two prospects as well those who fall behind them in the pipeline.

(Picture of Bryan Mata courtesy of the Salem Red Sox)

Red Sox place Jackie Bradley Jr. on paternity leave list, recall Jarren Duran from Triple-A Worcester

Before opening a three-game weekend series against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night, the Red Sox placed outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. on the paternity list. In a corresponding move, fellow outfielder Jarren Duran was recalled from Triple-A Worcester, the team announced.

Bradley Jr. did not make the trip with the Sox to Oakland as he and his wife Erin are expecting the birth of their third child soon, as noted by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Duran, on the other hand, will join the Sox for a second time this season after making a brief one-game cameo with the club. He went 1-for-4 with a triple, run scored, and strikeout in a 4-2 loss to the White Sox at Fenway Park on May 6.

The speedy 25-year-old was called up for that game after Enrique Hernandez was placed on the COVID-19 related injured list. Since Hernandez’s stint on the COVID-related IL lasted just one day, Duran was optioned back down to Worcester on May 7.

With the WooSox this season, Duran has batted a stout .314/.393/.523 (144 wRC+) with 12 doubles, four triples, four home runs, 22 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 19 walks, and 42 strikeouts over 37 games spanning 173 trips to the plate. The left-handed hitter was also riding a 29-game on-base streak.

Duran is not in Boston’s starting lineup for Friday’s series opener against Oakland since he only just landed in the Bay Area. He is not expected to arrive at Oakland Coliseum until shortly before first pitch.

That being said, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Smith) that Duran will be in the lineup on Saturday and Sunday with a pair of right-handers in Paul Blackburn and Frankie Montas scheduled to start for the Athletics.

(Picture of Jarren Duran: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas set to begin rehab assignment in Fort Myers as he continues to recover from ankle sprain

As he continues to work his way back from a right ankle sprain, Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas is set to begin a rehab assignment in Fort Myers, Fla. on Friday, per The Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s Joe McDonald.

Casas, Boston’s second-ranked prospect according to Baseball America, initially tweaked his ankle in Triple-A Worcester’s 4-3 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 17.

The 22-year-old first baseman has not appeared in a game for the WooSox since then and was placed on the 7-day injured list on May 22, but he was seen doing some work on the field at Polar Park on Thursday afternoon.

According to McDonald, Casas asked the team to have a second MRI of his ankle taken for precautionary reasons. Results of that MRI once again came back negative, revealing only some swelling as opposed to a fracture or tear.

Since he hits from the left side of the plate, Casas shifts most of his weight onto his right foot when he swings. As a result of this latest injury, Casas — as of Tuesday — had yet to swing a bat, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Prior to getting hurt, Casas was batting .248/.359/.457 with nine doubles, six home runs, 22 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 23 walks, and 35 strikeouts through his first 36 games (156 plate appearances) of the season with the WooSox.

Given that he is headed down to Fort Myers, it seems likely that Casas will get into some Florida Complex League games (season starts on Monday) before returning to Worcester’s lineup.

(Picture of Triston Casas: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox top prospect Nick Yorke placed on High-A Greenville’s injured list due to turf toe

Red Sox top prospect Nick Yorke has landed on High-A Greenville’s 7-day injured list due to turf toe, as first reported by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Yorke had been held out of Greenville’s lineup since May 26. According to SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, the Drive are hopeful the 20-year-old infielder will just be out for the rest of the week.

The 17th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif, Yorke is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 33 prospect in all of baseball.

After breaking out in 2021 by being named the Sox’ Minor League Offensive Player of the Year, Yorke has not been his usual self at the plate this season. Prior to getting hurt, the right-handed hitter was batting .245/.319/.361 (87 wRC+) with five doubles, four home runs, 18 RBIs, 25 runs scored, five stolen bases, 16 walks, and 32 strikeouts over 34 games (163 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Defensively, Yorke has unsurprisingly seen all his playing time on the field come at second base. The 6-foot, 200 pounder has logged 263 innings at his primary position and has yet to commit an error there.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata set to begin rehab assignment with Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata is slated to begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Salem and could start for the affiliate as soon as this weekend, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Mata, who underwent Tommy John surgery last April, pitched in three extended spring training games down in Fort Myers over the last few weeks. Per Speier, the right-hander “showed elite velocity in his first outing” by topping out at 101 mph over two innings, then worked at “just” 99 mph in his second outing and 98 mph in his third.

Originally signed by the Red Sox for just $25,000 out of Venezuela in January 2016, Mata is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fifth among pitchers in the organization.

After posting a 3.43 ERA in 21 starts (105 innings pitched) between then-High-A Salem and Double-A Portland in 2019 and impressing at the alternate training site in 2020, Mata was added to the Sox’ 40-man roster that November.

Coming into spring training last year, Mata was likely going to begin the season with Triple-A Worcester. He instead tore his ulnar collateral ligament in March, which ultimately required him to go under the knife.

Now 23 years old, Mata has a chance to get to Worcester once again. Pre-surgery, the 6-foot-3, 229 pound righty worked with a five-pitch mix that consisted of a 94-96 mph four-seam fastball, a 91-93 mph two-seam fastball, an 86-90 mph slider, a 78-80 mph curveball, and an 84-86 changeup.

There were also some questions regarding Mata’s future. In other words, would he be best-suited as a starter or reliever in the long-term? These next few months could help determine that, though he should have a high ceiling regardless of which role he ultimately undertakes.

When Mata does take the mound for Salem, it will mark the first time he has pitched in an official minor-league game since August 2019. The Red Sox will be sure to exhibit patience with Mata during this process, but the hope seems to be that he will end the season in Worcester or maybe even in Boston.

(Picture of Bryan Mata: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Alex Verdugo and Jackie Bradley Jr. lead the way offensively as Red Sox bounce back with 7-1 win over Reds

The Red Sox ensured their flight to San Francisco would be a happy one as they defeated the Reds, 7-1, at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. With the win, Boston splits its two-game series with Cincinnati while improving to 24-27 on the season.

Matched up against Hunter Greene out of the gate, it took until the fourth inning for the Sox lineup to get to the Reds rookie right-hander. Rafael Devers led off with a wall-ball double and advanced to third base on a J.D. Martinez single. Xander Bogaerts drove in Devers to break the seal while Alex Verdugo followed by lacing a 106.8 mph two-run double to right-center field to score both Martinez and Bogaerts.

Those four consecutive hits gave Boston a 3-0 lead. Jackie Bradley Jr. tacked on one more by plating Verdugo on a two-out RBI single to center field. A four-run fourth inning proved to be beneficial for Garrett Whitlock.

Making his eighth start of the season for the Red Sox, Whitlock allowed just one unearned run on five hits, no walks, and no strikeouts over six innings of work. It was his first time since moving to the starting rotation that he did not strike out a single batter, though he did induce three double plays.

The lone run Whitlock gave up came in his sixth and final inning. There, the right-hander yielded a leadoff single to Aristedes Aquino, who proceeded to steal second base and advance to third on a Christian Vazquez throwing error. Aquino then scored from third on a Nick Senzel groundout, but he limited the damage to one by getting Brandon Drury to fly out to right field to retire the side.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 73 (49 strikes), the 25-year-old hurler lowered his ERA on the season down to 3.02 while earning his first career winning decision as a starting pitcher in the majors.

In relief of Whitlock, fellow righty Tanner Houck received the first call out of the Red Sox bullpen from Red Sox manager Alex Cora. He needed all of 12 pitches to sit down the side in order in the seventh before stranding one in a scoreless top of the eighth.

A half-inning later, Bradley Jr. provided some late insurance with a bases-clearing, three-run triple off Jeff Hoffman. Bradley Jr.’s first triple of the season gave the Sox a comfortable 7-1 lead. John Schreiber closed things out in the ninth with some defensive help from Trevor Story to secure a six-run victory.

All told, three different Red Sox pitchers (Whitlock, Houck, Schreiber) struck out just one of the 31 batters they collectively faced on Wednesday.

Next up: On to Oakland

The Red Sox will now board an overnight flight to San Francisco before enjoying an off day in the Bay Area on Thursday and opening a three-game weekend series against the 20-33 Athletics on Friday. It marks the start of a 10-game west coast road trip for the Sox.

Boston will turn to right-hander Nathan Eovaldi in the opener while Oakland will roll with fellow righty James Kaprielian. First pitch from Oakland Coliseum is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Alex Verdugo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chaim Bloom explains why Matt Barnes landed on 15-day injured list

In case you missed it, the Red Sox somewhat surprisingly placed struggling reliever Matt Barnes on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation on Wednesday.

Barnes, who turns 32 later this month, has had an abysmal season to date. The right-hander has posted a 7.94 ERA and 5.32 FIP to go along with 14 strikeouts to 12 walks over 20 appearances spanning 17 innings of work.

In his last three outings alone (two of which came in blowouts), Barnes surrendered five runs in less than three innings. He served up a three-run home run to Anthony Santander in the ninth inning Monday’s 10-0 loss to the Orioles at Fenway Park.

According to Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, Barnes first felt his throwing shoulder flare up ahead of that appearance on Memorial Day.

“He came to us with this yesterday,” Bloom told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo). “He said when he was warming up for that last appearance, he felt it, worked through it, and it didn’t bother him during the game. Then, yesterday, his shoulder was bothering him. He tried to play a little light catch and was feeling it.

“We tried to get our arms around it and see how he came in today,” added Bloom. “It’s still bothering him today so the prudent thing to do here is just to back off here and make sure we can calm this down. We’ll go from there and get him built back up.”

While some may question the timing of Barnes’ placement on the injured list, this will give the former All-Star a chance to work on some things without taking up a spot on Boston’s major-league roster.

The Red Sox can activate Barnes from the injured list as soon as June 15 if so choose. At the same time, they could send the righty out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester to give him even more time to reset.

If they were to take that route, Barnes could spend up to 30 days with the WooSox while rehabbing and working with pitching coach Paul Abbott at Polar Park.

In the meantime, the Red Sox currently have Ryan Brasier, Tyler Danish, Austin Davis, Jake Diekman, Tanner Houck, Hirokazu Sawamura, John Schreiber, Matt Strahm, and Phillips Valdez available out of the bullpen.

Like Barnes, fellow righty Hansel Robles (back spasms) is on the 15-day injured list and has been since May 28. He is eligible to return as soon as June 9, at which point the Red Sox will be in Anaheim taking on the Angels.

(Picture of Matt Barnes: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)