Red Sox’ Alex Cora on pitching prospect Josh Winckowski: ‘It seems like we’re lining up him to pitch in the doubleheader’ this weekend

The Red Sox are indeed lining up Josh Winckowski to start one of the games in Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader against the Orioles at Fenway Park, manager Alex Cora said in his weekly check-in with WEEI’s Merloni, Fauria & Mego on Wednesday afternoon.

“Winckowski, it seems like we’re lining up him to pitch in the doubleheader,” Cora said, as relayed by the Boston Herald’s Steve Hewitt.

Originally acquired from the Mets in the three-team Andrew Benintendi trade last February, Winckowski is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks sixth among pitchers in the organization.

After being added to the Sox’ 40-man roster last November, Winckowski has spent the entirety of the 2022 season to date with Triple-A Worcester. The 23-year-old right-hander has posted a 3.13 ERA and 2.80 FIP with 34 strikeouts to just six walks over seven starts (31 2/3 innings pitched) for the WooSox.

In his last time out against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park on Sunday, Winckowski had allowed just one run through his first six innings of work before getting rocked for five runs on three hits and one hit batsman in the top of the seventh.

Even with that performance on the backburner, Winckowski has still been one of the top starters at the Triple-A level this season. Among those in the International League who have accrued at least 30 innings to this point, the Florida native ranks 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.66), sixth in walks per nine innings (1.71), ninth in strikeout rate (27.9%), sixth in swinging strike rate (13.6%), seventh in walk rate (4.9%), fifth in batting average against (.183), second in WHIP (0.85), 13th in ERA, third in FIP, and second in xFIP (3.12), per FanGraphs.

Winckowski does not qualify as a league leader statistically, mainly because he was limited to just two innings in his May 11 start in the event that the Red Sox needed him to pitch during their series in Texas.

Since his last outing came on Sunday, Winckowski would be in line to pitch on regular rest in one of Saturday’s two games against Baltimore. Fellow righty Nathan Eovaldi is expected to start the other contest.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 202 pounds, Winckowski possesses a pitch mix that is anchored by a high-90s four-seam fastball and complemented by a sinker, cutter, slider, and changeup. His stuff may be better suited for the bullpen in the future, but he will all but certainly get his first taste of the major-leagues as a starter.

Assuming Winckowski does make his big-league debut against the Orioles over the weekend, he would likely serve as the Red Sox’ 27th man and be optioned back down to Worcester following the conclusion of the twin bill.

(Picture of Josh Winckowski: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox prospect Brayan Bello becomes first pitcher in International League this season to strike out 10 batters in multiple games

Red Sox pitching prospect Brayan Bello has made two starts in the International League since being promoted from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester earlier this month. As of Wednesday, he is the only International League pitcher with multiple 10-strikeout games.

After dazzling in his Triple-A debut at Polar Park last Wednesday, Bello was back at it again for the WooSox as they went up against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Coca-Cola Park on Tuesday night.

Over six strong innings of work, the right-hander allowed just two earned runs while scattering three hits and two walks to go along with another 10 strikeouts. Of the 97 pitches he threw, 58 went for strikes and 20 of those were of the swing-and-miss variety.

The WooSox ultimately trounced the IronPigs by a final score of 13-2, allowing Bello to improve to a perfect 2-0 at the Triple-A level. In addition to the perfect record, the 23-year-old has struck out 20 of the first 49 batters he has faced for Worcester. His 40.8% strikeout rate would rank first among International League pitchers if he was qualified.

Originally signed by the Red Sox for just $28,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2017, Bello is now regarded by Baseball America as the top pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system as well as the 79th-ranked prospect in all of baseball.

Equipped with a high-octane fastball that can reach 96-98 mph and is complemented by a changeup and slider, Bello is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he was named the Sox’ Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. The 6-foot-1, 170 pound hurler was also added to the club’s 40-man roster in November.

Considering the fact that he is already on Boston’s 40-man roster, Bello could force his way into the major-leagues as soon as this season. If he continues to impress against a stiffer level of competition at Triple-A, the Red Sox may have little choice but to call him up before the year is over.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Katie Morrison/MassLive)

With recent promotions of Franklin German and A.J. Politi, Red Sox relief prospect Chase Shugart could take on larger role in Double-A Portland’s bullpen

Red Sox pitching prospect Chase Shugart picked up his third save of the season in Double-A Portland’s 2-1 win over the Somerset Patriots at Hadlock Field on Tuesday afternoon.

Taking the mound for the ninth inning, Shugart worked his way around a leadoff walk by retiring the next three batters he faced in order to secure Portland’s 20th win of the season. 13 of the 21 pitches he threw went for strikes.

In 14 appearances out of the Sea Dogs’ bullpen this year, the right-hander has posted a 2.25 ERA and 4.01 FIP to go along with 20 strikeouts to seven walks over 20 innings of work. In the month of May, he has allowed just one earned run over his last 10 1/3 innings pitched.

Among pitches in the Eastern League with at least 20 innings under their belt to this point in the season, Shugart ranks 20th in batting average against (.194), 22nd in WHIP (1.05), 16th in ERA, and 20th in xFIP (3.57), per FanGraphs.

Shugart, 25, began his professional career as a starter after being selected by the Red Sox in the 12th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of the University of Texas at Austin. The former Longhorn had prior experience as a reliever in college, but did not return to that role until this past winter.

Pitching out of the bullpen for Indios de Mayaguez of the Puerto Rican Winter League, Shugart yielded just two runs on five hits, two walks, and nine strikeouts across five appearances spanning 6 1/3 innings. He took what he gained from his time in Puerto Rico and impressed the Red Sox during the team’s Winter Warm-Up program in Fort Myers back in January.

At that point in time, the club essentially decided that Shugart would be a full-time reliever moving forward, and it certainly seems as though the native Texan has embraced that opportunity so far.

Coming into play on Wednesday, Shugart leads the Sea Dogs’ pitching staff in appearances while also ranking first among relievers in number of innings pitched.

Portland has seen its bullpen composition change up a bit as of late, as a pair of other right-handers — Franklin German and A.J. Politi — recently earned promotions to Triple-A Worcester. Taking this into consideration, Shugart should figure to play an even larger role for the Sea Dogs moving forward.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds, Shugart is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 51 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph, a 74-80 mph curveball, an 81-84 mph slider, and an 84-87 mph changeup.

Shugart, who turns 26 in October, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this December if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the November deadline.

(Picture of Chase Shugart: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox go deep 4 times en route to 16-3 blowout win over White Sox

The Red Sox wasted no time in teeing off against Dylan Cease and the White Sox on Tuesday. A four-run first inning powered Boston to a 16-3 victory over Chicago at Guaranteed Rate Field.

By taking the opener of this three-game series, the Sox extend their winning streak to six consecutive games while improving to 20-22 on the season.

On the very first pitch he saw from Cease in the first inning, Enrique Hernandez crushed a leadoff home run 372 feet into Chicago’s bullpen to give Boston an immediate 1-0 lead. Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez followed with a single and walk, which put runners at the corners with two outs when Trevor Story stepped up to the plate.

Fresh off being named the American League Player of the Week, Story picked up where he left off by not letting Cease off the hook and instead depositing a three-run home run 398 feet to left field. Story’s eighth homer of the year put the Red Sox up 4-0.

An inning later, back-to-back hard-hit doubles from Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hernandez to lead things off made it a 5-0 game. Martinez tacked on another by lacing a 105 mph RBI single to left field that increased the advantage to six runs.

In the third, Christian Vazquez followed a one-out Franchy Cordero walk by ripping a single back up the middle that advanced Cordero up to third base. Cordero scored from third when Bradley Jr. beat out a double play by reaching first base safely.

After the White Sox dipped into their bullpen beginning in the fourth inning, Devers greeted new reliever Jose Ruiz by mashing an opposite-field solo blast that left his bat at 106 mph. Devers’ 10th big fly of the season made it an 8-0 ballgame in favor of the Red Sox. Ruiz proceeded to fill the bases with no outs in the fourth before giving up an RBI sacrifice fly to Cordero and run-scoring single to Vazquez.

To that point in the contest, Nick Pivetta had retired each of the first nine batters he faced. The right-hander’s bid for a perfect game came to an end in the bottom of the fourth when he yielded a leadoff double to Tim Anderson. He then served up a two-out, two-run home run to Jose Abreu that saw his shutout bid end as well.

The Red Sox lineup picked up their starter in the top half of the fifth, though. With one out, Martinez and Bogaerts each reached base off Bennett Sousa for Alex Verdugo, who made his first hit of the night count in the form of an RBI single. Story and Cordero kept the line moving with two more run-scoring knocks before Vazquez drove them both in on a 400-foot three-run homer to left field. Vazquez’s second long ball of the season gave Boston a commanding 16-2 lead.

Pivetta, meanwhile, ran into some more trouble in the latter half of the fifth when he gave up a two-out double to Andrew Vaughn that was followed by a run-scoring single off the bat of Tim Anderson to trim Chicago’s deficit to 13 runs at 16-3. Pivetta’s outing came to a close after he stranded a pair of base runners in a scoreless sixth inning.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 88 (51 strikes), the 29-year-old hurler wound up allowing three earned runs on five hits, two walks, and five strikeouts over six innings of work. His ERA on the season now sits at 4.25 after nine starts.

In relief of Pivetta, Hirokazu Sawamura received the first call out of the Red Sox bullpen from manager Alex Cora beginning in the seventh. The righty sat down three of the four he faced before making way in the eighth for Matt Barnes, who, too, put up a zero. And in the ninth, Tyler Danish slammed the door on the White Sox to put the finishing touches on the blowout.

All told, the Sox offense tallied a season-high 16 runs on 19 hits — four of which left the yard — while going 9-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Hernandez, Devers, Story, Verdugo, and Bradley Jr. had two hits apiece, Martinez accounted for four, and Vazquez had three.

Next up: Hill vs. Giolito

The Red Sox will go for their fourth straight win on Wednesday night when they send veteran left-hander Rich Hill to the mound. The White Sox will counter with right-hander Lucas Giolito.

First pitch from Guaranteed Rate Field is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Trevor Story and Rafael Devers: Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Triston Casas, Connor Seabold on Triple-A Worcester’s injured list

The Triple-A Worcester Red Sox have placed first baseman Triston Casas and right-hander Connor Seabold on the 7-day injured list. Casas was placed on the IL because of a sprained right ankle while Seabold was placed on the IL because of a pectoral strain.

Since both Casas and Seabold’s stints on the injured list are retroactive to Sunday, the two will be eligible to return to action as soon as this weekend when the WooSox wrap up their series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Allentown, Pa.

Casas sustained his ankle injury at Polar Park on May 17 and has been sidelined since then. According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, the 22-year-old “is making progress but the Red Sox do not want to rush him back.” He did, however, travel with the WooSox to Lehigh Valley.

In 36 games with the WooSox this season, Casas is slashing .248/.359/.457 with nine doubles, six home runs, 22 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 23 walks, and 35 strikeouts across 156 trips to the plate. The left-handed hitter is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system behind only Marcelo Mayer.

Seabold, on the other hand, was diagnosed with a pectoral strain after being scratched from his start with the WooSox last Friday. The 26-year-old righty has not pitched competitively since May 15, striking out 11 and allowing just one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings against the Rochester Red Wings.

On the 2022 campaign as a whole, Seabold has posted a 2.45 ERA and 2.89 FIP to go along with 37 strikeouts to 10 walk over seven starts (36 2/3 innings pitched) for Worcester. He has been shut down for the time being and will miss at least one more start while resting his injury, per Speier.

Seabold, who is on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 21 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization. He made his major-league debut last September and, when healthy, is one of the club’s top depth starters alongside Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski.

(Picture of Triston Casas: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Red Sox purchase contract of Brett Kennedy from Long Island Ducks, assign former Padres right-hander to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have purchased the contract of right-hander Brett Kennedy from the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, the team announced on Tuesday. Kennedy has been assigned to Double-A Portland.

In six starts for the Ducks this season, Kennedy posted a 3.03 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 27 strikeouts to nine walks over 32 2/3 innings of work.

Kennedy, 27, was originally selected by the Padres in the 11th round of the 2015 amateur draft out of Fordham University. The New Jersey-born righty broke in with San Diego in 2018 and produced a 6.75 ERA in six starts (26 2/3 innings) with the club.

After missing the majority of the 2019 campaign due to a right shoulder strain, the Padres removed Kennedy from their 40-man roster that October. He returned to affiliated ball in 2021 and made 17 appearances (14 starts) between three levels before becoming a free-agent and ultimately landing with the Ducks in April.

When Kennedy last pitched in the majors four years ago, the 6-foot, 200 pound hurler worked with a three-pitch mix that consisted of a four-seam fastball, a slider, and a changeup, per Baseball Savant.

According to the Baseball Performance Center in Pleasantville, N.J., however, Kennedy has since added a power sinker and sweeping curveball to his arsenal.

While he has been used primarily as a starting pitcher throughout his professional career, it is unclear if Kennedy, who turns 28 in August, will be used as a starter or reliever in Portland. Regardless, he should provide the Sea Dogs with some welcomed pitching depth whenever he joins the team.

A spot on Portland’s roster became available when relief prospect Franklin German was promoted to Triple-A Worcester earlier Tuesday afternoon.

(Picture of Brett Kennedy: Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote hard-throwing relief prospect Franklin German to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted relief prospect Franklin German from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, per the team’s transaction log.

German, 24, has posted a 3.18 ERA and 2.21 FIP with 18 strikeouts to three walks over 11 relief appearances spanning 11 1/3 innings of work out of Portland’s bullpen this season. The right-hander’s sixth and seventh outings of the year were separated by more than two weeks (April 26 to May 13) due to a non-baseball related issue.

Among Eastern League pitchers who have accrued at least 10 innings on the mound in 2022, German ranks 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (14.29), 11th in strikeout rate (39.1%), 13th in swinging strike rate (18.6%), 21st in batting average against (.154), 11th in WHIP (0.79), and 17th in FIP, per FanGraphs.

Originally selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2018 amateur draft out of the University of North Florida, German was dealt to the Red Sox in the same trade that sent veteran reliever Adam Ottavino to Boston last January.

Traditionally a starting pitcher throughout his professional career to that point, German opened the 2021 campaign in Portland’s starting rotation. But he struggled to the tune of a 5.45 ERA across his first 19 appearances (18 starts) of the season before moving to the Sea Dogs’ bullpen on a full-time basis in late August.

Since then, German has found success as a reliever that can mainly be attributed to an uptick in velocity. Last year, the 6-foot-2, 195 pound righty sat in the low-to-mid 90s as a starter. Upon transitioning to the ‘pen, he began reaching 97-98 mph while topping out at 99-102 mph with his fastball.

Because of this, German has caught the attention of Alex Cora and is firmly on the Red Sox manager’s “watchlist,” according to The Athletic’s Peter Gammons.

German, who turns 25 in September, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system. In addition to his high-octane fastball, the hard-throwing hurler also works with a changeup and slider.

By being promoted to Triple-A, German will join a WooSox bullpen that includes the likes of Eduard Bazardo, Silvino Bracho, Ryan Brasier, Taylor Cole, Michael Feliz, Durbin Feltman, Geoff Hartlieb, Zack Kelly, Kaleb Ort, A.J. Politi (who was promoted last week), and Phillips Valdez.

German’s promotion comes at an interesting time when you consider the fact that he can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter. The Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster by the November deadline in order to proect him, so they could be using this as an opportunity to give German an extended look at the next level before making a decision regarding his future.

(Picture of Franklin German: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

MRI reveals Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer has sprained wrist, but shortstop ‘is expected to resume baseball activities soon’

After being placed on Low-A Salem’s 7-day injured list last Friday, top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer traveled to Boston over the weekend to undergo further testing on his sore right wrist.

An MRI revealed that Mayer had indeed sustained a sprain, Red Sox director of player development told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier on Tuesday. While there is no timetable for his return, the shortstop is expected to resume baseball activities in the very near future, per Speier and MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Mayer was selected by Boston with the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft out of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif. The left-handed hitter has slashed .333/.386/.507 with 10 doubles, one home run, 13 RBIs, nine runs scored, four stolen bases, seven walks, and 23 strikeouts over 17 games (83 plate appearances) in his first full professional season with Salem.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 188 pounds, Mayer first began experiencing wrist soreness in late April, which led to him being sidelined for more than two weeks after playing against the Charleston RiverDogs on April 23.

Upon returning to Salem’s lineup on May 10, the soreness persisted and Mayer was limited to just four games before officially being placed on the injured list on May 20.

The 19-year-old is currently regarded by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system as well as the 12th-ranked prospect in all of baseball.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Tyler Miller caps off productive weekend with Low-A Salem by crushing walk-off home run

Tyler Miller’s fifth home run of the season came at just the right time for Low-A Salem on Sunday night.

After Adenys Bautista blew a save opportunity by allowing the Lynchburg Hillcats to score two runs in the top half of the ninth inning, Miller was set to lead off the bottom of the ninth in what had become an 8-8 ballgame.

Having already gone 0-for-1 with one strikeout and a pair of walks on a rain-filled evening at Salem Memorial Ballpark, Miller found himself matched up against Hillcats right-hander Brauny Munoz. The left-handed hitter worked a 2-2 count before crushing a walk-off homer well over the right field wall to lift the Salem Sox to a 9-8 victory.

The 2022 season has been a tough one for Miller to date. It’s the 22-year-old’s first full campaign as a pro after being selected by Boston in the ninth round of last summer’s amateur draft out of Auburn University.

Following Sunday’s clutch performance, Miller is batting .193/.271/.370 (80 wRC+) with four doubles, one triple, five homers, 15 RBIs, 17 runs scored, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 50 strikeouts over 31 games (133 plate appearances) this year.

After closing out the 2021 season with Salem, Miller returned to the Carolina League affiliate earlier this spring. The Alabama native held his own in April (122 wRC+), but had seen his production at the plate crater up until the latter half of Salem’s latest series with Lynchburg.

Miller played in the series opener last Tuesday and then rode the bench for two straight days. Since returning to Salem’s lineup on Friday, Miller has reached base in seven of his last 14 trips to the plate while putting together a three-game hitting streak.

Defensively, the 6-foot-2, 193 pounder has logged 62 innings at first base, 97 2/3 innings at third base, and 55 innings in left field. He has yet to commit an error at either of the three positions.

Miller, who does not turn 23 until December, is not yet regarded as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. He will likely spend the rest of the season in Salem before working his way up to High-A Greenville next year.

On that note, though, it will be interesting to see if Miller can use the momentum he gained over the weekend to turn his 2022 season around for the better beginning in Fredericksburg, Va. on Tuesday.

(Picture of Tyler Miller courtesy of the Salem Red Sox)

Red Sox’ Trevor Story named American League Player of the Week after hitting 6 home runs during homestand

In unsurprising news, Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story has been named American League Player of the Week for the week of May 16-22, Major League Baseball announced on Monday.

Story is coming off his best stretch in a Red Sox uniform to date after feasting on two American League West opponents at Fenway Park. In seven games against the Astros and Mariners, the right-handed hitting slugger slashed a blistering .360/.452/1.120 with one double, six home runs, 14 RBIs, 10 runs scored, two stolen bases, five walks, and four strikeouts across 31 trips to the plate. Boston went 6-1 in those contests.

On Monday, Story came through in the clutch by clubbing a game-tying home run off Astros reliever Phil Maton in the seventh inning of an eventual 6-3 win. The 428-foot solo shot was Story’s first Fenway Park homer as a member of the Sox.

Three days later, the 29-year-old went off for three home runs and seven RBIs as part of a 12-6 blowout victory over the Mariners. It marked the second three-homer game of his big-league career and the first time a second baseman had ever crushed three homers and stole a base in the same game. He also hit a grand slam on Friday and went deep again on Sunday to bring his season total up to seven.

To go along with those seven long balls, Story is now batting .226/.310/.438 on the year with 29 RBIs, 21 runs scored, a team-leading five stolen bases, 16 walks, and 45 strikeouts across 36 games spanning 158 plate appearances.

Story, who signed a six-year, $140 million contract with Boston in March, becomes the first Red Sox player to earn American League Player of the Week honors this season. The two-time All-Star accomplished the National League version of the feat four times in his tenure with the Rockies.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)