Tag: 2023 season

Tanner Houck gives up pair of home runs to Matt Olson as Red Sox get shut out by Braves, 8-0

The Red Sox were held to just six hits in the process of getting shut out by the Braves on Friday afternoon. Boston fell to Atlanta by a final score of 8-0 at JetBlue Park to drop to 10-6-4 in Grapefruit League play.

Tanner Houck, making his fourth start of the spring for the Sox, allowed four earned runs on five hits, two walks, and one hit batsman to go along with five strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings of work. The right-hander ran into trouble right away in the top of the first when he served up a towering solo shot to Braves first baseman Matt Olson.

After settling in and holding Atlanta to just that one run through four innings of play, Houck experienced additional struggles in the fifth when he gave up a leadoff double to old friend Kevin Pillar. Ozzie Albies then drove in Pillar with a one-out single before Olson doubled his side’s lead with a mammoth two-run blast to deep right field.

Olson’s second homer of the afternoon put the Braves up, 4-0. Houck retired the next batter he faced in Austin Riley for the second out of the fifth, and that is how his day would come to a close. The 26-year-old finished with 81 pitches and now owns a 5.68 ERA across 12 2/3 innings this spring.

In relief of Houck, minor-leaguer Aaron Perry received the first call out of the Boston bullpen. Perry allowed the first two batters he faced to reach base before ending things in the fifth. Kenley Jansen, who was responsible for the sixth inning, yielded a leadoff single to Braden Shewmake but left him on base by retiring the next three batters he faced.

Ryan Brasier took over for Jansen in the seventh and surrendered one run on three hits. In the eighth, Kaleb Ort only managed to record one out while getting shelled for three runs on five hits — the first two of which were back-to-back home runs. Skylar Arias sat down the only two Braves he faced in the eighth before Ryan Sherriff struck out two in a scoreless top of the ninth.

To that point in the contest, the Red Sox lineup had been completely held in check. Braves starter Jared Shuster got himself out of a bases loaded jam in the first by punching out Bobby Dalbec. Shuster put up three more zeroes before giving up a leadoff single to Greg Allen in the fifth. The New Bedford native was then given the hook in favor of Nick Anderson, who immediately got Niko Goodrum to ground into a 4-6-3 double play and followed that up by retiring Christian Arroyo.

Fast forward to the seventh, Dalbec reached base on a one-out triple off Michael Tonkin but was left there after Reese McGuire flew out and Allen grounded out. A similar situation arose in the eighth, as Nick Sogard reached on a leadoff single off Jackson Stephens before advancing to third on a two-out double from Corey Rosier. Both Sogard and Rosier, however, were stranded in scoring position after Narciso Crook struck out swinging.

Down to their final three outs in the latter half of the ninth, Rob Refsnyder was hit by a pitch, Marcelo Mayer lined out to deep center field, Caleb Hamilton grounded into a force out at second base, and Tyler Dearden flew out to center to put the finishing touches on an 8-0 loss.

Next up: Split-squad action

The Red Sox will have a split squad on Saturday as they host the Orioles at JetBlue Park and travel to St. Petersburg to take on the Rays at Tropicana Field.

At home, Kutter Crawford will get the start for Boston opposite fellow right-hander Grayson Rodriguez for Baltimore. On the road, righty Josh Winckowski will get the ball for Boston while left-hander Shane McClanahan will do the same for Tampa Bay.

First pitch for each contest is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time. The game at JetBlue Park will be broadcasted on NESN+ while the game at Tropicana Field will be broadcasted on Bally Sports Sun.

(Picture of Tanner Houck: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

First Baseball America mock draft of 2023 has Red Sox taking prep infielder Kevin McGonigle with top pick

In their first mock draft of the year, Baseball America has the Red Sox taking prep infielder Kevin McGonigle with their top pick at No. 14 overall.

McGonigle, 18, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the 21st-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class. The left-handed hitting shortstop is coming off a junior season with Monsignor Bonner High School (Drexel Hill, Pa.) in which he batted .457/.582/.975 with five doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 32 RBIs, 47 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 21 walks, and two strikeouts in 27 games (110 plate appearances) for the Friars.

According to his Baseball America scouting report, McGonigle ” has a stellar offensive track record and dominated the travel ball circuit in both 2021 and 2022, on top of performing well against New Jersey high school competition and with Team USA’s 18U National Team. The consistency of his at-bats and production, no matter the competition, places him as one of the best pure hitters in the class.”

On the other side of the ball, 5-foot-11, 185-pounder is described as being “a high-IQ player who is more likely to be a steady defender than a flashy, impactful one. A shortstop now, McGonigle has turned in some above-average run times, but is more of a fringy or below-average runner out of the box. That lack of range could make him a better fit for second base, where he has solid hands, fluid defensive actions and requisite arm strength for the position.”

Because of his offensive and defensive profile, McGonigle has drawn comparisons to other talented, yet undersized infield prospects who went in the first round of their respective drafts, such as the Mariners’ Cole Young or the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe. McGonigle himself has said that he models his game after Phillies legend Chase Utley.

As for why Baseball America projects the Red Sox to take McGonigle in this summer’s draft, one scout writes that the Philadelphia-area native ” has one of the best hit tools in the high school class, which the Red Sox have seemingly prioritized in recent years at the top of the draft.”

Draft writer Carlos Collazo concurs with the scout’s point, noting that Boston has used its last three first-round picks on high school infielders with plus hit tools in Mikey Romero (2022), Marcelo Mayer (2021), and Nick Yorke (2020). The only difference between these three and McGonigle is that the latter does not call California home.

McGonigle, who does not turn 19 until August, signed his letter of intent to play college baseball at Auburn University last November. At that time, he told Dawn Timmery of Fox 29 Philadelphia: “I think going to Auburn is going to help me mature more and get better at the game. It would be a great opportunity to go to the MLB and play with a team. We’ll see what happens in the future.”

As of now, the slot value for the 14th overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft is not yet known. Last year, it was worth roughly $4.24 million. The Red Sox, of course, landed the 14th pick in this year’s draft in the first-ever MLB Draft lottery back in December.

The 2023 MLB Draft will take place in mid-July before All-Star Game festivities get underway in Seattle. In other words, it is still a little less than four months away, so plenty could change between now and then.

McGonigle, meanwhile, will get his senior season with Monsignor Bonner underway later this month.

(Picture of Kevin McGonigle: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Christian Koss turning heads with his defense this spring: ‘He’s a good one,’ Alex Cora says

Red Sox infield prospect Christian Koss picked up his first hit of the spring in Wednesday’s Grapefruit League win over the Rays at JetBlue Park.

After replacing Bobby Dalbec at shortstop in the top half of the seventh, Koss made his one and only plate appearance of the afternoon count in the latter half of the seventh.

With one out and the bases loaded, Koss worked a 2-2 count against Rays reliever Anthony Molina before ripping a groundball single through the right side of the infield. Both Daniel Palka and Matthew Lugo scored on the play to give the Red Sox a 9-1 lead, which would go on to be Wednesday’s final score.

Koss broke out of an 0-for-10 rut to begin his spring and is now batting .091 in eight Grapefruit League games. More importantly, however, is the defense the 25-year-old has provided around the spring.

On Wednesday, for instance, Koss showed off his athleticism by robbing Gavin Collins of a potential base hit in the eighth inning. The 6-foot-1, 182-pounder laid out to his right to corral a sharply-hit grounder. He then quickly got back to his feet and made an accurate throw across the diamond in plenty of time to record the out at first base.

As was recently highlighted by The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams, Koss has been turning heads at Red Sox camp thanks to his defensive prowess at short. Though he was a late arrival in Fort Myers due to the birth of his first child, Koss has impressed with his range and arm strength.

“He loves to play the game,” manager Alex Cora said of Koss last week. “He’s made some great plays at shortstop, very athletic, versatile. He’s a good one.”

Koss is entering his third season in the Red Sox organization after originally being acquired from the Rockies in December 2020. The right-handed hitter is coming off a 2022 campaign in which he batted .260/.309/.430 with 22 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs, 84 RBIs, 69 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 25 walks, and 137 strikeouts in 125 games (532 plate appearances) for Double-A Portland. He also saw playing time at five different positions (second base, third base, shortstop, left field, and right field) and was named the Sea Dogs’ Most Valuable Player.

The Red Sox could have added Koss to their 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft but they elected not to. Koss, in turn, spent part of his winter in Puerto Rico playing for the Criollos de Caguas, where he logged innings at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and left field over the course of 29 games.

According to Cora, the Red Sox view Koss as one of the best defenders in not only their system, but the entire minor-leagues as a whole. That can be attributed to Koss’ baseball IQ, which he first developed as an undersized high schooler and continued to work on during his three years at UC Irvine.

“A lot of my stuff goes into the mental side of it,” Koss told McWilliams. “So a lot of anticipation, a lot of game prep, stuff like that. As far as the defensive aspect, I think a lot of it has to do with positioning, where coaches put me. But it’s a lot of anticipation and just getting good jumps on balls.

“Being that small kind of player, that’s where I had to stand out,” he added. “I had to know more about the game, about the situation.”

Koss, who just turned 25 in January, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 33 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is projected to start the 2023 season with Triple-A Worcester and, as things stand now, is one of just 12 non-roster invitees remaining at big-league camp.

As he prepares to make the jump to Double-A to Triple-A, Koss is looking to refine his plate discipline after watching his walk rate (6.6 to 4.7 percent) drop and his strikeout rate (21.4 to 25.8 percent) last year.

“I think last year I just caught myself edging on the shadow with the pitcher more, and it gave them more power to get me to chase off the plate,” said Koss. “A lot of the spring is just trying to dial it back in over the plate and get good swings off.”

Red Sox reassign left-hander Matt Dermody to minor-league camp

The Red Sox have reassigned left-hander Matt Dermody to minor-league camp, the club announced earlier Wednesday morning.

Dermody originally signed a minor-league contract with Boston in January. The deal came with an invite to major-league spring training in Fort Myers.

In four Grapefruit League appearances (one start) for the Red Sox this spring, Dermody allowed just three hits and zero walks to go along with 10 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings of work. The 32-year-old southpaw held opposing hitters to a .103 batting average against.

Despite those relatively strong numbers, Dermody will not break camp with the Red Sox and will more than likely report to Triple-A Worcester for the start of the 2023 season.

Dermody, who has past big-league experience with the Blue Jays (2016-2017) and Cubs (2020, 2022), spent most of the 2022 season with Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. There, he posted a 3.74 ERA with 70 strikeouts to 18 walks in 20 appearances (13 starts) spanning 79 1/3 innings before getting called up in August. He made one appearance for the North Siders and was then granted his release so that he could pitch for NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, Dermody operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of a four-seam fastball, a slider, a changeup, a sinker, and a curveball, per Baseball Savant. He should provide the WooSox with some left-handed bullpen depth alongside the likes of Oddanier Mosqueda, Ryan Sherriff, and Joe Jacques.

By reassigning Dermody, the Red Sox now have 46 players remaining at major-league camp. Of those 46 players, 12 are in camp as non-roster invitees. They will have to get down to 26 players before Opening Day on March 30.

(Picture of Matt Dermody: Elsa/Getty Images)

Garrett Whitlock tosses 2 scoreless innings in spring debut as Red Sox snap skid with 9-1 win over Rays

The Red Sox put an end to their six-game winless streak by coming out on top against the Rays 0n Wednesday. Boston defeated Tampa Bay a final score of 9-1 at JetBlue Park to improve to 10-5-4 in Grapefruit League play.

Fresh off being named the Red Sox’ Opening Day starter, Corey Kluber put together his best outing of the spring on Wednesday. The veteran right-hander allowed just one earned run on four hits, one walk, and one hit batsman to go along with six strikeouts over five solid innings of work.

Kluber began his afternoon by striking out the side in the first inning. He then stranded one runner in the second and faced the minimum in the third before running into some trouble in the fourth.

To that point, the Red Sox were already in possession of a four-run lead. Rob Refsnyder got his side on the board first with a bases-clearing, three-run double off Rays starter Evan McKendry in the bottom of the first. Two innings later, Adam Duvall crushed a leadoff home run — his second of the spring — off Colin Poche to make it a 4-0 game.

Kluber, meanwhile, gave up a leadoff double to Rene Pinto to begin things in the fourth. Pinto then advanced to third base on a Ben Gamel groundout before scoring Tampa Bay’s first run on an RBI double off the bat of Daniel Robertson that eluded Rob Refsnyder in right field. After issuing a walk to Kameron Misner, Kluber found himself in a bases-loaded jam with two outs still to get in the inning. But he got out of the jam by striking out the next two batters he faced and ended his day by picking off Vidal Brujan for the third and final out of the fifth.

All told, Kluber needed 78 pitches to get through five one-run innings. The 26-year-old hurler will likely make two more Grapefruit League starts before taking the mound against the Orioles on March 30.

In relief of Kluber, fellow righty Garrett Whitlock got the first call out of the Red Sox bullpen in the sixth inning. Whitlock, facing opposing hitters for the first time since undergoing hip surgery last September, worked a 1-2-3 frame in the sixth and maneuvered his way around a two-out walk in a scoreless top of the seventh. Altogether, he punched out three of the seven Rays hitters he faced.

While Whitlock was in the middle of his 2023 debut, Boston continued to pile on the runs. In the sixth, Raimel Tapia led off by reaching on a fielding error. He then scored all the way from first when Bobby Dalbec laced a one-out RBI triple to left-center field. Moments later, Dalbec scored from third on a Reese McGuire sacrifice fly.

In the seventh, Matthew Lugo loaded the bases with an infield single off Anthony Molina. Molina then issued a bases-loaded walk to Narciso Crook before yielding a two-run single to Christian Koss. That sequence of events gave the Red Sox a commanding eight-run lead heading into the eighth.

From there, Chris Martin fanned a pair in a scoreless eighth inning and left-hander Joely Rodriguez struck out two more in the ninth to put the finishing touches on a 9-1 victory for the Red Sox.

Other worthwhile observations:

In his last five Grapefruit League games, Duvall has gone 4-for-13 (.308) with two home runs and three RBIs.

Dalbec, Boston’s starting shortstop on Wednesday, went 1-for-2 with an RBI triple, a run scored, and a walk. The 27-year-old is now batting .323 (10-for-31) this spring.

Next up: Off day

The Red Sox will enjoy their first and only scheduled off day of the spring on Thursday. They will then return to JetBlue Park on Friday to host the Braves. Right-hander Tanner Houck is scheduled to start for Boston while Atlanta has yet to name a starter.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Garrett Whitlock: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Corey Kluber named Red Sox’ Opening Day starter

The Red Sox have named Corey Kluber as their Opening Day starter, manager Alex Cora announced on Wednesday. The two-time Cy Young Award winner will get the ball against the Orioles at Fenway Park on March 30.

Kluber, who turns 37 next month, signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Red Sox in January that comes with a club option for 2024. Shortly after putting pen to paper, Cora informed the veteran right-hander that he would be starting on Opening Day.

“I talked to him right after orientation meetings — Winter Weekend,” Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s CJ Haddad). “I gave him a call the next week and said, ‘Hey, you’re going to be my Opening Day starter. So whatever you have to do family-wise, structure-wise, be ready, you’re pitching that day.’ He appreciated that.”

Kluber is coming off a 2022 campaign with the Rays in which he posted a 4.34 ERA and 3.57 FIP with 139 strikeouts to 21 walks over 31 starts spanning 164 innings of work. Prior to that, the three-time All-Star made five consecutive Opening Day starts while with Cleveland from 2015-2019.

Over the weekend, Cora revealed that Chris Sale would not be getting the nod on Opening Day after the left-hander has been mired by injuries in each of the last three seasons. Instead, Sale will get the chance to enjoy the festivities on March 30 (his 34th birthday) as a spectator before making his first start in Boston’s second game against Baltimore on April 1.

“I want him to enjoy Thursday (March 30, Opening Day) as a regular baseball player,” Cora said Sunday. “Just the whole Opening Day thing. Whenever he pitches in the rotation, he’ll pitch in the rotation. But I decided that like a month and a half ago.”

Kluber made his fourth start of the spring against the Rays at JetBlue Park on Wednesday. He will likely make two additional Grapefruit League starts before the Red Sox head north and the 2023 regular season begins.

Beyond Kluber and Sale, how the rest of the Red Sox’ starting rotation will shake out to begin the year is still somewhat of a mystery. With James Paxton (hamstring strain), Brayan Bello (forearm tightness), and Garrett Whitlock (slow buildup after September hip surgery) all candidates to start the season on the injured list, Boston could break camp with Kluber, Sale, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck, and Kutter Crawford as its five starters.

“It’s one start,” said Cora. “Obviously, it’s a special one because it’s Opening Day, but after that, I think at one point nobody remembers who was the Opening Day starter. Everybody has to do their part regardless. The five guys are going to start, and then guys are going to join them later on.”

Kluber has often said that Fenway Park is one of his favorite ballparks to pitch in. The Alabama native makes his offseason home in Winchester, Mass. (where his wife, Amanda is from) and will now have the chance to make some lifelong memories later this month.

“I’m excited about [Kluber],” Cora said. ” I know it’s special for his family, and it should be a fun one.”

(Picture of Corey Kluber: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox option prospect Enmanuel Valdez to Triple-A Worcester as spring training roster cuts continue

Following a 6-2 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday, the Red Sox made their fifth round of spring training roster cuts.

After previously sending down pitching prospect Chris Murphy, Boston also optioned infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez to Triple-A Worcester and reassigned left-hander Oddanier Mosqueda and right-hander Chase Shugart to minor-league camp.

Valdez, 24, has appeared in 14 Grapefruit League games for the Red Sox this spring. The left-handed hitter has gone 5-for-25 (.200) at the plate with one home run, two RBIs, four runs scored, seven walks, and eight strikeouts in that span.

The Red Sox acquired Valdez (and Wilyer Abreu) from the Astros in last August’s Christian Vazquez trade. They then added the native Dominican to the 40-man roster in November in order to prevent him from reaching minor-league free agency.

In 44 games with the WooSox down the stretch last season, Valdez batted ..237/.309/.422 with nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 30 RBIs, 26 runs scored, three stolen bases, 19 walks, and 48 strikeouts over 195 plate appearances. On the other side of the ball, the 5-foot-9, 191-pounder saw playing time at second base, third base, and in left field.

Valdez is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 19 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He could very well make his major-league debut at some point this season, but he will first return to Worcester to continue with his development.

“Valdez still needs some seasoning, quote-unquote, to get better defensively and offensively,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier). “But you can’t rule him out.”

Mosqueda, 23, has appeared in four Grapefruit League games for the Red Sox this spring. The Venezuelan-born southpaw has allowed just one earned run on five hits, one walk, and six strikeouts over five innings of relief. He needed just 12 pitches (10 strikes) to punch out a pair and toss a scoreless seventh inning against the Tigers on Tuesday.

A member of Boston’s 2015 international signing class, Mosqueda re-signed with the organization he began his professional career with over the winter after posting a 4.30 ERA and and 4.05 FIP with 76 strikeouts to 20 walks across 45 relief appearances (58 2/3 innings) for Double-A Portland last year.

Back in February, The Athletic’s Chad Jennings identified Mosqueda as a potential dark-horse out of the bullpen for Boston in 2023, noting that he “has been singled out by one Red Sox evaluator as a legitimate big-league possibility this season.”

Shugart, meanwhile, was roughed up by the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. The 26-year-old righty was tagged for five runs (four earned) on three hits and two walks. He only managed to record the first out of the eighth inning and was ultimately charged with the losing decision.

Coming into Tuesday’s Grapefruit League action, Shugart had yet to surrender a run in his first four appearances (three innings) of the spring. The University of Texas product split the 2022 campaign between Portland and Worcester. He will more than likely join Mosqueda in the WooSox bullpen to begin the 2023 season.

With these three subtractions made, the Red Sox now have 47 players remaining at major-league camp in Fort Myers. Of those 47 players, 13 are in camp as non-roster invitees. They will have to get down to 26 players before Opening Day on March 30.

(Picture of Enmanuel Valdez: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Raimel Tapia and Rob Refsnyder both homer, Nick Pivetta tosses 4 strong innings as Red Sox fall to Tigers, 6-2

The Red Sox squandered a late lead against the Tigers on Tuesday afternoon and wound up paying for it. Boston fell to Detroit by a final score of 6-2 at Joker Marchant Stadium to drop to 9-5-4 in Grapefruit League play.

Matched up against Michael Lorenzen out of the gate, the Red Sox got off to quick start right away in the first inning. Raimel Tapia took the eighth pitch he saw from Lorenzen (a 3-2, 84.5 mph changeup at the knees) and promptly crushed a 402-foot leadoff home run to deep right field.

Tapia’s second homer of the spring left his bat at 101.1 mph and gave Boston an early 1-0 lead over Detroit. It also provided Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta with a one-run cushion before he even took the mound on Tuesday.

Pivetta, making his third start of the spring, was solid. The right-hander allowed just one earned run on four hits and one walk to go along with five strikeouts over four innings of work.

After Pivetta went the first three frames without surrendering a hit, the Red Sox doubled their lead in the top half of the fourth. With Lorenzen still pitching for the Tigers, Rob Refsnyder broke out of an 0-for-21 rut by clubbing a 384-foot solo shot to right field for his very first hit of the spring. Ronaldo Hernandez and Greg Allen also reached base in the inning, but they were both thrown out on the base paths.

Pivetta, meanwhile, gave up his first hit of the day on a leadoff single off the bat of Zack Short in the latter half of the fourth. Short, however, was thrown out at second while trying to extend his single into a double. Ryan Kreider followed by ripping a one-out triple down the right field line and was driven in moments later on a Riley Greene RBI single. Pivetta then yielded a two-out single to Austin Meadows, but he managed to strand both Greene and Meadows by fanning the last batter he would face in Nick Maton.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 54 (36 strikes), Pivetta topped out at 96.6 mph with his four-seam fastball, a pitch he threw 37 times. The 30-year-old hurler also induced nine swings-and-misses altogether, per Baseball Savant.

In relief of Pivetta, fellow righty John Schreiber received the first call out of the Red Sox bullpen. Schreiber was able to get out of a jam in the fifth inning and got the first two outs of the sixth, who stranded the lone runner he inherited by punching out Colt Keith on five pitches. Left-hander Oddanier Mosqueda followed suit by recording two more strikeouts in a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

The eighth inning is where things began to get away. Chase Shugart entered with a one-run lead to protect, but he walked two of the first three batters he faced before giving up a go-ahead, two-run single to Jake Holton. Holton then moved up to second on a Brendon Davis base hit and scored from second on an RBI single off the bat of Keith.

Shugart left the game with runners on the corners and two outs still to get in the eighth. Luis Guerrero, who took over for Shugart, immediately gave up a sacrifice fly to Luis Guerrero. Not only did Davis score from the third on the play, but Keith was able to come in all the way from first after minor-league shortstop Luis Ravelo committed a fielding error.

Just like that, a 2-1 lead became a 6-2 deficit. Down to their final three outs in the ninth, Allan Castro, Ravelo, and Caleb Hamilton all went down quietly against Tigers reliever Mason Englert, who was credited with the winning decision after tossing two scoreless innings. Shugart, on the other hand, was charged with the loss.

Other worthwhile observations:

Triston Casas went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. The 23-year-old saw 27 pitches in his four plate appearances and is now sporting a .441 on-base percentage this spring.

Christian Arroyo also doubled. Tapia, meanwhile, went 1-for-3 with his first-inning homer and is now batting .417 (10-for-24) in nine Grapefruit League games.

Guerrero, a 17th-round draft pick in 2021, threw nine pitches on Tuesday. Only two of them went for strikes, but the 22-year-old was consistently in the upper-90s and even hit triple-digits with his fastball.

Next up: Whitlock makes spring debut against Rays

The Red Sox will return to Fort Myers to host the Rays on Wednesday afternoon. While Corey Kluber is in line to start for Boston, Garrett Whitlock will also be making his spring debut, as the right-hander is slated to throw two innings out of the bullpen. On the other side, fellow righty Evan McKendry will be starting for Tampa Bay.

First pitch from JetBlue Park is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Nick Pivetta: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis shows flashes of his potential in first Grapefruit League start

Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis made his impact felt on both sides of the ball in what was his first career Grapefruit League start on Monday afternoon.

Though the Red Sox were trounced by the Blue Jays by a final score of 16-3 in Dunedin, Bleis made the most of his opportunity while serving as Boston’s starting right fielder.

Right out of the gate, Bleis was put on the spot with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning. Red Sox starter Chris Murphy had just given up an RBI single to Addison Barger. Alejandro Kirk easily scored from third on the play, but Brandon Belt was also trying to come in from second to triple his side’s lead.

Bleis, who was playing in deep right field, quickly charged at Barger’s 104.4 mph base hit. With his momentum carrying him towards the infield, Bleis collected himself and unleashed an accurate dart to catcher Stephen Scott that arrived in plenty of time to snuff out Belt at home plate and the end inning.

In the top of the second, Bleis found himself coming to the plate with two outs, the bases loaded, and All-Star starter Alek Manoah on the mound for Toronto. Unfazed by the moment, the right-handed hitter took a 1-2 sinker that was in by his hands and promptly slapped it to the opposite field for what was then a game-tying two-run single.

Bleis was able to put his speed on display by going from first to third on an Enmanuel Valdez RBI single. In the latter half of the second, he made a running grab to rob Whit Merrifield of a hit. But the 19-year-old also showed his lack of experience when he allowed another single off the bat of Barger to get under his glove in the third, which led to three more Toronto runs crossing the plate. He then struck out swinging against Manoah in the fourth.

“That’s why I don’t get too excited, especially in the market where we play,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Bleis when speaking with reporters (including MLB.com’s Joey Johnston). “He has a lot of great tools, no doubt. It seems like everybody knows everybody … and there’s a passion about the kids. But at the same time, I played with guys who were the second coming of whoever — and they never panned out.

“In my mind, I have to be the one who stays calm and keeps it neutral instead of getting too excited,” he added. “When they become big leaguers, they’re big leaguers. But there’s a process. … Just be patient. You’re going to go through ups and downs. When you’re up high, how will you act? When you’re down [low], how will you act? Be patient.”

Bleis, who just turned 19 earlier this month, originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.05 million as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2021. The San Pedro de Macoris native has been tabbed by outlets such as MLB Pipeline as Boston’s top international prospect since Rafael Devers.

Though he certainly possesses five-tool potential, Bleis has yet to play above the rookie-ball level. He is coming off a 2022 campaign in which he slashed .301/.353/.543 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 18 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 40 games (167 plate appearances) for the Florida Complex League Red Sox in Fort Myers. The 6-foot-3, 170-pounder also registered a team-high five outfield assists while seeing the majority of his playing time come in center.

As noted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Bleis will break minor-league camp in April with Low-A Salem, where he will get his first taste of full-season ball. There could be a transition period of sorts as Bleis refines his approach while going up more advanced competition, but his ongoing development will nevertheless be something to monitor moving forward.

Because he is still just 19 years old, Bleis is obviously a ways away from the big-leagues. However, when speaking with Speier on Monday, he indicated that he would like to make his major-league debut by the end of his age-21 season, which is not until 2025.

“I have a goal,” Bleis said through translator Carlos Villoria-Benitez. “In my mind, at the end of my 21­-year old season, that will be a nice thing to do if I make my debut in the big-leagues. “I’m going to play hard and show the team I’m getting ready in all the aspects they want me to.”

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox option trio of prospects, including Ceddanne Rafaela, to Triple-A Worcester

Following Monday afternoon’s 16-3 blowout loss to the Blue Jays in Dunedin, the Red Sox made their fourth round of spring training roster cuts.

Boston optioned infielder David Hamilton, infielder/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, and left-hander Brandon Walter to Triple-A Worcester, the club announced. All three of these players were added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster in November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

Hamilton, 25, has appeared in 13 Grapefruit League games for Boston this spring. The speedy left-handed hitter has gone 7-fot-24 (.292) at the plate with one double, four RBIs, three runs scored, five stolen bases, three walks, and nine strikeouts in that span.

After setting a new franchise record by stealing 70 bases with Double-A Portland last season, Hamilton could very well make his impact felt with the Red Sox this year. Over the winter, Major League Baseball implemented a pitch clock, larger bases, and a limit on pickoff attempts in an effort to increase action on the basepaths.

Rafaela, 22, has appeared in 15 Grapefruit League games this spring. In that stretch, the versatile right-handed hitter has batted .207 (6-for-29) with six singles, four runs driven in, four runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and six strikeouts.

Originally signed out of Curacao for just $10,000 in July 2017, Rafaela is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is capable of playing both shortstop and center field at a high level and has been named the organization’s Minor League Defensive Player of the Year the last two years.

Walter, meanwhile, struggled out of the bullpen against the Blue Jays on Monday. The 26-year-old southpaw got tagged for six earned runs on eight hits, no walks, and three strikeouts over two innings of relief. Of the 44 pitches he threw, 31 went for strikes.

A former 26th-round draft selection out of Delaware in 2019, Walter is coming off a solid 2022 campaign in which he walked just three of the 196 batters he faced between Portland and Worcester. After making just two starts for the WooSox, though, Walter was shut down for the season in June due to a bulging disc in his upper back that was originally diagnosed as a neck strain.

Like Bryan Mata, who was optioned to Worcester on Sunday, Walter will provide the Red Sox with starting rotation depth in the upper-minors to begin the 2023 season. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks second among pitchers in the organization.

With Monday’s subtractions, the Red Sox now have 51 players remaining on their major-league spring training roster. Of those 51 players, 15 are in camp as non-roster invitees.

(Picture of Ceddanne Rafaela: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)