Tag: portland sea dogs

Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro slated to undergo Tommy John surgery

Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro will undergo Tommy John surgery after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing elbow, Double-A Portland manager Chad Epperson told Beyond the Monster’s Josh Ball on Wednesday.

Monegro has been on Portland’s 7-day injured list since June 14. In his start against Somerset the night prior, the 22-year-old right-hander left the mound with a trainer in the second inning after giving up a one-out RBI double to Cole Gabrielson. He appeared to be quite emotional as he made his way towards the visitors’ dugout.

As noted by Ball, Monegro was initially diagnosed with right elbow discomfort/inflammation (the same reason he was scratched from a start earlier this month) upon being placed on the injured list this past Saturday. Further imaging and testing (i.e., an MRI) revealed a torn UCL, leading to Wednesday’s announcement from Epperson that surgery was now necessary.

“This young man, and the work he was putting in, I think he finally figured that out,” Epperson said of Monegro. “The weight room, the nutrition, everything that he was going and buying into, he finally figured out that part of it, and to have this go and happen to him really sucks because you were starting to see results.”

In nine outings (eight starts) for Portland this season, Monegro posted a 2.67 ERA and 2.34 FIP with 49 strikeouts to eight walks over 33 2/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .250 against him. Among 72 Eastern League pitchers who had thrown at least 30 innings in 2025 entering play Wednesday, Monegro ranked first in xFIP (1.73), second in groundball rate (57 percent), third in strikeouts per nine innings (13.10) and strikeout rate (35.8 percent), seventh in swinging-strike rate (15 percent), eighth in FIP, 16th in walks per nine innings (2.14) and walk rate (5.8 percent), 19th in ERA, and 33rd in WHIP (1.19), per FanGraphs.

Originally signed for $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020, Monegro is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 17 prospect, ranking ninth among pitchers in the organization. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound hurler was getting his first taste of the upper-minors this year after spending most of last season at High-A Greenville. He was topping out at 96 mph with his mid-90s four-seam fastball while also mixing in a low-90s sinker, an upper-80s slider, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s changeup.

If Monegr0 does indeed undergo Tommy John surgery in the coming days or weeks, he would be looking at a lengthy rehab process that would keep him sidelined for the remainder of the 2025 season and most, if not all, of 2026 as well. That depends on the extent of the damage to the UCL. However, in contrast to full-blown Tommy John surgery, an internal brace procedure typically offers a quicker recovery timeline but still comes with a sizable layoff.

That difference in downtime is relevant in the case of Monegro, who turns 23 in October and can once again become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. In a similar situation last year, the Red Sox elected to leave fellow righty Angel Bastardo (who was recovering from June 2024 Tommy John surgery) off their 40-man roster and subsequently lost him to the Blue Jays in December’s Rule 5 Draft. Bastardo has spent the entirety of the 2025 season to this point on Toronto’s 60-day injured list.

(Picture of Yordanny Monegro: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ David Sandlin named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 26-June 1, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Sandlin threw a seven-inning complete-game shutout in Game 1 of Double-A Portland’s doubleheader on the road against the Altoona Curve at Peoples Natural Gas Field last Thursday. The 24-year-old right-hander scattered three hits and one walk while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings. He retired the final eight batters he faced and finished with 83 pitches (56 strikes), inducing eight swings and misses.

The Sea Dogs ultimately defeated the Curve, 3-0, in Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader and went on to sweep the twin bill with a 9-6 victory in the nightcap.

Through nine appearances (eight starts) for Portland to this point in the season, Sandlin has posted a 3.77 ERA (3.42 FIP) with 45 strikeouts to 12 walks over a staff-leading 43 innings of work. Opposing hitters have batted .239 against him.

Among 25 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League, Sandlin notably ranks sixth in walks per nine innings (2.51) and xFIP (3.47), seventh in walk rate (6.8 percent) and FIP, and ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.42), strikeout rate (25.6 percent), swinging-strike rate (12.2 percent), and WHIP (1.19), per FanGraphs.

Sandlin entered the 2025 campaign regarded by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Luis Perales. The former 2022 11th-round draft pick out of Oklahoma was acquired by the Red Sox from the Royals for reliever John Schreiber last February. He split the 2024 season between High-A Greenville and Portland, compiling a 5.34 ERA (4.78 FIP) across 18 starts spanning 57 1/3 total innings.

Listed at a sturdy 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Sandlin has primarily featured a five-pitch mix this season. Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, the athletic hurler regularly averages 94-97 mph with a fastball that has reached 99 mph in-game after touching triple digits last year and over the winter. He has also incorporated a 90-93 mph slider, an 85-88 mph sweeper, an 88-91 mph splitter, and a 77-91 mph curveball into his diverse arsenal.

Sandlin, who just turned 24 in February, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time in his professional career this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. With that, it would not be surprising if the fireballer were to receive a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in the near future as the Red Sox continue to assess whether he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote IF prospect Blaze Jordan to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Jordan, 22, will move up a level for the first time in nearly two years with this promotion. The right-handed hitter initially got his 2025 season off to a slow start offensively, but turned things around for the better in May. Altogether, he batted a stout .320/.415/.513 with 11 doubles, six home runs, a team-leading 37 RBIs, 30 runs scored, three stolen bases, 22 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 44 games (176 plate appearances) for Portland.

Among qualified Eastern League hitters entering Sunday (Jordan didn’t play in Portland’s series finale against Altoona), Jordan ranked first in on-base percentage and wOBA (.422), second in OPS (.928), third in batting average, strikeout rate (10.8 percent), and wRC+ (166), seventh in slugging percentage, 14th in swinging-strike rate (8.1 percent), 19th in isolated power (.193), 20th in walk rate (12.5 percent), and 22nd in line-drive rate (25.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Jordan unsurprisingly split his playing time on the dirt between the two corner infield spots with Portland this year. The 6-foot, 220-pounder made 28 starts (238 2/3 innings) at first base and 14 starts (114 1/3 innings) at third base without committing an error in 222 total defensive chances. He also made two starts at DH.

Originally selected in the third round (89th overall) of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of DeSoto Central High School, Jordan began his professional career when he forwent his commitment to Mississippi State and signed with the Red Sox for an over-slot $1.75 million. The Southaven, Miss., native has dealt with plenty of adversity both on and off the field since then, but is now in the process of putting together the kind of season that should help him get back on the prospect map.

Though he is not regarded among the organization’s top prospects by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, Jordan is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Adding on to that, Jordan — who does not turn 23 until December — can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

Relatively speaking, that deadline is a long way away. Still, the Red Sox will almost surely use this promotion as an opportunity to further evaluate Jordan and determine if he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot this winter. Based on the club’s willingness to deal from its pool of Rule 5-eligible prospects in the past, it also would not come as a shock if Jordan were moved before this summer’s trade deadline.

Putting that aside for the time being, Jordan is slated to join a corner infield mix in Worcester that currently includes the likes of Nathan Hickey, Vaughn Grissom, Ryan Noda, and Nick Sogard. The WooSox open a six-game series against the Rochester Red Wings at Polar Park on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign former Athletics, Braves farmhand Jorge Juan to minor-league deal

The Red Sox signed free-agent reliever Jorge Juan to a minor-league contract on Tuesday. He was assigned to Double-A Portland but was subsequently placed on the Sea Dogs’ suspended list due to a “prior three-game suspension he had to serve from his previous organization for on-field actions,” according to a team source.

Juan, 26, was released by the Braves earlier this month after spending the last season-plus in the organization. The right-hander posted a 5.11 ERA (4.50 FIP) with 53 strikeouts to 28 walks over 34 relief (37 innings) at Double-A in 2024, then logged a 7.50 ERA (6.27 FIP) with 11 strikeouts to six walks in seven appearances (six innings) between Low-A and Double-A to begin this year.

Juan threw behind a batter and was ejected from his final game with Atlanta’s Double-A affiliate, the Columbus Clingstones, on May 10. He was then cut loose by the Braves on May 11, but not before apparently being handed down a three-game suspension that did not go into effect until he signed with the Red Sox this week. As such, it does not appear as though he can make his organizational debut for Portland until Friday at the earliest.

Juan is now in line to pitch for the third organization of his professional career. The righty originally signed with the then-Oakland Athletics as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in July 2017. He was added to Oakland’s 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection purposes in November 2021, only to be designated for assignment and released the following May. He was re-signed to a minor-league deal but never advanced past the Double-A level before leaving the A’s for the Braves as a minor-league free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.

Altogether, Juan owns a lifetime 4.74 ERA (4.68 FIP) in 120 career minor-league appearances (22 starts) spanning 216 1/3 innings dating back to June 2018. That includes a 5.61 ERA with 99 strikeouts to 68 walks over 66 total relief outings (77 innings) at the Double-A level, where opposing hitters have batted .223 against him.

Listed at an imposing 6-foot-8 and (likely heavier than) 200 pounds, Juan has struggled with injuries and his command in the past, but has proven to be effective when healthy and locating his pitches. His arsenal has primarily consisted of a mid-90s fastball that touches 99 mph, a mid-80s power breaking ball, and a 90 mph changeup. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen ranked Juan as the Braves’ No. 37 prospect earlier this spring, writing the following:

“Juan is enormous, but he’s a short-strider who generates much less extension than you’d expect from a pitcher this big. He tends to be relatively upright at release, which gives his pitches the steep plane of a runaway truck ramp. This most benefits Juan’s power breaking ball, which doesn’t pop out of his hand in an identifiable way. Juan’s size, arm strength, and breaking ball performance give him a shot to break into a big league bullpen as a late-bloomer.”

Juan, who does not turn 27 until next March, becomes the latest in a long line of behemoths the Red Sox have added to their pitching pipeline under chief officer Craig Breslow. It should be worthwhile to see how they handle his development moving forward.

(Picture of Jorge Juan: Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Blaze Jordan named Eastern League Player of the Week

Red Sox corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of May 19-25, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Jordan appeared in all seven of Double-A Portland’s games against the Reading Fightin Phils at Hadlock Field this past week. The 22-year-old went 10-for-23 (.435) with one double, two home runs, eight RBIs, four runs scored, two stolen bases, two walks, and three strikeouts. He singled and scored a run on Tuesday, homered in Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader, recorded two hits on Thursday, went deep again and drove in four runs as part of a three-hit effort on Friday, doubled on Saturday, and had two more hits in Sunday’s series finale.

Now the owner of a 12-game on-base streak, Jordan is putting together a strong season at the plate with Portland after initially getting off to a slow start. Through 39 games for the Sea Dogs this year, the right-handed hitter is batting .306/.401/.485 with nine doubles, five home runs, a team-leading 30 RBIs, 25 runs scored, three stolen bases, 19 walks, and 17 strikeouts over 157 plate appearances.

Among qualified hitters in the Eastern League, Jordan ranks third in strikeout rate (10.8 percent), fourth in on-base percentage, fifth in wOBA (.406), sixth in OPS (.886), seventh in batting average and wRC+ (156), 11th in slugging percentage, 15th in line-drive rate (27.2 percent), 21st in walk rate (12.1 percent) and swinging-strike rate (8.6 percent), and 22nd in isolated power (.179), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, it should come as no surprise that Jordan has split his playing time on the field this season between the infield corners. The 6-foot, 220-pounder has made 26 starts (226 2/3 innings) at first base and 11 starts (91 innings) at third base for the Sea Dogs and has yet to commit an error at either spot. He has also made two starts at DH.

Jordan is not currently regarded among Boston’s top 30 prospects by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, though SoxProspects.com has him ranked 38th. The Southaven, Miss. native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (89th overall) of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of DeSoto Central High School and forwent his commitment to Mississippi State by signing for an over-slot $1.75 million. He has experienced plenty of ups and downs (both on and off the field) to this point in his professional career, but is now producing at a rate he hadn’t been able to since first reaching the Double-A level nearly two years ago.

Having said that, Jordan — with 177 career games at Portland under his belt already — could very well be in line for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before long. Such a move would present Jordan, who does not turn 23 until December, with a new challenge and provide the WooSox with additional corner infield depth. It could also add a layer to Jordan’s future with the organization.

Would the Red Sox consider trading Jordan if he lights it up at Triple-A like fellow 2020 draftee Nick Yorke did last year? Would they consider adding him to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from potentially being taken by other teams in this winter’s Rule 5 Draft?

These are questions that do not require immediate answers since they are contingent on Jordan being promoted to Worcester. Until that happens, and there is no guarantee it will, it should be worthwhile to see if he can continue to build on what has so far been an encouraging season.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote IF prospect Marvin Alcantara to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect Marvin Alcantara from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Alcantara, 20, will be tested in the upper minors for the first time after an up-and-down start to his 2025 season. The right-handed hitter broke camp with Greenville earlier this spring and came out of the gates firing, slashing .358/.427/.433 with two doubles, one home run, and eight RBIs in his first 18 games (75 plate appearances) through the end of April. He has since struggled to a .157/.232/.196 line with two doubles and seven RBIs over 14 games (56 plate appearances) in May.

Overall, Alcantara batted .271/.344/.331 (98 wRC+) with four doubles, one home run, 15 RBIs, 17 runs scored, four stolen bases, 11 walks, and 17 strikeouts in 32 games (131 plate appearances) for Greenville to begin the season. Among 83 qualified South Atlantic League hitters entering play Tuesday, he ranked third in strikeout rate (13 percent), eighth in swinging-strike rate (7.7 percent), 20th in batting average, and 31st in on-base percentage, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Alcantara saw playing time at every infield position besides first base in his first stint with Greenville. The fluid 5-foot-10, 157-pounder (listed height and weight) logged 126 innings at second base, 76 1/3 innings at third base, and 63 2/3 innings at shortstop, committing four errors in 94 total defensive chances (.957 fielding percentage). He also made one start at DH.

Alcantara originally signed with the Red Sox for just $30,000 in January 2022 as an unheralded international free agent out of Venezuela. The La Victoria native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that June and has steadily worked his way up the organizational ladder since then. He is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as Boston’s No. 39 prospect and is regarded by many as one of the better defensive infielders in the club’s farm system.

Alcantara, who does not turn 21 until November, will bat eighth and start at second base in Portland’s series opener against Reading at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET.

(Picture of Marvin Alcantara: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox to promote OF prospect Zach Ehrhard to Double-A Portland

With Jhostynxon Garcia set to be promoted to Triple-A Worcester, the Red Sox are elevating fellow outfield prospect Zach Ehrhard from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Ehrhard, 22, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 47 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter batted .342/.471/.459 with 10 doubles, one home run, 22 RBIs, 24 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 26 walks, and 27 strikeouts in 31 games (140 plate appearances) for Greenville to begin the 2025 season. That includes a ridiculous .418/.484/.582 slash line this month.

Among qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League, Ehrhard ranks second in batting average, third in on-base percentage, sixth in walk rate (18.6 percent), seventh in OPS (.930), 11th in strikeout rate (19.3 percent), and 15th in slugging percentage, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Ehrhard saw playing time at all three outfield positions while with Greenville. The athletic 5-foot-10, 190-pounder logged 98 innings in left field, 86 1/3 innings in right field, and 52 innings in center field, committing zero errors and recording two assists (both from right) in 43 total chances. He also made four starts at DH.

A Florida native, Ehrhard was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2021 draft out of Wharton High School in Tampa. Rather than go pro out of high school, he played collegiately at Oklahoma State for three seasons before re-entering the draft as a junior in 2024. He was then, once again, taken by the Red Sox, only this time in the fourth round (115th overall). As such, he signed for an under-slot $500,000 last July and made the jump straight to Greenville for his professional debut after putting pen to paper.

Though he struggled some in his first stint with the Drive (.459 OPS in 22 games) last year, Ehrhard has shown out of the gate this season why Baseball America tabbed him as the “best pure hitter” in Boston’s 2024 draft class. That superlative will surely be put to the test once he arrives in Portland to go up against more advanced competition at the Double-A level in the Eastern League. Still, this new challenge comes at an exciting and opportune time.

In being promoted, Ehrhard will join his older brother, Drew, on the Sea Dogs’ roster. Drew, 26, is in his third season with the Red Sox organization after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Tampa in July 2023. The two brothers will now have the chance to be teammates and possibly share the same field again as soon as Tuesday, when Portland opens a six-game series against Reading at Hadlock Field.

“I would love that,” Zach said of the possibility of playing with Drew when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last week. “ We’ve already talked about it a bunch because we got to be on the same team in spring training a couple of times, and that was a lot of fun. So hopefully we get to do it again.”

(Picture of Zach Ehrhard: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote OF prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Garcia is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The 22-year-old was added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster last November to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft. As a result, he took part in his first major league spring training before breaking camp with Portland (where he appeared in 30 games in 2024) last month.

To open the 2025 season, the right-handed hitting Garcia batted .256/.355/.393 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs, 17 RBIs, 19 runs scored, four stolen bases, 18 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 33 games (138 plate appearances) for Portland. His 13 percent walk rate ranks 18th among qualified hitters in the Eastern League, while his 21 percent strikeout rate ranks 23rd, per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia saw the lion’s share of his playing time with Portland this season come in center field. The 6-foot, 215-pounder made 31 starts and logged 258 2/3 innings in center for the Sea Dogs, committing just one error and recording three assists in 52 defensive chances. He also made one start in right field and one start at DH.

Aptly nicknamed “The Password” because of his hard-to-spell first name, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The San Fernando de Apure native steadily climbed the organizational ladder to begin his professional career before breaking out and rising through three minor-league levels last season to earn a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster. He is the older brother of catching prospect Johanfran Garcia.

Garcia, who does not turn 23 until December, told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith (through interpreter Daveson Perez) earlier this spring that one of his goals for this season was “to have at least a couple of games toward the end of the year in the big leagues.”

With his Triple-A debut likely to come in Worcester’s series opener against Durham at Polar Park on Tuesday, Garcia is one step closer to reaching that goal.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Uberstine, who turns 26 next month, opened the 2025 season in Portland’s starting rotation. The right-hander posted a 3.64 ERA (2.60 FIP) with a staff-leading 35 strikeouts to just four walks in six starts (29 2/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs. Opposing hitters batted .241 against him.

Among 30 qualified pitchers in the Eastern League coming into play on Thursday, Uberstine ranked second in walk rate (3.3 percent), third in walks per nine innings (1.21) and FIP, sixth in xFIP (2.90), seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (10.62) and WHIP (1.04), eighth in strikeout rate (29.2 percent), 11th in swinging-strike rate (12.6 percent), 12th in line-drive rate (20.8 percent), and 13th in groundball rate (42.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

A southern California native, Uberstine did not receive any scholarship offers out of Chaminade Prep in 2017, leading him to join the club baseball team after enrolling at USC. He attempted to walk on with the Trojans as a sophomore but was cut before the start of the season. That prompted him to seek out assistance from ex-big-leaguer Joe Biemel, who helped Uberstine refine his mechanics and add velocity to his repertoire.

Uberstine transferred to Northwestern for the final two seasons of his collegiate career and pitched for the Williamsport Crosscutters in the 2021 MLB Draft League. The righty was then selected by the Red Sox in the 19th round (556th overall) of that summer’s draft and signed for an under-slot $97,500 before making his professional debut in the Florida Complex League. He split the 2022 campaign between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville but suffered an elbow injury the following spring that ultimately required June Tommy John surgery. As such, he missed all of 2023 and did not return to the mound until last August.

After making three short starts for Greenville, in which he allowed one earned run in 4 2/3 innings, Uberstine received an invite to pitch in the 2024 Arizona Fall League. He then forged a 3.12 ERA with seven strikeouts to six walks in seven appearances (8 2/3 innings) for the Mesa Solar Sox to end his year on an encouraging note.

“It was pretty surreal,” Uberstine told MLB.com’s Jesse Borek in Arizona last November. “They threw me out in Greenville again, where I played in ‘22, and then I was like, ‘Hopefully I can get a couple more innings. The quality would be great.’ [The Fall League] is where the best players come, and when they called me in the office and mentioned it, it was just a huge moment.

“I was like, ‘Dang, I went from not playing baseball to playing in the Draft League and here I am now playing in the Fall League,’” Uberstine added. “Just having these opportunities to learn from so many people, players, coaches, it’s just a huge honor.”

Fast forward to the present, and Uberstine is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 56 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 30th among pitchers in the organization. To this point in the season, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound hurler has sat between 91-94 mph and reached 95 mph with his fastball. He has also featured an 86-89 mph cutter, an 81-84 mph slider, and an 84-86 mph changeup, according to SoxProspects.com director of scouting Ian Cundall.

Having last pitched on May 10, Uberstine is expected to make his Triple-A debut by getting the start for the WooSox in the penultimate game of their series on the road against the Buffalo Bisons this coming Saturday. He is another minor-leaguer who can become Rule 5-eligible this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline, so that could be something to keep in mind when evaluating his performance moving forward.

(Picture of Tyler Uberstine: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox OF prospect Zach Ehrhard goes 5-for-5, hits first professional homer

Red Sox outfield prospect Zach Ehrhard checked off a pair of career firsts in High-A Greenville’s 9-6 victory over Hub City at Fluor Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Ehrhard went 5-for-5 out of the five-hole for the Drive. While recording the first five-hit game of his pro career, the 22-year-old crushed a 373-foot three-run shot over Greenville’s Green Monster off Spartanburgers starter Aidan Curry in the first inning for his first professional home run. He reached base four more times to finish the contest with five RBIs and two runs scored.

After getting his first full season in the professional ranks off to a relatively slow start, Ehrhard has heated up as of late. Following Wednesday’s strong showing, the right-handed hitter is now batting a stout .340/.464/.450 with eight doubles, one home run, 19 RBIs, 20 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 23 walks, and 26 strikeouts through 28 games (125 plate appearances) for Greenville this year.

Among 85 qualified South Atlantic League hitters coming into play on Thursday, Ehrhard ranks first in line-drive rate (37 percent), second in batting average, third in on-base percentage, fifth in wRC+ (164), sixth in wOBA (.435), seventh in swinging-strike rate (7.4 percent), eighth in walk rate (18.4 percent), ninth in OPS (.914), and 19th in slugging percentage and strikeout rate (20.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Ehrhard has seen playing time at all three outfield positions for Greenville this season. The athletic 5-foot-10, 190-pounder has logged a team-leading 87 innings in left field, 77 1/3 innings in right field, and 52 innings in center field, committing no errors and recording one assist in 35 total chances. He has also made three starts at DH.

A Florida native, Ehrhard was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2021 draft out of Wharton High School in Tampa. He turned down the opportunity to go pro at that time and instead played collegiately at Oklahoma State for three seasons, only to be drafted by the Red Sox again in the fourth round (115th overall) following his junior year last summer.

This time around, Ehhard signed with Boston for an under-slot $500,000 in late July and made the jump straight to Greenville for his professional debut shortly after putting pen to paper. Though he struggled some in his first stint with the Drive last year (.459 OPS in 22 games), he is currently showing why Baseball America tabbed him as the “best pure hitter” in Boston’s 2024 draft class.

Ehrhard, who does not turn 23 until January, is not currently regarded among the Red Sox’ top 30 prospects by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. He is, however, ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 43 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which is up four spots from where he was at this time a little more than a month ago.

Given how he has fared at the High-A level to this point, one would think a promotion to Double-A Portland could be on the horizon for Ehrhard. Such a move would reunite Zach with his older brother Drew, who plays for the Sea Dogs and is in his third season with the Red Sox organization after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Tampa in July 2023.

“I would love that,” Zach said of potentially playing with Drew in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith. “ We’ve already talked about it a bunch because we got to be on the same team in spring training a couple of times, and that was a lot of fun. So hopefully we get to do it again.”

(Picture of Zach Ehrhard: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)