Tag: salem red sox

Red Sox promote infield prospect Mikey Romero to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect Mikey Romero from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Romero, 19, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 19 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Red Sox selected the California native with the 24th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Orange Lutheran High School. He forwent his commitment to LSU by signing with the club for an under-slot $2.3 million.

After making his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last summer, Romero made the jump to Salem before the 2022 season came to a close and appeared in nine games for the Red Sox down the stretch. As such, Romero was expected to return to Salem for the start of the 2023 campaign, but he was instead slowed by lower back stiffness throughout spring training and began the year on the injured list as a result.

Following a lengthy period of working his way back up to game speed, Romero began a rehab assignment with the Fort Myers-based FCL Red Sox in late June. The left-handed hitter got into 10 complex league games and went 6-for-24 (.250) at the plate with one double, four RBIs, four runs scored, five walks, and four strikeouts. He was then activated from Salem’s injured list on July 6 and in manager Liam Carroll’s starting lineup the following night.

In his second go-around with the Salem Sox, Romero batted .217/.288/.304 with four doubles, two triples, nine runs driven in, 11 runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and 17 strikeouts over 23 games (105 plate appearances). While that translates to an underwhelming wRC+ of 72, there is more to Romero’s offensive production than meets the eye.

For starters, Romero posted a 35.1 percent line-drive rate. That, according to FanGraphs, ranks first among the 173 hitters in the Carolina League who have made at least 100 trips to the plate so far this season. He has also produced a .260 batting average on balls put in play, which suggests he has been somewhat unlucky as far as his results are concerned. Adding on to that, it does not help that Salem’s home ballpark — Carilion Clinic Field — is a tough place to hit.

Defensively, Romero has seen playing time at both middle infield positions this season. With Salem specifically, the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder logged 94 innings at shortstop and 70 1/3 innings at second base. He committed two errors (both at shortstop) in 75 total chances between the two spots.

Romero, who turns 20 in January, becomes the latest member of Boston’s 2022 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville this season, most notably joining second-rounder Cutter Coffey and supplementary second-rounder Roman Anthony.

All three of Anthony, Coffey, and Romero are in the starting lineup for the Drive’s series opener against the Winston-Salem Dash at Truist Stadium on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. eastern time.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro has fared since promotion to Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro was sharp in his latest start for Low-A Salem this past Friday night.

Going up against the Augusta GreenJackets in front of a crowd of 5,383 at Carilion Clinic Field, Monegro worked five scoreless innings. The right-hander scattered three hits and issued just one walk while striking out 11 of the 19 batters he faced.

Interestingly enough, Monegro walked the very first batter of the game in Ambioris Tavarez, who later stole second base but did not advance any further. An inning later, Monegro gave up a leadoff double to Pier-Olivier Boucher to put himself in immediate trouble. Again, though, the 20-year-old hurler stranded a runner in scoring position by punching out three GreenJackets in a row.

In both the third and fourth innings, Monegro surrendered a leadoff single. Both runners stole second base with two outs, but Monegro did not falter and instead fanned Drew Compton and Jose Dilone on four and six pitches, respectively. He ended his night by striking out the side on 15 pitches in a 1-2-3 top of the fifth.

Finishing with 82 pitches (55 strikes), Monegro induced 18 swings-and-misses, the most of any pitcher at the Low-A level on Friday, per Baseball Savant. For as impressive as Monegro was, though, he did not factor into the decision as Salem went on to fall to Augusta by a final score of 3-1. GreenJackets starter Owen Murphy was credited with the win after striking out eight over 6 1/3 frames of one-run ball and was subsequently named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week on Monday.

While Monegro may have fallen short of that honor, Friday’s outing represented his second double-digit strikeout game of the season and his first since June 25. In seven starts for Salem now, Monegro has posted a 2.56 ERA (2.45 FIP) with 47 strikeouts to 14 walks over 31 2/3 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .223 batting average against. That comes after he pitched to a minuscule 1.20 ERA in three starts (15 innings) for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox to kick off the 2023 campaign.

Promoted from the FCL to Salem on June 20, Monegro is averaging the sixth-most strikeouts per nine innings (13.36) among the 160 Carolina League pitchers who have accrued at least 30 innings to this point in the season. Using those same parameters, Monegro also ranks 15th in strikeout rate (33.6 percent), third in swinging-strike rate (17.1 percent), 20th in ERA, first in FIP, and 14th in xFIP (3.11), per FanGraphs.

Monegro originally signed with the Red Sox for just $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020. There was not much fanfare surrounding the Santo Domingo native coming into this season after he struggled to a 7.36 ERA in his first go-around at the Florida Complex League last year, but he has since caught the attention of fans and evaluators alike.

Baseball America, for instance, now has Monegro as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system after he was unranked to begin the season. In similar fashion, MLB Pipeline — which previously had him unranked — pegged Monegro as the Sox’ No. 22 prospect in its midseason rankings, which were released last week.

Though Monegro’s sudden success this year may be a surprise to some, internally, the Red Sox had high hopes for the righty well before the minor-league season even started. Assistant general manager Eddie Romero acknowledged as much in a recent email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com.

“We were really excited about Monegro heading into the spring,” Romero wrote. “He impressed a lot with the physical shape he came into spring training, and has continued to work since then — this has been key to his early-season success. He’s super athletic with a lightning quick arm which contributes to his ability to have a plus breaking ball. He’s tightened up his delivery to let his athleticism show and be consistent with his mechanics. Hope he continues this success into the second half.”

Listed at a projectable 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Monegro throws from a high three-quarter arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s four-seam fastball that tops out at 95-96 mph, a high-80s slider, and an upper-70s curveball. As noted in his Baseball America scouting report, Monegro is more of a control-over-command pitcher since he is generally around the strike zone.

Monegro, who turns 21 in October, has already done an admirable job in raising his prospect profile this summer. Barring any surprises, it will certainly be interesting to see how he goes about putting the finishing touches on what has been a breakout season.

(Picture of Yordanny Monegro: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia records 3 hits, finishes triple shy of cycle in Low-A Salem’s win

Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia finished a triple shy of the cycle in Low-A Salem’s 4-3 home win over the Lynchburg Hillcats at Carillion Clinic Field on Thursday night.

Batting cleanup and starting in center field for the Red Sox, Garcia went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. The right-handed hitter opened the scoring in the first inning by driving in Mikey Romero on a run-scoring single. He then hit a solo home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the fourth before doubling and scoring the go-ahead run on a Lyonell James single two innings later.

With a chance to complete the cycle in the bottom of the seventh, Garcia lined out to right field in what would prove to be his final at-bat of the night. Still, Thursday marked just the second three-hit game of Garcia’s career and his first since September 26, 2021, when he was playing in the Dominican Summer League.

Following Thursday’s strong performance, Garcia is now batting .206/.317/.312 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 16 RBIs, 25 runs scored, four stolen bases, 22 walks, and 46 strikeouts in 40 games (167 plate appearances) with Salem this season. While a .629 OPS is far from eye-opening, Garcia has picked things up offensively as of late. Since returning from the All-Star break on July 14, the 20-year-old has put up a far more encouraging slash line of .279/.392/.558 over his last 12 games.

On the other side of the ball, Garcia made his 23rd start of the season in center field on Thursday night. With two outs and a runner at first base in the first inning, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder robbed Robert Lopez of a hit by making an impressive diving catch to his right. It’s not the first time he has made a highlight reel play this year, either.

All told, Garcia has logged 195 innings in center and 125 2/3 innings in right field for Salem. Between the two positions, he has committed four errors in 92 defensive chances. He has also recorded three outfield assists and has been involved in one double play.

A native of Venezuela, Garcia originally signed with the Red Sox for $350,000 as an international free agent coming out of San Fernando de Apure in July 2019. He is the older brother of catching prospect Johanfran Garcia, who signed with Boston for $850,000 last January.

While his younger brother is the more well-regarded minor-leaguer at this point, Jhostynxon recently received some strong praise from FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, who identified him as the No. 60 prospect in Boston’s farm system last month.

“Garcia’s power is immense for a 20-year-old,” Longenhagen wrote in part. “He is much bigger and stronger than his listed height and weight (on his minor league player page, not in this article), and has thunderous power to the opposite field. His swing’s finish is incredible, and it’s rare for a hitter this dense and strong to be that fluid in the hips.”

Garcia, who does not turn 21 until December, is showing signs of improvement as he experiences his first taste of full-season ball. It should be interesting to see if he can keep this up as the calendar flips from July to August.

(Picture of Jhostynxon Garcia: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote outfield prospect Allan Castro to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting outfield prospect Allan Castro from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Castro, 20, batted .247/.376/.379 with 20 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 29 RBIs, 39 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, 51 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 69 games (306 plate appearances) with Salem this season. While a .754 OPS certainly isn’t eye-popping, the switch-hitter has picked things up offensively as of late.

Over his last 18 games dating back to June 14, for instance, Castro has slashed a stout .328/.456/.508 with six doubles, one triple, one homer, nine runs driven in, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, and more walks than strikeouts (16-to-10) across 79 trips to the plate heading into the All-Star break.

Among qualified hitters in the Carolina League to this point in the season, Castro ranks third in highest walk rate (16.7%), 12th in lowest strikeout rate (17.6 percent), 16th in on-base percentage, 17th in OPS, ninth in line-drive rate (25.3 percent), 17th in swinging-strike rate (9 percent), and 16th in wRC+ (123), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Castro saw playing time at all three outfield positions for Salem. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder logged 31 innings in right, 185 in left, and a team-leading 282 2/3 innings in center. Between the three spots, he recorded four outfield assists while committing four errors in 96 total chances.

Castro is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 22 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $100,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2019.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Castro did not make his organizational debut until 2021, when he posted a .756 OPS in 46 Dominican Summer League games and subsequently earned Red Sox Latin Program Position Player of the Year honors.

Castro took his talents stateside last season and appeared in 39 Florida Complex League games before making the jump to Salem in late August. Though he hit just .188 (6-for-32) in his first taste of Low-A ball, the Red Sox were encouraged by the year Castro had overall.

“Castro took a significant step forward this season,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero told BloggingtheRedSox.com back in September. “He’s continued to grow and gained a lot of strength. Additionally, he found ways to make his swing more efficient and started using the whole field more often.”

Romero went on to say that Castro’s “athleticism is starting to show itself more on the field” and noted that the then-19-year-old was “sort of a sleeper prospect who we expect will do more things in 2023.”

Castro, who does not turn 21 until next May, is now slated to join a talented outfield group in Greenville that is headlined by top prospect Roman Anthony. Like Castro, Anthony also began the season in Salem before earning a promotion last month.

(Picture of Allan Castro: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Luis Perales to High-A Greenville

With Wikelman Gonzalez making the jump to Double-A Portland, the Red Sox are promoting fellow pitching prospect Luis Perales from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Perales, 20, posted a 3.21 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 71 strikeouts to 28 walks in 13 starts spanning 53 1/3 innings of work for Salem this season. The right-hander ended the first half on a strong note, firing five scoreless frames for the second outing in a row as part of an 11-0 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats on Saturday.

Among 47 Carolina League pitchers who came into play Sunday with at least 50 innings under their belt to this point in the season, Perales ranked 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.98), 11th in strikeout rate (31.4 percent), ninth in batting average against (.193), first in swinging-strike rate (17.1 percent), 15th in ERA, seventh in FIP, and 15th in xFIP (3.57), per FanGraphs.

Like Gonzalez, Perales also hails from Venezuela. The Guacara native originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent in July 2019. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization behind only left-handers Shane Drohan and Brandon Walter and directly ahead of Gonzalez.

Standing at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high three-quarters arm slot. According to his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the righty utilizes a three-pitch mix that is headlined by a 94-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph and complemented by a power slider that sits in the mid-80s as well as a developing changeup that hovers in the upper-80s.

Coming out of the All-Star break later this week, Perales figures to join a starting rotation in Greenville that includes fellow righties Angel Bastardo, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, and Bradley Blalock as well as left-hander Dalton Rogers.

As is the case with Gonzalez, Perales — who does not turn 21 next April — can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox relief prospect Jonathan Brand off to impressive start with Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Jonathan Brand recorded his fourth save of the season in Low-A Salem’s 7-4 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals at Virginia Credit Union Stadium on Wednesday night.

Brand worked a scoreless ninth inning and needed all of 12 pitches (8 strikes) to strike out two of the three batters he faced. The right-hander induced three swings-and-misses in the processes of extending his scoreless appearance streak to five.

Brand has yet to allow an earned run in six outings out of the Salem bullpen this month. On the 2023 campaign as a whole, the 23-year-old hurler has posted a miniscule 0.96 ERA to go along with 24 strikeouts to just six walks over 14 relief appearances spanning 18 2/3 innings of work.

Among 220 Carolina League pitchers who have accrued 10 or more innings to this point in the season, Brand entered Thursday ranking 19th in batting average against (.154), 13th in WHIP (0.86), and fifth in ERA, per FanGraphs. Using those same parameters, however, Brand also ranks ninth (or 213th) in line-drive rate (30.8 percent), which suggests he has gotten hit hard quite a bit.

Still, it has been an encouraging first full professional season for Brand, who the Red Sox took in the eighth round of last year’s amateur draft out of Miami University (Ohio). Rather than transfer to Auburn as a graduate student, the Georgia native signed with Boston for just $7,500.

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 200 bounds, Brand throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of an 89-90 mph fastball, a 74-76 mph curveball that features 12-to-6 break, an 80-82 mph slider that features short, horizontal break, and an 80-82 mph changeup, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

While he is not currently regarded by any major publication as one of the top relief prospects in Boston’s farm system, one has to figure that Brand is on the cusp of a promotion to High-A Greenville. That could happen sooner rather than later if he continues to show that he really isn’t being challenged at the Low-A level.

Brand, who does not turn 24 until next February, would be looking to become the fourth member of the Sox’ 2022 draft class to make the jump from Salem to Greenville this year, joining the likes of left-handers Dalton Rogers and Nathan Landry and outfielder Roman Anthony.

(Picture of Jonathan Brand: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox infield prospect Cutter Coffey finding stride with Low-A Salem

Red Sox infield prospect Cutter Coffey ended the first half of his first full professional season on a strong note.

In his last 10 games for Low-A Salem leading up to this week’s brief two-day hiatus, Coffey went 12-for-39 (.308) with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, six RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base, six walks, and 11 strikeouts.

After a slow start at the plate, Coffey has begun to pick up the pace offensively. The right-handed hitter is now batting .222/.351/.343 (106 wRC+) on the season with 11 doubles, two triples, three homers, 23 runs driven in, 31 runs scored, 12 stolen bases (in 16 attempts), 38 walks, and 56 strikeouts across 56 games (239 plate appearances) with Salem.

Among 71 qualified hitters in the Carolina League, Coffey ranks 11th in walk rate (15.7 percent), 29th in strikeout rate (23.4 percent), 27th in on-base percentage, 30th in isolated power (.121), 25th in speed score (6.6), fourth in line-drive rate (28.1 percent), 15th in swinging-strike rate (8.6 percent), and 30th in wRC+ (106), per FanGraphs.

That Coffey has shown a propensity to hit the ball hard is certainly encouraging. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has logged 252 innings at shortstop and 185 innings at third base. He has also made one start at second base and has committed 11 total errors in 166 defensive chances between the three positions.

Coffey, 19, was selected by the Red Sox in the second round (41st overall pick) of last year’s amateur draft out of Liberty High School (Bakersfield, Calif). Boston obtained the 41st selection in the 2022 draft after failing to sign Florida outfielder Jud Fabian in 2021. The club swayed Coffey away from his commitment to Texas by signing him for $1.85 million.

Like fellow early-round picks Mikey Romero and Roman Anthony, Coffey took batting practice and officially put pen to paper at Fenway Park last July. He then struggled in the rookie-level Florida Complex League (.456 OPS in 11 games) and — according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier — had to play his way into a full-season roster spot this spring.

Coffey was, of course, able to accomplish that by breaking camp with Salem. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system. As was recently the case with Anthony, one has to wonder if Coffey could soon be on the verge of a promotion to High-A Greenville. That may be something worth monitoring on the other side of the All-Star break next month.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Luis Perales named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales has been named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 12-18, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Perales made one start for Low-A Salem in its series against the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field this past Saturday. The 20-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings of work.

The lone hit and walk came with one out in the top of the second inning. Perales then retired the last 14 batters he faced to finish with 74 pitches (50 strikes). He also induced 14 swings-and-misses and picked up the win as the Red Sox went on to defeat the Shorebirds by a final score of 5-0.

In 10 starts for Salem this season, Perales has posted a 4.06 ERA and 3.12 FIP with 49 strikeouts to 21 walks across 37 2/3 innings. After allowing seven earned runs in his first two starts of the year, the righty has pitched to a 2.60 ERA and 2.93 FIP in his last eight outings (34 2/3 innings) dating back to April 21.

Among the 93 Carolina League pitchers who have worked at least 30 innings to this point in the 2023 campaign, Perales ranks 21st in strikeouts per nine innings (11.71), 28th in strikeout rate (29.5 percent), 38th in batting average against (.221), seventh in swinging-strike rate (16.5 percent), 17th in FIP, and 32nd in xFIP (3.69), per FanGraphs.

Perales originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. The Guacara native is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks third among pitchers in the organization behind only left-handers Shane Drohan and Brandon Walter.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, Perales throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 94-97 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph, a power slider that sits in the mid-80s, and a developing changeup that sits in the upper-80s.

Though the results have been encouraging as of late, there is still room for improvement when it comes to Perales’ command of the strike zone. Put another way, it would be beneficial if continued to cut down on the walks as he has been doing in recent weeks.

Perales, who does not turn 21 until next April, could be nearing a promotion to High-A Greenville if current trends continue. He made the jump from the Florida Complex League to Salem a little more than 10 months ago, so the one-year anniversary for that milestone is fast approaching.

(Picture of Luis Perales: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Bradley Blalock to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Bradley Blalock from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Blalock, 22, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 43 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 17th among pitchers in the organization. The right-hander has posted a 1.50 ERA and 2.82 FIP with 22 strikeouts to just four walks in four starts (18 innings) for Salem this season. He has put up those numbers while holding opposing hitters to a .167 batting average against.

In his last time out against the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field this past Thursday, Blalock struck out six and walked only one over five frames of one-run ball. He induced 11 swings-and-misses and topped out at 99 mph with his fastball after reaching 97 mph with the offering in his previous three outings.

A native of Georgia, Blalock was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 32nd round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Grayson High School. The club swayed Blalock away from his commitment to Kennesaw State by signing him to an over-slot bonus of $250,000 that July.

Blalock debuted in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League but had his first full season in pro ball derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He then pitched to a 4.27 ERA in 23 starts for Salem in 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery last March.

During the lengthy 14-month rehab process, Blalock altered his pitch mix by drawing inspiration from Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman. In addition to a revitalized fastball that has flashed increased velocity post-surgery, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound righty now works with a split-change (Gausman’s pitch), an 84-86 mph gyro slider, and a curveball that features 11-to-5 break.

“It’s definitely cool to be back,” Blalock told Smith last week. “I was talking to somebody about this the other day. It definitely kind of reminded me of that COVID year in 2020. It was just like, ‘Hey, an extra year down and I can get better. I’ve got something to prove.’ I put my head down. Got in there every day with the training staff, in the weight room and the pitching coach in Fort Myers and definitely took advantage of all the resources I had down there.

“Some people go into it and they are like, ‘Oh, dang. This is gonna suck. I don’t know what to expect for the next year,’” he continued. “I feel like the first two days after I knew I was going to have surgery, it was definitely tough. But after that it was like, ‘OK, what’s next? I’m gonna put my head down and grind.’ I was definitely in the best possible spot I could be in to have this with the resources we have.”

Blalock, who does not turn 23 until December, is now set to join a starting rotation in Greenville that includes Wikelman Gonzalez, Angel Bastardo, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, and Dalton Rogers. He will help fill the void left behind by fellow righties Isaac Coffey and Hunter Dobbins, who were both promoted to Double-A Portland on Monday.

(Picture of Bradley Blalock: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox pitching prospect Bradley Blalock puts together another strong start for Low-A Salem

Red Sox pitching prospect Bradley Blalock put together yet another impressive for Low-A Salem in its 7-5 win over the Delmarva Shorebirds at Carilion Clinic Field on Thursday night.

Making his fourth start of the season for the Red Sox, Blalock allowed just one earned run on three hits, one walk, and one hit batsman to go along with six strikeouts over five solid innings of work. After giving up a run-scoring triple in the top of the second, the right-hander issued a leadoff walk to begin things in the third. He then retired the final nine batters he faced before making way for reliever Marques Johnson in the sixth.

Finishing with 67 pitches (47 strikes), Blalock induced a game-high 11 swings-and-misses and did not factor into the decision. The 22-year-old hurler has now posted a 1.50 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 22 strikeouts to four walks in his first four starts (18 innings) for Salem while holding opposing hitters to a .167 batting average against.

Blalock was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 32nd round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Grayson High School (Loganville, Ga.). The club swayed the Peach State native away from his commitment to Kennesaw State by signing him for $250,000 that July.

After his first full professional season was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Blalock enjoyed a productive 2021 campaign in which he forged a 4.27 ERA in 23 starts (86 1/3 innings) for Salem. Last spring, however, the righty felt pain in his throwing arm during a live batting practice session and underwent Tommy John surgery on March 2.

“The fourth pitch, I threw a curveball and I kind of felt something tweak, like a little pop,” Blalock told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith earlier this week. “I didn’t think anything of it. So I went ahead and threw another pitch. And then my forearm felt like it was 1,000 degrees.”

The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews and his staff at the Andrews Institute for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Blalock was then told that — barring any setbacks — it would take him anywhere between 12 to 14 months to recover.

“So I was kind of expecting to be back in the middle of May right when I did,” explained Blalock. “Luckily, I was able not to have any setbacks. The staff down there took care of me. I followed everything I needed to. So it was quite a smooth ride to say the least. I was excited to get back when I was able to.”

Since returning to affiliated action late last month, Blalock has not only seen results — he has seen increased fastball velocity as well. According to Smith, Blalock has been sitting between 94-95 mph and topping out at 97 mph with his heater after averaging 92-93 mph with the pitch before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“My velo has definitely jumped about 1-2 mph,” Blalock said. “I came into the year, like, Hey, I’ve got something to prove.’ I wasn’t able to pitch last year so just kind of competing. Get out there and have fun every time.”

During the lengthy rehab process, Blalock elected to eliminate the changeup from his arsenal and instead implement a splitter that is similar to the one used by Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman. The “split-change,” as Gausman describes it, has been of the more effective pitches in baseball in recent years. Blalock first started tinkering with the grip after receiving approval to use it from Red Sox director of pitching development Shawn Haviland.

“Before I even started throwing last year, I had a ball in my hand getting used to the grip just standing there watching other guys throw while I was not able to,” Blalock recalled. “I had a ball and I was kind of getting used to that grip. So I think that kind of helped. And I watched some YouTube videos and just watched how he (Gausman) threw it.

“I like it and it’s definitely going to play big-time in my pitch selection,” he added. “It’s actually played really well so far.”

In addition to the fastball and split-change, Blalock also mixes in an 84-86 mph “gyro slider” as well as a curveball that features 11-to-5 break. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder said he was not nervous about his velocity returning after Tommy John surgery, which is not always the case for pitchers in similar situations.

“A lot of guys have that success and they’ve thrown a little harder than before they had it,” he said. “So it’s kind of just trusting the process and watching guys like Thad Ward and Bryan Mata when they were rehabbing down there last year. Their velocity came back. So it’s like, there isn’t really anything to worry about, especially when the doctor says you’re gonna throw harder than where you were before.”

Blalock, who does not turn 23 until December, could soon be nearing a promotion to High-A Greenville if he keeps producing the way he has been. With that being said, though, he is just happy to be back doing his thing.

“It’s definitely cool to be back,” Blalock said. “I was talking to somebody about this the other day. It definitely kind of reminded me of that COVID year in 2020. It was just like, ‘Hey, an extra year down and I can get better. I’ve got something to prove.’ I put my head down. Got in there every day with the training staff, in the weight room and the pitching coach in Fort Myers and definitely took advantage of all the resources I had down there.

“Some people go into it and they are like, ‘Oh, dang. This is gonna suck. I don’t know what to expect for the next year,’” he added. “I feel like the first two days after I knew I was going to have surgery, it was definitely tough. But after that it was like, ‘OK, what’s next? I’m gonna put my head down and grind.’ I was definitely in the best possible spot I could be in to have this with the resources we have.”

(Picture of Bradley Blalock: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)