Tag: yordanny monegro

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)

Could Red Sox lose ‘intriguing’ pitching prospect in next week’s Rule 5 Draft?

The 2024 Rule 5 Draft is less than a week away and the Red Sox — like all other 29 MLB teams — could be at risk of losing some of the eligible players they elected to leave off their 40-man roster last month.

By selecting the contracts of right-hander Hunter Dobbins and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia on November 19, Boston left dozens of others exposed and available to rival clubs in next Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft. One such name to keep an eye on is pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro.

Monegro was recently tabbed by MLB.com as perhaps the Red Sox’ most intriguing Rule 5 candidate. The 22-year-old righty is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 25 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 11th among pitchers in the organization.

Originally signed for $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020, Monegro rose through the ranks last year by breaking out to a 2.06 ERA (2.55 FIP) in 14 appearances (13 starts) spanning 65 2/3 innings between the Florida Complex League, Low-A Salem, and High-A Greenville. The Santo Domingo native seemed poised to build off that momentum out of the gate in 2024, but he did not make his season debut until early May as a result of experiencing weakness in his pitching shoulder during spring training.

After completing a three-start rehab assignment in the FCL, Monegro returned to the mound for Greenville on June 2. He then posted a 2.73 ERA (3.72 FIP) with 82 strikeouts to 26 walks in 15 outings (14 starts) and 66 innings pitched for the Drive. That includes a 39-inning stretch from July 14 through September 1 in which he did not allow a single earned run. Overall, opposing hitters batted just .176 against him.

Among the 57 pitchers who threw at least 65 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Monegro ranked third in batting average against, fifth in WHIP (1.03), sixth in strikeout rate (30.8 percent), eighth in ERA, ninth in swinging-strike rate (15.1 percent), 10th in xFIP (3.40), 11th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.18), 21st in FIP, 22nd in line-drive rate (22.1 percent), 24th in groundball rate (40.9 percent), and 27th in walks per nine innings (3.55), per FanGraphs.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Monegro throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a high leg kick into his delivery. This past season, the lanky hurler sat in the mid-90s and reached 96-97 mph with his four-seam fastball while also mixing in a lower-90s sinker, a mid-80s slider, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s changeup.

If Monegro were to be selected by another club for $100,000 next week, he would need to stick on that team’s major-league roster (or injured list) for the entirety of the 2025 season. If those conditions cannot be met, he would be placed on waivers and then offered back to the Red Sox for $50,000 should he clear.

Given the fact that he is still developing his pitch mix and has yet to pitch above the High-A level, it seems unlikely that Monegro — who does not turn 23 until next October — would be able to stick on another team’s 26-man roster for all of 2025 without taking his lumps even if he is used in a relief role. Still, that same team may be willing to take that risk and endure those struggles with an eye toward the future since Monegro possesses the kind of potential that could further raise his ceiling.

(Picture of Yordanny Monegro: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox prospects Mikey Romero, Yordanny Monegro recognized as South Atlantic League Player, Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox prospects (and High-A Greenville teammates) Mikey Romero and Yordanny Monegro have been named the South Atlantic League Player and Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 29-August 4, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Romero, Baseball America’s 14th-ranked Red Sox prospect, enjoyed a productive week at the plate in Greenville’s last series against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The left-handed hitter appeared in five of the six games at Fluor Field, going 12-for-25 (.480) with two doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs, five runs scored, one walk, and four strikeouts.

After stroking two singles on Tuesday, Romero recorded his third and final multi-homer game of July as part of a four-hit effort on Wednesday. The 20-year-old got Thursday off, then closed out the series by picking up six more hits and collecting six more RBIs over the weekend. He went deep yet again in Sunday’s series finale.

Romero, the 24th overall pick in the 2022 draft, opened his second full season in pro ball on the injured list as he continued to work his way back from a back issue that shut him down last August. The Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.) product completed a three-game rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League before rejoining Greenville in mid-May. He initially got off to a slow start in his second stint with the Drive but started to turn a corner after the calendar flipped from June to July.

In his last 22 games dating back to July 1, Romero is batting .357/.387/.745 with 12 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 20 runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and 17 strikeouts over 106 plate appearances. On the 2024 campaign as a whole, he is slashing .281/.324/.534 with 18 doubles, four triples, 10 homers, 36 runs driven in, 36 runs scored, one stolen base, 12 walks, and 46 strikeouts in 50 games (238 plate appearances) for Greenville.

On the other side of the ball, Romero has seen the majority of his playing time with the Drive this season come in the middle infield. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder has logged 258 2/3 innings at shortstop and 116 innings at second base, committing eight errors in 146 total defensive chances. He has also started seven games at DH.

Monegro, meanwhile, put together his best start of the season to date in Thursday’s 4-0 shutout win over Wilmington. The 21-year-old right-hander tossed the first five innings of a combined no-hitter, striking out six without issuing a walk, though he did plunk one batter. He finished with 64 pitches (39 strikes) and induced 12 swings-and-misses. Cooper Adams and Isaac Stebens combined for four more no-hit frames to seal Greenville’s second no-no of the year.

In a similar fashion to Romero, Monegro also began 2024 on the injured list after experiencing weakness in his pitching shoulder. He, too, rehabbed in the Florida Complex League before returning to the mound for Greenville in early June. With Thursday’s stellar outing, the righty extended his scoreless innings streak to 19 dating back to July 14. Overall, he has forged a 3.95 ERA (4.77 FIP) with 49 strikeouts to 17 walks in 10 appearances (nine starts) spanning 41 innings for the Drive this season. Opponents have batted .216 against him.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Monegro originally signed with the Red Sox for $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in February 2020. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s fastball that touches 96 mph, an upper-70s curveball, a mid-80s slider, and an upper-80s split-change. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 27 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 12th among pitchers in the organization.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

After breakout season, Yordanny Monegro comes into 2024 as one of Red Sox’ top pitching prospects

When thinking about which Red Sox prospects broke out the most last year, outfielder Roman Anthony probably comes first to mind, and rightfully so. On the pitching side of things, though, that distinction might belong to none other than Yordanny Monegro.

Entering the 2023 campaign, Monegro was not viewed by outlets like Baseball America as one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. After spending all of 2022 in the Florida Complex League, the 21-year-old right-hander repeated at the Sox’ rookie-level affiliate to kick off his third professional season last June.

Monegro made just three starts for the FCL Red Sox and dominated, allowing two earned runs on five hits, four walks, and 20 strikeouts over 15 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .102 batting average against. As such, he was named the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Month for June, though he earned a promotion to Low-A Salem before the calendar had even flipped to July.

Facing full-season competition for the first time as a pro, Monegro picked up where he left off by striking out a career-high of 11 over five scoreless innings in his Salem debut on June 25. He tied that career high again in August and finished with a 2.43 ERA — as well as 60 punchouts to 17 walks — in nine starts (40 2/3 innings) for the Red Sox before making the jump to High-A Greenville in the late stages of the summer.

Yet again, Monegro impressed in his first outing with a new affiliate by taking over for the rehabbing Zack Kelly in the second inning and fanning eight Brooklyn Cyclones across five scoreless frames at Fluor Field on September 1. The righty did not fare as well in his final start of the regular season eight days later, but he made up for it by picking up the win against the Hickory Crawdads in the second and final game of the South Atlantic League division series on Sept. 14. The Drive then swept the Hudson Valley Renegades in the championship series to take home their second SAL title in franchise history and first since 2017.

All told, Monegro went 6-3 with a 2.06 ERA and 93 strikeouts to 26 walks in 14 appearances (13 starts) spanning 65 2/3 total innings of work between the FCL, Salem, and Greenville last year. Among his peers in the Red Sox organization who also eclipsed the 60-inning threshold in 2023, Monegro ranked third in strikeouts per nine innings (12.75), 10th in walks per nine innings (3.56), second in strikeout rate (34.6 percent), 11th in walk rate (9.7 percent), second in batting average against (.194), second in WHIP (1.10), 12th in line-drive rate (21.3 percent), fifth in groundball rate (48.9 percent), and first in swinging-strike rate (20 percent), ERA, FIP (2.55), and xFIP (3.05), per FanGraphs.

Monegro, who hails from the Dominican Republic, originally signed with the Red Sox for just $35,000 as an international free agent in February 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic that ensued, the Santo Domingo native was unable to make his pro debut until the following July. He then compiled a 3.63 ERA in 13 Dominican Summer League starts (39 2/3 innings) that year and followed by struggling to a 7.36 ERA over 25 2/3 innings in the 2022 Florida Complex League.

Given the struggles he endured in his stateside debut, the success Monegro enjoyed this past season may have been surprising to some. Internally, however, the Red Sox had high hopes for Monegro going into 2023 because of what he accomplished in the offseason. Assistant general manager Eddie Romero acknowledged as much in a July 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.”

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Monegro operates with a diverse arsenal that consists of a four-seam fastball that averages just under 95 mph, a 12-to-6 curveball that sits between 76-81 mph, and an 88-90 mph cutter, per his Baseball America scouting report. That same scouting report notes that Monegro “also has a two-seamer and splitter, though the latter is a work in progress. In order to stick as a starter, he’ll likely need to either sharpen one of his pitches into a plus offering or develop the splitter into a solid offering.”

Monegro — who does not turn 22 until October — is now regarded by Baseball America as the No. 18 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righties Wikelman Gonzalez, Luis Perales, and Richard Fitts. He is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2024 season, though he could reach the upper levels by the end of the year since he can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time next winter.

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

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Monegro is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks eighth among pitchers in the organization. The 20-year-old hurler originally signed with the Red Sox for a modest $35,000 coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020 and has since emerged as one of the more intriguing arms in the system.

In what has been a breakout 2023 season, Monegro first made his impact felt in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, where he struggled to a 7.36 ERA in 25 2/3 innings last year. This June, however, the Santo Domingo native dazzled in three starts for Boston’s Fort Myers-based affiliate. He allowed just two earned runs over 15 innings of work in which he struck out 20 and walked only four en route to earning FCL Pitcher of the Month honors.

Before June came to a close, though, Monegro made the jump to Salem. He made his full-season debut on the 25th and proceeded to put up a 2.43 ERA (2.32 FIP) with 60 strikeouts to 17 walks in nine starts (40 2/3 innings) for the Red Sox while holding opposing hitters to a .217 batting average against. In what might go down as his final start at the Low-A level, Monegro yielded one unearned run on two hits, two walks, and eight strikeouts across five solid frames in a 2-1 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals last Thursday.

Among Carolina League pitchers with at least 40 innings under their belt coming into play on Tuesday, Monegro ranks fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (13.28), eighth in strikeout rate (34.5 percent), first in swinging-strike rate (18 percent), seventh in ERA, first in FIP, and sixth in xFIP (2.92), per FanGraphs.

While the success that Monegro has enjoyed this summer may be a surprise to some, the Red Sox had high hopes for the righty well before the minor-league season even started. Assistant general manager Eddie Romero even acknowledged as much in an email exchange with BloggingtheRedSox.com last month.

“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.”

With a projectable 6-foot-4, 180-pound-frame, Monegro throws from a three-quarters 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 by publications such as Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, Monegro is more control-over-command at the moment and is still considered a work in progress as a result.

That being said, Monegro will have the chance to put an exclamation point on what has already been an encouraging season with Greenville. The Drive open a six-game series against the Brooklyn Cyclones at Fluor Field on Tuesday night, and so Monegro will more than likely make his High-A debut this week.

(Picture of Yordanny Monegro: Bryan Green/Flickr)

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’ Yordanny Monegro named Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro has been named the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 5-11, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Monegro had a stellar season debut for the FCL Red Sox last Monday, striking out eight over five scoreless, perfect innings in a 7-2 win over the FCL Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The right-hander retired all 15 batters he faced to pick up his first winning decision of the year.

Fresh off earning FCL Pitcher of the Week honors, Monegro made his second start of the season on Monday. Going up against the FCL Rays at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte this time around, the 20-year-old hurler allowed just one earned run on two hits, two walks, and one hit batsman to go along with six strikeouts across five innings of work in an 11-1 victory.

So, through his first two starts for the FCL Red Sox this season, Monegro is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA and 0.40 WHIP. He has struck out 14 and walked only two over 10 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .065 batting average against.

Monegro originally signed with Boston for $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020. Though the Santo Domingo native is not yet regarded by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the Sox’ top pitching prospects, he did receive some praise from FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen recently.

Longenhagen ranked Monegro as his No. 25 Red Sox prospect on Monday, noting that the 6-foot-4, 180-pound righty “was the best Red Sox pitching prospect” he saw during extended spring training looks in Florida.

“He’s a little older than the typical arm from the complex group, but he’s still projectable at a high-waited 6-foot-4,” Longenhagen wrote. “He sat 91-94 mph and was up to 95, with vertical ride and command that will surely allow him to have success at the lowest pro levels. He has a clean, direct line to the plate and lovely hip/shoulder separation that, along with his frame, portends more velocity.

“An upper-70s curveball with solid average depth and a power-action changeup that he throws as hard as 91 mph round out the repertoire,” added Longenhagen. “It’s a starter’s mix with a starter’s frame, delivery, and strike-throwing. His ceiling will be dictated by how much velo he and the Red Sox can develop, and he’s far enough away from the bigs that it has to alter how he’s valued here, but Monegro has fourth starter upside.”

As noted by Longenhagen, Monegro — who does not turn 21 until October — is slightly older for his level since he spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign in the Florida Complex League as well. Taking that into consideration, one has to wonder if Monegro could soon be in line for a promotion to Low-A Salem, where he would get his first taste of full season ball.

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