Minor Notes: Tolle strikes out eight in MLB debut; Gonzales promoted to Greenville
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The big story of the week is Payton Tolle's electric MLB debut. Tolle hit 99 mph and struck out eight Pirates. Tolle's promotion was part of a larger shakeup with the big league pitching staff, while Justin Gonzales got promoted and Juan Valera returned from injury.
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Tolle dazzles in big league debut
Left-hander Payton Tolle (pictured, left) quickly became a fan favorite after going toe-to-toe with Paul Skenes on Friday night at Fenway. Tolle struck out eight and walked two over 5 1/3 innings. He left with a shutout, but the bullpen allowed two inherited runners to score. Tolle figures to remain in the big league rotation for the rest of the year, though the Red Sox may choose to keep him on five days rest. SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall did a Transaction Analysis on Tolle's promotion which includes a full scouting report on the 6-foot-6 left-hander.
Tolle is also the focus of the most recent episode of the podcast. Ian was joined by Geoff Pontes of Baseball America to discuss Tolle's journey to the majors, his MLB debut, and where he ranks among best left-handed pitching prospects in baseball.
Buehler released, Fitts hits the injured list
The Red Sox made room for Tolle on the 40-man roster by releasing Walker Buehler. Buehler had just been moved to the bullpen, but his results did not improve there in a small sample. Another hit to the pitching depth came when Richard Fitts was placed on the injured list with right arm neuritis. The Red Sox currently do not have a probably pitcher listed for Wednesday, and many signs point to them calling up Kyle Harrison for that start.
Boston re-acquires Sánchez
It was a short stay in the Mets organization for Ali Sánchez. The Red Sox originally claimed Sánchez off waivers on August 8, but after designating him for assignment, he signed with the Mets on August 22 once he cleared waivers. On August 31, the Mets traded him back to the Red Sox for cash considerations. He was added to the 40-man roster and the big league roster when rosters expanded on September 1. To make room for him on the 40-man, Marcelo Mayer was transferred to the 60-day IL.
The other player added to the 28-man major league roster was reliever Zack Kelly. Over the last month, Kelly has pitched to a 4.40 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings with Worcester. He figures to go back down if Harrison is ultimately called up for Wednesday's spot start.
Gonzales promoted to Greenville
18-year-old Justin Gonzales was promoted to Greenville to help with the Drive's playoff push. Over his last 40 games with Salem, he hit .339/.392/.509 with 21 extra-base hits. The Drive are two games back of Hub City for the final playoff spot as they enter the last week of the regular season.
Refsnyder activated, Password optioned
With Rob Refsnyder activated off the injured list, Jhostynxon Garcia got optioned to Worcester. Garcia went 1 for 7 with five strikeouts in his brief stint with the Red Sox.
Juan Valera (pictured, right) last appeared in a game on May 25 before being shut down with an elbow injury. Fans got good news when he returned to the mound on Friday. He only went two innings and threw 39 pitches, but he struck out three while allowing one run. The 19-year-old had a lot of helium this spring after reports of him touching 100 mph with his fastball.
DSL season comes to an end
The DSL Red Sox Blue loss a best-of-three game series to the DSL Athletics, ending their season. Final rosters for both the DSL Red Sox Blue and Red are posted on our Rosters page.
Additional transactions
- A week after starting a rehab assignment with Worcester, Justin Slaten got activated off the 60-day injured list. He had missed three months after being diagnosed with a compressed transverse process in his neck pressing on nerves.
- Right-hander Luis Guerrero started a rehab assignment with Greenville. He had missed two months while recovering from a right elbow strain.
- Henry Godbout got off to a hot start with the Drive after being drafted in the second round. A hamstring injury sidelined him for two weeks, but he returned on Thursday and picked up where he left off.
- Worcester activated Tyler McDonough off the injured list and he made an immediate impact. On Sunday, he hit two home runs and drove in six wins to lead the WooSox to a win.
- After posting the third-highest on-base percentage in the Florida Complex League, Anderson Fermin was added to Salem's roster. He went 0 for 7 with four walks in his first three games in Low-A.
Where are they now?
- One day after leaving Fenway Park, the Pirates recalled Nick Yorke. Yorke's triple slash in Triple-A this season is .287/.348/.406. This will be his first stint in the big leagues this year.
- It has been a tough stretch of injuries for the San Diego Padres. Xander Bogaerts fractured his foot and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. The hope is that he can return for the playoffs.
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Players of the Week August 25-31
Brooks Brannon, C, Portland Sea Dogs
4 G, 17 AB, 7 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 7 R, 1 BB, 3 K, .412/.474/.824
Brannon capped off a strong August by posting a 1.298 OPS in the series against Hartford. His line for the month of .290/.313/.532 includes three doubles and four home runs in 15 games. The only concern is the 22 strikeouts in 62 at-bats while only drawing one walk. His strikeout percentage has increased from 28.1 percent with Greenville to 35.4 percent with Portland. If he can cut down on the swing-and-miss and tap into more of his plus-plus raw power, the 21-year-old would raise his floor and his prospect status. This is the second Player of the Week award for Brannon who was also named a 2025 SoxProspects.com Pre-Season All-Star.
Shane Drohan, LHP, Worcester Red Sox
1 G, 3 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 0.00 ERA
It is rare for a pitcher to win this award going less than four innings, but Drohan was so dominant that he was the clear choice for the week. Drohan faced 12 batters and struck out nine of them, including seven in a row at one point. The only batter to reach base did so with a walk. It was a remarkable return for Drohan who had been on the shelf since May 7 with a forearm injury. The 26-year-old left-hander will look to finish the season strong and enter the offseason healthy. He is currently ranked 40th in the system, but he can climb quickly if he can have an extended period of good health.
Photo Credit: Payton Tolle and Juan Valera by Kelly O'Connor