Astros Pound Suarez, Sox (3/30/26)

Boston Red Sox fans are ready to riot after just four games into the season mostly due to the fact the off-season additions are failing hard so far. Tonight it was Ranger Suarez (0-1, 8.31 ERA) and Johan Oviedo's turn to bite the big one against the Houston Astros. The Astros lit up Suarez for 4 runs and knocked him out in the fifth inning. Oviedo gave up 4 runs of his own as the Astros hit four home runs as a team. Meanwhile the sputtering Red Sox offense mustered just 4 hits and a run against Lance McCullers Jr and Ryan Weiss. Caleb Durbin dropped to 0-14 on the season and the Sox dropped to 1-3 as the Astros defeated the Red Sox 8-1 at Daikin Park.

                                                           "Not one acquisition worked out"

McCullers got the ball in the top of the first inning and Roman Anthony struck out swinging to start. Trevor Story struck out swinging and Jarren Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. Naturally the Astros pounded Suarez in the bottom of the first inning as Jose Altuve got a base hit in the hole at short to start. Yordan Alvarez got a base hit to right and Isaac Parades got a base hit to center to load the bases. Carlos Correa grounded into a double play but Altuve scored to put the Astros up for good just four batters into the game. Christian Walker popped up to third to end the inning with the Astros up 1-0.

                                                         Astros go up for good

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second as Willson Contreras struck out swinging to start. Wilyer Abreu took strike three right down the middle and Caleb Durbin continued his cold streak by grounding out weakly to short to end the inning. Cam Smith popped up to second to start the bottom of the second and Jake Meyers popped up to first. Yainer Diaz singled to left but Brice Matthews took strike three to end the inning.

The ineptitude continued in the top of the third as Marcelo Mayer grounded out to first to start. Carlos Narvaez got a base hit to right but naturally Ceddanne Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Astros iced the game in the bottom of the third as Altuve got a base hit to right and Alvarez hit a home run all the way to Nogales. Paredes popped up to second, Correa lined out to right and Walker struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was over, 3-0 Astros.

                                                            Alvarez ices it

Anthony flied out to right to start the top of the fourth and Story struck out swinging. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Smith grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth before Meyers flied out to left. Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning.

Contreras struck out swinging to begin the top of the fifth but Abreu got a base hit to left. Durbin grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Astros poured it on in the bottom of the fifth as Matthews hit a home run all the way to Nicaragua to start. Altuve walked but Alvarez struck out swinging. Say goodbye to Suarez who got lit up for 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings in his Sox debut. Johan Oviedo made his Sox debut by promptly throwing a wild pitch and hitting Paredes. Correa forced Paredes at second and Walker took strike three to end the inning with the Astros up 4-0.

                                                             Suarez sucked tonight

Mayer grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth before Narvaez struck out swinging. Rafaela popped up to short to end the inning. The Astros poured it on in the bottom of the sixth as Smith doubled to left to start. Meyers singled to left to move Smith to third and Cam scored on the sac fly to center by Diaz. Matthews flied out to center and Meyers was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Astros up 5-0.

The Sox got their only run of the game in the top of the seventh as Anthony grounded out to second to start. Story doubled to left, Duran walked and Contreras beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Abreu pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands to sore Story. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Durbin and struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                       Abreu does it again

The Astros got the run right back in the bottom of the seventh as Isiah Kiner-Falefa came in to play third. Altuve hit a home run all the way to Neptune but Alvarez grounded out to first. Paredes hit one up the elevator shaft but Correa got a base hit to right. Walker doubled to center to score Correa and Smith walked. Meyers took strike three to end the inning with Houston on top 7-1.

                                                            Altuve joins the fun

Ryan Weiss came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mayer walked to start. Narvaez struck out swinging, Rafaela lined out to center and Anthony watched strike three go by to end the inning. To say the Sox had checked out mentally would be an understatement. The Astros wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eigth as Diaz grounded out to short to start. Matthews struck out swinging but Altuve hit a home run all the way to Russia to make this one a rout. Alvarez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Astros up 8-1.

                                                             Another one for Altuve

Nick Allen came in for Paredes for the top of the ninth and Story popped up to short to begin. Duran struck out swinging and Contreras grounded out to second to end the game. The Astros had won 8-1.

                                                              Astros win

Jackass of the Night is Ranger Suarez. He got lit up for 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                         Nice debut, Jackass

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 3 with an rbi.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Willson Contreras was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Chad Durbin was 0 for 2.

Masataka Yoshida struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3.

Johan Oviedo allowed 4 runs in 3 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa played third base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Fans are panicking already as its uncanny how the Sox get off to slow starts every single year. Not since 2018 have the Sox looked competent through the first week of the season. In the era of the 3 wild cards where every win counts, slow starts doom teams come late September. Suarez and Oviedo look horrible, Contreras and Durbin look horrible and Sonny Gray was awful on Saturday. Its only four games but you'd think SOMEONE would step up. The problem is with the losses of Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman, everyone else thinks they have to swing for the fences to pick up the slack and that's not going to help. The Sox are better off playing small ball because swinging for the fences clearly isn't working the first four games of the season. The only bright side of Oviedo getting beat up is it saved the bullpen for tomorrow. They're going to need it because the Sox look to snap their three game losing streak when Brayan Bello makes his season debut against Hunter Brown of Houston. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Daikin Park.

Reds Stun Sox On Late Homer (3/29/26)

Three games into the season and the sky is already falling for Boston Red Sox fans. Chad Durbin, the man the Sox traded to replace Rafael Devers is 0 for 12 with 3 strikeouts, Greg Weissert has given up back to back big home runs and there's been almost no offense against the Cincinnati Reds. Connelly Early picked up where he left off last year by tossing 5 1/3 strong innings, holding the Reds to just 1 run. Unfortunately the Sox bats were held to just 7 hits and 2 measly runs by Rhett Lowder and the Reds bullpen. Wilyer Abreu smacked a 2 run home run in the top of the fourth and Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Early for Greg Weissert in the bottom of the sixth. Eugenio Suarez promptly hit a 3 run home run and that was basically it. The Sox had the tying run in scoring position in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings but couldn't bring them in. It all added up to a 3-2 loss to the Reds at Great American Ballpark.

                                                     Sox fans are out of patience already

Lowder got the ball in the top of the first inning and Roman Anthony struck out swinging to start. Trevor Story flied out to center and Jarren Duran popped up to short to end the inning. Early got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and TJ Friedl dumped the second pitch to left for a base hit. A wild pitch moved Friedl to second but Matt McLain took strike three. Elly De La Cruz flied out to center but Sal Stewart walked. Eugenio Suarez took strike three to end the inning.

Willson Contreras lined out to center to open the top of the second before Wilyer Abreu flied out to left. Caleb Durbin grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Spencer Steer lined out to center to start the bottom of the second but Dane Myers singled to left. Tyler Stephenson grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Masataka Yoshida walked to start. Marcelo Mayer lined out to a running Friedl but Connor Wong blooped a base hit to right. Anthony struck out swinging and Story grounded out to short to end the inning. Noelvi Marte popped up to Yoshida to begin the bottom of the second and Friedl was rung up for strike three. McLain walked and took second on a wild pitch but De La Cruz took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth as Duran popped up to second to start. Contreras ate up De La Cruz on a grounder that was ruled a single and Abreu hit a no doubt two run homer to put the Sox on top. Durbin was rung up for strike three and Yoshida walked. Mayer was called out on strikes but Mayer challenged the call. The ump correctly upheld it for strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                          Abreu puts the Sox on top

The Reds fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Stewart singled to center to begin. Suarez hit a fly ball to the centerfield wall to move Stewart to second and Sal moved to third on a base hit past Story by Steer. Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey made a mad dash to the mound to tell Early that Blue Bloods was on in the clubhouse. Early was so inspired he induced a 3-6 double play from Contreras to Story to end the inning.

Wong grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Anthony grounded out to short. Story looked at strike three down the middle to end the inning. Stephenson struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Marte grounded out to third. Friedl grounded out to third to end the inning.

Brock Burke came in to pitch the top of the sixth and the Reds challenged a walk by Duran to start. The call was upheld but Contreras grounded into a double play. Abreu doubled off the centerfield wall but Durbin grounded out to second to end the inning. McLain singled off the right field wall but De La Cruz struck out swinging to end Early's day. He tossed 5 1/3 innings on 96 pitches allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks. Greg Weissert came in and walked Stewart on 5 pitches not even close. Suarez then hit a 3 run bomb to put the Reds up for good. Steer took strike three and Myers flied out to right to end the inning with the Reds up 3-2.

                                                             Early deserved better

Yoshida grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Andruw Monasterio pinch hit for Mayer. Pierce Johnson came in to pitch to him and Andruw flied out to right. Wong doubled too the centerfield wall but Anthony popped up to center to end the inning. Jovani Moran came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Stephenson flied out to right to start. Marte struck out swinging and Friedl was retired on a swinging bunt to end the inning.

Tony Santillan came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Story struck out swinging to start. Duran walked but was foolishly picked off. The out hurt when Contreras walked and Abreu singled to center to move Contreras to third. Durbin naturally struck out swinging to end the inning. McLain grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth and De La Cruz struck out swinging. Stewart doubled to left and Suarez walked, forcing Reds manager Terry Francona to pinch run Ke'Bryan Hayes for Suarez. Steer flied out to right to end the inning.

Emilio Pagan came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Yoshida flied out to left to start. Monasterio doubled to left and Ceddanne Rafaela pinch hit for Wong. Rafaela lined out to left but Anthony was intentionally walked. Story popped up to center on the first pitch to end the game. The Reds had won it 3-2.

                                                          Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Greg Weissert. He allowed the 3 run bomb to put the Reds up for good.

                                                                  Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Wilson Contreras was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 3 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Masataka Yoshida walked twice in four plate appearances.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 2 at the plate.

Connor Wong was 2 for 3.

Connelly Early allowed just 1 run in 5 1/3 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6.

Jovani Moran tossed two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and got picked off, but walked twice.

Final Thoughts:

Sox fans are already angry at Durbin having a bad 3 game stretch, the bullpen and Sonny Gray. After last year ended with a whimper against the New York Yankees, Sox fans wanted some big bats and power arms to compete with them and instead the Sox got a lot worse in a lot of ways just to save money. Connelly Early pitched his ass off in this one but has nothing to show for it because of Weissert's meatball and the offense being inept for the second time in three days. The Sox are going to try to win a lot of low scoring games but so far they're failing miserably. Its still early but fans were already mad going into the season and yet another slow start like the last 4 years will send them over the edge. If losing 2 of 3 to the Reds isn't bad enough, now they travel to Houston to play the Astros. Tomorrow night Ranger Suarez makes his Red Sox debut against Lance McCullers of Houston. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Daikin Park.

Reds Walkoff Sox in 11 Innings (3/28/26)

In a game marred by lousy umpiring, the Boston Red Sox dropped their second game of the year in extra innings to the Cincinnati Reds. Sonny Gray got squeezed all game but allowed 4 runs in 4 innings to put the Sox in a 4-3 hole. The Reds added a run off Greg Weissert but the Sox got a run in the seventh. In the top of the eighth, Trevor Story was rung up on a check swing that wasn't even close to kill a rally. Alex Cora was ejected but Wilyer Abreu managed to hit a game tying home run in the ninth inning. The Sox failed to score in the 10th and 11th even with the ghost runners and Dane Myers drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth off Justin Slaten (0-1, 0.00 ERA) to end the game. The Reds had won 6-5 in 11 innings.

                                                                   Dammit

Singer got the ball in the top of the first inning and Roman Anthony grounded out to second to start. Trevor Story struck out swinging but Jarren Duran was hit with a pitch. Duran swiped second and Willson Contreras walked, but Wilyer Abreu lined out to third to end the inning. The Reds wasted no time getting to Gray in the bottom of the first as TJ Friedl got a base hit to right to start. Friedl stole second and Matt McLain walked before both runners moved over on the Elly De La Cruz grounder to first. Sal Stewart singled to right to score Friedl and Gray made the bizarre decision to throw AT McLain rather than tag him out on a grounder to the mound by Eugenio Suarez. Spencer Steer beat out a double play ball but Will Benson struck out swinging to end the inning with the Reds up 2-0.

                                       "What the hell are you doing, Gray?" - Narvaez

Caleb Durbin grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Marcelo Mayer doubled to center. Carlos Narvaez grounded out to second and Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to first to end the inning. Jose Trevino took strike three to start the bottom of the second before Story booted a grounder by Ke'Bryan Hayes. Hayes moved to second on a grounder to short by Friedl and scored on the McLain double to center. De La Cruz was frozen for strike three to end the inning with the Reds up 3-0.

                                                          McLain drives in a run

The Sox fought back in the top of the third as Anthony was called out on strikes by home plate umpire CB Bucknor nowhere close to start. Story left no doubt by launching his first home run of the year to cut the lead. Duran struck out swinging but Contreras walked. Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                        Story jacks one

The Reds got the run right back in the bottom of the third as Stewart hit a home run all the way to Cleveland to increase the lead. Suarez singled to right but Steer struck out swinging. Benson grounded back to the mound to move Suarez to second but Trevino grounded out to first to end the inning with the Reds up 4-1.

                                                           Another run for Cincinnati

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth although Durbin lined out to center to start. Mayer struck out swinging but Narvaez singled to right. Rafaela got a base hit to center and Anthony ripped a base hit to right to score Narvaez. A wild pitch scored Narvaez but Story was called out on strike three nowhere close to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                        Sox inch closer

Hayes flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Friedl struck out swinging. McClain singled to center but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. That was it for Gray who allowed 4 runs in 4 innings in his debut marred by bad umpire calls.

                                                          Not Gray's best stuff

Sam Moll came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Duran grounded out to second to start. Contreras was hit with a pitch but Abreu popped up to third. Durbin flied out to left to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and De La Cruz immediately hit one to the moon to increase the lead. Stewart flied out to center and Suarez took strike three, but Steer walked. Benson singled to right to load the bases and Trevino took strike three to end the inning with the Reds up 5-3.

                                                      Cruz extends the lead

Pierce Johnson came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Mayer flied out to left to start. Narvaez singled to right but Rafaela flied out to right. Graham Ashcraft came in to pitch to Anthony and got Roman to ground out to second to end the inning. Danny Coulombe made his Sox debut in the bottom of the sixth and Hayes flied out to right to start. Friedl took strike three but McLain got a base hit to left. De La Cruz walked and that was it for Coulombe. Ryan Watson made his ML debut by walking Stewart to load the bases. Suarez grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                   Welcome to the big leagues, Watson

Story struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh but Duran walked. A wild pitch moved Duran to second but Contreras struck out swinging. Abreu doubled to right to score Jarren to chase Ashcraft. Tony Santillan froze Durbin for strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                             Abreu drives in a run.

Steer popped up to first to start the bottom of the seventh and it looked like Benson was called out on strikes, but Reds manager Terry Francona challenged it was ball four. The call was overturned but Trevino grounded out to short to move Benson to second. Hayes popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox got screwed in the top of the eighth as Mayer took strike three to start. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Narvaez and walked. Connor Wong pinch ran for Yoshida but Rafaela took strike three. Anthony walked and Emilio Pagan came in to face Story. Story was called out on strikes and the Sox challenged his bat never crossed the plate. His bat never crossed but the call was upheld to end the inning. Story had to be restrained from attacking the ump by Cora who was ejected for arguing with Bucknor.

                                                 "Bucknor you need to retire" - Cora

Friedl struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth before McLain popped up to first. Cruz walked but Stewart forced him at second to end the inning. Dane Myers came in for Stewart to start the top of the ninth and Duran popped up to first to start. Contreras struck out swinging but 2 strikes from defeat, Abreu clobbered his first home run of the year to tie the game. Durbin lined out to short to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                      Abreu ties it up

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Suarez lined out to left to start. Steer flied out to left and Noelvi Marte pinch hit for Benson. Marte struck out swinging to end the inning.

Connor Phillips came in to pitch the top of the 10th with Durbin starting at second base. Mayer and Wong struck out swinging before Rafaela flied out to left to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth with Marte starting at second. Trevino dropped down a bunt but too hard to Contreras, throwing to first for the out. Old pal Nathaniel Lowe pinch hit for Hayes and grounded out to first to move Marte to third. Friedl struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rafaela started at second base in the top of the 11th and Anthony struck out swinging to start. Story hit a rocket to McLain, who doubled off Rafaela to end the inning. Terrible situational hitting. Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the 11th with Friedl starting at second. McLain walked but Cruz took strike three. Myers then ripped a base hit to left to score Friedl, winning the game for the Reds 6-5.

                                                               Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Justin Slaten. He allowed a walk and a base hit to lose the game in the bottom of the 11th.

                                                          Nice walkoff, Jackass

The Good:

Wilson Contreras walked twice and was hit with a pitch in 5 plate appearances.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total rbis.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Masataka Yoshida walked as a pinch hitter.

Danny Coulombe tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Ryan Watson tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless 10th inning.

The Bad:

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong struck out in his only plate appearance.

Sonny Gray allowed 4 runs in 4 innings of work off 6 hits and a walk.

Greg Weissert allowed a run in the fifth inning.

The Ugly:

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 6 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts and an error, but the one hit was a home run.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Marcelo Mayer was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a giant punch to the gonads. Gray didn't look good at all but this was the CB Bucknor game for sure. Can't blame it all on him though. Even with the bad calls, Weissert still served up a gopher ball to De La Cruz and the Sox looked awful in extra innings. Still, the calls Bucknor made to kill rallies can't be ignored. Hard to win under normal circumstances but it becomes even more when the umpire has an off-day. Kudos to Ryan Watson for seeing his first major league game and good for Abreu to hit that home run in the ninth. The Sox were down 3-0 & 4-1 and refused to quit. Even though they lost, the fight was there. Its only the second game of the season so no sense panicking just yet. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow in the finale of this three game set against Cincinnati. Connelly Early makes his season debut against Rhett Lowder of the Reds. The game begins at 1:40 PM Eastern time at Great American Ballpark.

Off-Day News: 2026 Worcester Red Sox Preview (3/27/26)

Its an off-day so its time to take a look at our 2026 Worcester Red Sox roster to start the season. Last season with the Sox decimated by injury, a lot of pitchers and prospects had to be dealt or called up for reinforcements which led to a 76-73 record by the end.

                                                              LHP - Jake Bennett

The Sox might have something here with 25 year old left handed pitcher Jake Bennett. He was a second round pick by the Washington Nationals back in 2022 and seemed on the fast track to the majors when he dominated single A to start 2023. Then he was called up to the Harrisburg Senators and went 1-3 before having season ending Tommy John surgery. He missed all of 2024 and came back like a house of fire in 2025. Through all three levels from Single A to Triple A he went 2-5 with a 2.27 ERA in 18 starts. The Sox thought so highly of him they traded Luis Perales for him back in December. If his arm holds out, he could potentially be a major league pitcher by the end of this year or at least the ace of Worcester. Time will tell.

                                                            RHP - Tyler Uberstine

With the number of 2021 draft picks dwindling, one that remained was right handed pitcher Tyler Uberstine. Drafted in the 19th round, he was 5-5 with a 3.83 ERA for the Salem Red Sox and Greenville Drive in 2022 but needed Tommy John surgery in 2023. He made a cameo at the end of 2024 and returned to full duty in 2025. He was 6-5 with a 3.58 ERA between the Portland Sea Dogs and Worcester Red Sox and is going to turn 27 in June of this season. He's not a flamethrower compared to some of the other prospects but he does hit 95 on the gun. Still, for a 19th round pick that pitched badly for Northwestern in 2021, making it this far was a miracle in itself.

                                                              LHP - Payton Tolle

The Boston Red Sox number 1 rated prospect would probably be in the majors right now if the Sox didn't trade for Ranger Suarez just before Spring Training. As it is, the 23 year old will spend 2026 in Worcester to start. Tolle was drafted in the second round back in 2024 and lived up to his billing in his first pro season. He was 1-3 with a 3.62 ERA to start the season in Greenville before utterly dominating Portland, going 1-1 with a 1.67 ERA in 5 starts. Mostly due to injuries, they had to promote Tolle to the majors to finish out September where he struggled, going 0-1 with a 6.06 ERA in 7 games. With the pressure off, the Sox are going to see how he does in Worcester since he skipped it last year. He still hits 98 on the gun and hopefully will be brought along slowly. You never know when injuries will put him back in Boston.

                                                                LHP - TJ Sikkema

The Sox signed journeyman minor league reliever TJ Sikkema in January to basically fill out the Worcester roster. He was drafted all the way back in 2019 by the New York Yankees and allowed just 1 run in 10 innings to finish 2019 in Staten Island. Covid wiped out 2020 and he didn't pitch in 2021. In 2022, he was shipped off to the Kansas City Royals for none other than old pal Andrew Benintendi. His 2022-23 seasons for KC's AA team were awful going 4-9 with an ERA over 6 combined. Then he went to Cincinnati and had a surprisingly good 2024 going 6-3 with a 3.61 ERA between A and AA. Last year he started in AA but finished with the AAA Louisville Bats going 2-1 with a 3.47 ERA. Maybe he's a late bloomer but whatever the case, he's not straight up batting practice anymore. Still, he's your classic journeyman junkballer. Some days he's on, some days he's off. It would be a remarkable story if Sikkema goes from not being able to get AA batters out to making his ML debut with the Red Sox. It also wouldn't be surprising if he stayed in AAA all year.

                                                           RHP - Jack Anderson

Speaking of journeymen, one of the holdovers from last year's Worcester staff is 26 year old right handed junkballer Jack Anderson. He was drafted in the 16th round back in 2021 by the Detroit Tigers and washed out, culminating in allowing 11 runs in 17 innings for the Toledo Mud Hens in 2024. Last year he went 2-5 with a 3.58 ERA for Portland before allowing 14 runs in 11 innings for Worcester. The word on him is he doesn't miss many bats and he's strictly depth. Once once of Craig Breslow's power arms gets to AAA, it could be curtains for Jack.

                                                         RHP - Osvaldo Berrios

The Sox won't have the services of 26 year old right handed pitcher Osvaldo Berrios for a while as he's going to start the season on the 60 day Injured List. All you need to know about Berrios is his minor league career stats are 23-34 with a 5.44 ERA going back to 2017. Last year he allowed 16 runs in 14 innings for the Memphis Redbirds in the St. Louis Cardinals organization and his best stretch was going 2-3 with a 2.34 ERA in Single A in 2024. Either Craig Breslow completely cheaped out by signing a journeyman like this or he honestly thinks they can fix them. One way or another it'll work itself out.

                                                            LHP - Alec Gamboa

Another guy starting the season on the Injured List is 29 year old career minor leaguer Alex Gamboa. Taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2019 draft, he's spent the last 3 years with the Oklahoma City Comets and a stint in Korea. His stats with Oklahoma City were 5-12 with an ERA over 4 so he's not even a fringe prospect at this point. Once again this might be a case of Breslow going "I can fix him" since control has been his biggest issue.

                                                           RHP - Tayron Guerrero

The Sox finally signed a guy with major league experience when they picked up 35 year old right handed pitcher Tayron Guerrero in January. He made his ML debut in 2016 with the San Diego Padres then pitched in 112 games with the Miami Marlins between 2018-19. His stats were awful, and just got worse. He washed out in 2024 going 1-3 with a 5.73 ERA for the Salt Lake Bees then spent last year in Japan where he was 1-3 with a 6.41 ERA. Clearly he's all washed up but for whatever reason they signed him anyway. If nothing else, he's holding a roster spot until someone from Portland takes it or one of their injured pitchers returns.

                                                             RHP - Hobie Harris

Another guy starting the season on the 60 day Injured List is right handed pitcher Hobie Harris. Drafted by the New York Yankees in 2015, he got as high as Double A before they cut their losses after 2019. In 2023 despite going 2-3 with a 5.57 ERA for the Rochester Red Wings, he had a 15 game cup of coffee with the Washington Nationals. He was batting practice for the St. Paul Saints in 2024 and was mediocre for Worcester last year going 1-3 with a 4.15 ERA. If he pitches this year, don't expect great things out of him.

                                                               RHP Kyle Keller

To put an exclamation point of how seriously cheap the Sox have been, they went and signed a pitcher who hadn't pitched in the United States in 5 years. 32 year old Kyle Keller was drafted by the Miami Marlins in 2015 and made his ML debut with them in 2019. He actually pitched in 2 games with the world champion LA Dodgers in 2020 and got in 31 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021. He then spent the last four years pitching in Japan. He did pretty well in Japan so that should translate to success at the Triple A level right?...........right?

                                                               RHP - Zack Kelly

Poor Zack Kelly. He was signed in 2022 and looked to have a breakout season in 2023 but hurt his arm and was lost for the season. He had a decent season in 2024 going 6-3 with a 3.97 ERA for Boston but last year struggled going 1-3 with a 4.58 ERA. The training camp battle between Connelly Early and Johan Oviedo pretty much made Kelly expendable for now. The back end of the bullpen will once again be Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten so Kelly is going to start the year in AAA. This definitely won't last long as injuries are a given every year. Just a question of when Kelly gets the call.

                                                            RHP - Tommy Kahnle

Talk about a career freefall for 36 year old Tommy Kahnle. He was a standout reliever for the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers between 2019 and 2024, but last year at age 35 looked to have fallen off the cliff. He was 1-5 with a 4.43 ERA for the Detroit Tigers but the Sox are looking to catch lightning in a bottle twice. Aroldis Chapman had one of the best seasons for any reliever last year and the hope is Kahnle can do it as well this year. He got cut in Spring Training due to the previously mentioned fifth starter battle so its just a matter of time before he gets the call. Hopefully last year was just a hiccup.

                                                               RHP - Seth Martinez

If there was ever a classic 4-A player, it would be 31 year old right handed pitcher Seth Martinez. He was up and down between the Houston Astros and Sugar Land Space Cowboys between 2021-24 including snaring a World Series ring in 2022 after posting a 2.09 ERA in 29 games. In 2024, he was 3-2 with a 3.59 ERA for the Astros before spending last year with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. He did have a 6 game cup of coffee with the Miami Marlins but went 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA for the Shrimp. Bottom line is he's emergency depth in case someone goes down since he does have ML experience. He should be damn good for the WooSox at least.

                                                            RHP Wyatt Olds

Its now or never for 26 year old right handed pitcher Wyatt Olds. For all intents and purposes Olds has no business being here. He had a lousy senior year for Oklahoma University in 2021 before being drafted in the 7th round. He was straight batting practice from 2022-24 before having 8 games of success with Portland to start 2025. Then he was straight batting practice for Worcester going 3-2 with a 5.91 ERA out of the bullpen. You can't really expect anything different when he wasn't even good when they drafted him. With so many other ppl released from the 2021-23 draft classes, its a wonder what they see in him to keep him around.

                                                           LHP - Tyler Samaniego

26 year old lefty pitcher Tyler Samaniego was the "throw-in" in the trade that brought Johan Oviedo to Boston. He was 1-1 with a 3.08 ERA for the Altoona Curve last year and now he's going to start the year in AAA where he's never pitched before. He can hit 97 on the gun but the problem is his secondary pitches get hit. Someone better teach him better mechanics in Worcester this year.

                                                            RHP - Noah Song

The last of the Lowell Spinners, 28 year old right handed pitcher Noah Song has had quite the life journey. After 4 years in Annapolis, he was drafted by the Red Sox and made 7 strong starts to end the season in Lowell. Then he was sent to flight school to become an actual Top Gun before getting nabbed by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. In 2023, he suffered a bad back injury that limited him to just 4 games before he was sent back to the Red Sox in August. Then in April of 2024 he had Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2024 season and he was merely average for Portland last season. This year he's supposedly fully healthy so FINALLY we might see the promise he showed 7 years ago.

                                                               RHP - Devin Sweet

Speaking of career journeyman, the Sox signed 29 year old right handed pitcher Devin Sweet in December. He was an undrafted rookie free agent that worked his way up the ladder in the Seattle Mariners system and made his ML debut in 2023 for the Mariners before ending the season with the Oakland A's. He spent 2024 with the Toledo Mud Hens and 2025 with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, not finding much success. He's just hanging on at this point and is just a depth piece until someone from Portland steps up.

                                                                RHP - Jacob Webb

For a while it looked like 27 year old Jacob Webb would be the first of the 2021 draft class to reach the majors. He allowed 1 run in 10 innings to end 2021 for the Salem Red Sox then went 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA for Greenville in 2022 to earn a call up to Portland. Then his career stalled out. He was 18-6 in 2023 and 2024 combined with Portland but with a 4.50 ERA. Last year he allowed 8 runs in 11 innings to finish the season in Worcester. Just like Wyatt Olds, its now or never for Webb with plenty of hard throwing kids from the 2024 and 2025 draft classes on their way.

                                                                     RHP - Reidis Sena

Talk about a late bloomer. 24 year old right handed pitcher Reidis Sena was originally a Dominican teenager signed in the 2018 off-season and was batting practice for the 2022 Salem Red Sox. He seemed to have figured out Salem in 2023 but got eaten alive at the High A level in Greenville. In 2024 he conquered Greenville but fell flat in Portland. Last year he was 5-2 with a 3.46 ERA for Portland so using pattern recognition, he's going to totally suck in Worcester this year but dominate next year. See you in 2027! In all seriousness, he does hit 98 on the gun but suffers from Kaleb Ort Disease where it doesn't have much movement. If he learns movement and control, he'd be devastating.

                                                               C - Matt Thaiss

We got a familiar face behind the plate to start the year in Worcester, 30 year old catcher Matt Thaiss. Originally drafted out of high school by the Red Sox in 2013 believe it or not (he didn't sign), Thaiss made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019. He was their backup catcher all the way to 2024 when he moved on to the Chicago White Sox, then Tampa Bay Rays in 2025. Why is he in AAA? He can't hit for beans. His career MLB batting average is .210 with just 23 home runs. He's a good defensive catcher but offense is another story. Still, better to keep runs off the board than to be a Dr. Strangeglove. If Connor Wong has a start to the 2026 season rival to last year, he might see Boston sooner rather than later.

                                                             1B - Mickey Gasper

Guess who's back, back again. Career minor leaguer Mickey Gasper tore through Portland and Worcester in 2024 to earn a cup of coffee with the Red Sox where he.....failed to get a hit in 18 at-bats. Moving on to Minnesota in 2025, he hit .285 with 10 home runs for the St. Paul Saints before getting a cup of coffee with the Twins. This time he hit a whopping .158 with 15 hits in 95 at-bats. He was primarily a catcher his whole career but now that he's 30, he'll be spending time at first base. If nothing else, he should have a good season in AAA.

                                                            SS - Mikey Romero

The byproduct of former Sox GM Chaim Bloom drafting shortstops in the first round of the draft 3 years in a row is it created a log-jam in the minors with Xander Bogaerts and then Trevor Story in the majors. Romero was drafted in the first round out of high school in 2022 and played in just 26 games due to injuries in 2023. In 2024 he played in just 75 but at least hit 16 home runs between Greenville and Portland. He got in 111 games between Portland and Worcester last year and hit .245 with 17 home runs and 76 rbis. He might be coming into his own and all it takes is Marcelo Mayer and Trevor Story to get hurt again for him to make his ML debut. He just turned 22 so he still has time to show what he can do.

                                                                 3B - Nick Sogard

Another classic 4A player is 28 year old infielder Nick Sogard. Acquired in a minor league trade with the Tampa Bay Rays prior to the 2021 season, Sogard worked hard enough to rise through the minors. He hit .254 between Portland and Worcester before spending all of 2023 in Worcester hitting .266. He looked to have figured it out in 2024 when he hit .283 with 13 home runs to earn a call up to Boston. He hit .273 in 31 games but started 2025 in Worcester. Due to injuries he got a 30 game stretch in Boston where he hit .260. He's a good spark plug but usually only gets the call when someone goes down or gets traded. You hope you never see him in the Majors but he's not the worst option if he's there.

                                                            SS - Tsung-Che Cheng

Just when you thought Worcester didn't have enough shortstops between Sogard and Romero, the Sox picked up 24 year old Tsung-Che Cheng from the Pittsburgh Pirates mere weeks before the season started. He was the Altoona Curve starting shortstop in 2024 where he hit .218 but with 11 home runs. Last year he was hitting .209 with the Indianapolis Indians but got a 3 game cup of coffee with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Unfortunately, like Gasper in Boston, he didn't get his first major league hit. He was placed on waivers by Pittsburgh in Spring Training and the Sox picked him up. Maybe he'll get the call instead of Romero and get his first ML hit this year.....you never know.

                                                               LF - Braiden Ward

Remember in the off-season when Sox GM Craig Breslow unloaded a bunch of major league players to save money with cheaper, low level prospects. The Sox sent Brennan Bernardino to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for 27 year old outfielding prospect Braiden Ward. Ward was drafted by the Rockies in 2021 but never really broke out. He hit .272 between Low and High A in 2022 but just .265 for Spokane in 2023. He hit .269 with 7 home runs between Spokane and the Hartford Yard Goats. He did manage to show some promise in 2025 hitting .331 in 44 games for the Albuquerque Isotopes. Maybe he'll be a surprise this year God forbid someone in the Boston outfield goes down or gets traded. Was he worth trading Bernardino for? Time will tell.

                                                           CF - Kristian Campbell

What a sad story Kristian Campbell turned out to be. Drafted in the 4th round back in 2023 with the pick given to the Sox as compensation for losing Xander Bogaerts, Campbell blitzed through the minors in 2024 and pulled a 2013 Jackie Bradley Jr to hit his way onto the opening day roster in 2025. Campbell and Wilyer Abreu almost singlehandedly carried the Sox offense with Kristian earning AL Rookie of the Month honors in April. Then he completely fell apart and was sent down to Worcester in June. He did hit .273 with 8 home runs but never got back to the majors even with the September call ups. To make matters worse, he was cut on March 21 and will start the year in AAA. He's only 23 years old and just needs to re-adjust to get going again. If he starts tearing up AAA pitching he might be back sooner than later. Otherwise, because Breslow signed him to a superstar extension, his contract scares off potential trade targets. He better hit or he'll be like Jordan Hicks and Rafael Devers, another salary dump.

                                                              LF - Allan Castro

Speaking of meteoric rises through the organization, 22 year old Allan Castro might be the next one. He was signed as a 16 year old Dominican teenager by Dave Dombrowski in 2019 and hit .261 with 7 home runs between Salem and Greenville in 2023. In 2024 he hit .229 but with 15 home runs, mostly with Greenville. In 2025 he hit .268 with 7 home runs for Portland and will start this year in Worcester. If Kristian Campbell could make the show at 22, Castro might be the next one. Either that or could be trade bait like The Password.

                                                                OF - Matt Frazier

Another man who will start the year on the 60 day Injured List is 28 year old outfielder Matt Frazier. He was drafted in the 3rd round in the 2019 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates and hit .314 with 20 home runs for the Greensboro Grasshoppers to win the South Atlantic League MVP award. It was downhill from there as he hit .219 for the Altoona Curve in 2022 and just .252 with 8 home runs in 2023. In 2024 he was limited to just 45 games for the Indianapolis Indians but did hit .305 in 62 games for Indianapolis last year. If he gets healthy maybe he'll rediscover the form he had in 2021. Probably not but it would be fun to watch.

                                                            C - Juan Montero

Ironically just two players remain from the 2020 draft and rookie free agent pool. 23 year old catcher Juan Montero is one of them. The problem is he could never stay on the field. Injuries and inexperience limited him to just 37 games between 2021 and 2023. In 2024 he hit just .200 with 1 home run between Salem and Greenville and in 2025 he played in just 26 games hitting just .188 between Greenville and Portland. Why the hell he's on the AAA development list is anyone's guess but if he can't hit the broad sign of the barn at the lower levels, how is he going to do it in Worcester? We'll see how this turns out.

                                                               C - Jason Delay

One of the reasons Montero might not see the field is the WooSox are currently carrying FOUR other catchers. One of them is at first base but the point is the depth. One of the depth pieces is 30 year old journeyman catcher Jason Delay. Jason was drafted in the 4th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 2017 and made his ML debut with a 55 game stretch in 2022 for the Pirates. He hit .251 in 70 games for the Pirates in 2023 but was back with the Indianapolis Indians in 2024. Last year he hit just .215 in 60 games for the Gwinnett Stripers before signing as a minor league free agent with Boston. Amazing how quickly guys can lose it. Just 3 years ago he was playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates and now he's the third string catcher on the Worcester Red Sox. Still, having a guy with ML experience is good for depth.

                                                           1B - Nathan Hickey

Its another now or never situation for 26 year old catcher turned first baseman Nathan Hickey. Drafted in the 5th round as a catcher in 2021, he looked to be having a breakout season in 2022 hitting .263 with 16 home runs between Salem and Greenville. He looked to be the future Sox catcher when Christian Vazquez was traded at the 2022 deadline and he hit .258 with 15 home runs for Portland in 2023. The problem was the Sox drafted Kyle Teel in the first round in 2023 and Hickey had a miserable season in 2024, hitting just .209 with 13 home runs between Portland and Worcester. After the Sox traded Teel in the Garrett Crochet package, the catching position was right there in 2025 with Connor Wong not being able to hit at all. Instead Hickey hit .234 but did manage 17 home runs. With the injury to Triston Casas and trade of Niko Kavadas at the 2024 trade deadline, first base became dangerously thin so Hickey was told to give up the catcher's mitt for a first baseman glove. As long as he can hit the long ball, and if Casas takes forever to come back from knee surgery, he might make his ML debut this season after all.

                                                              DH - Nate Eaton

If there ever was a victim of the numbers game, its 29 year old infielder Nate Eaton. The speedy infielder had cups of coffee in 2022 and 2023 with the Kansas City Royals although he fell flat in 2023. In 2025 he got called up to the Red Sox and was one of the surprise players on their march toward October. He played in 41 games and hit .296 with 9 stolen bases. The problem was he was playing mostly due to injuries to key guys and a lot of them are back this year, which sends Eaton to Worcester to start. He's too good to stay here so he either will be back in Boston when an injury pops up or he could be trade bait. He can fly on the bases so his services will definitely be needed somewhere.

                                                             UTL - Vinny Capra

Speaking of 4A guys, the Sox signed 29 year old utility infielder Vinny Capra in the off-season. Capra was 20th round draft pick in 2018 by the Toronto Blue Jays and hit .327 with 10 home runs for the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2021. He did make his ML debut in 2022 with the Blue Jays with 1 hit in 5 at-bats. He moved on to the Pittsburgh Pirates where he did get in 9 games for Pittsburgh in 2023 although he spent the majority of the season with the Indianapolis Indians. In 2024 it was the same story as he got in 3 games with the Milwaukee Brewers with 110 games for the Nashville Sounds. Last year he played 47 games between the Brewers and Chicago White Sox and hit a whopping .125. He clearly can't hit at the major league level but can do just enough in AAA to keep a job. Definitely a good glove man and defense is always appreciated, especially by the pitcher and manager.

                                                                  UTL - Tyler McDonough

The 2021 draft is considered very hit or miss but one of players stuck in purgatory is 26 (27 on April 2nd) year old infielder Tyler McDonough. Drafted in the 3rd round back in 2021, he's been an average hitter and fielder ever since. He did hit .254 with 5 home runs in 79 games with Worcester last year and hopefully he can do better this year. If not, there's always other options.

                                                                UTL - Matt Lloyd

Rounding out the roster is 30 year old utility infielder Matt Lloyd. The Sox picked him up in this past Rule 5 Draft after he originally washed out with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022. After spending 2023 in the independent league, he resurfaced in 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals AA club Springfield Cardinals hitting .269 with 17 home runs. He only played in 78 games for the AAA Memphis Redbirds but hit .272 with 8 home runs. If he can stay healthy, that's not bad for a utility infielder. Hitting 25 home runs between AA and AAA is nothing to sneeze at if you don't have too high standards. Hopefully that power comes to Worcester in 2026.

That will do it for the roster preview. Its definitely going to be an interesting year with a lot of pressure on some key guys. Peyton Tolle, Zack Kelly, Nick Sogard, Mickey Gasper, Tommy Kahnle, Matt Thaiss, Nate Eaton and Kristian Campbell want to get back to the show while some older prospects like Noah Song, Jacob Webb, Nathan Hickey, Tyler Uberstine and Wyatt Olds want to get that cup of coffee. Then there's guys like Mikey Romeo, Jake Bennett and Braiden Ward who would have already made it if it wasn't for the numbers game. Still, things tend to work themselves out so with a lot of talent coming and going, it'll be a fun season for sure. The Boston Red Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon when Sonny Gray makes his Sox debut against Brady Singer of Cincinnati. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Great American Ballpark.