I've used the word "penultimate" seemingly endless times in the last month or so, so here's one more. The WooSox capped off their finale in Lehigh Valley (Phillies AAA), finishing the PENULTIMATE series of 2026 in dramatic fashion despite outplaying the IronPigs for most of the game. Gage Ziehl had a gritty if not spectacular performance, pitching into the sixth and coming back from being taken yard in the fourth without his confidence shaken. All told, the 23-year-old righty struck out eight to bring his total to 126 in 116 innings pitched (96/85, respectively, of those being in Portland) and is really shaping up into someone to watch in 2027. The pitching staff as a whole issued zero walks despite being taken for nine hits, but the game never looked out of control save for when Noah Song came in to let two runs up in the sixth.
Luckily, though, the WooSox offense had a home run derby, sending five over the fence, including two from Allan Castro. That second one hoisted the WooSox from a deficit to a lead that Sam McWilliams wouldn't give up. Arias also hit his 24th home run of the season (and his 5th in Triple-A.)
Rain cancelled the last game of the season against Binghamton (Mets AA) in an anticlimactic fashion. But what a season it was for the Sea Dogs.
The season began with interested eyes watching Franklin Arias become an absolute hitting machine in the spring, along with Anthony Eyannson dealing, only for the former to be promoted to Triple-A and the latter dealt to Baltimore (or rather, Chesapeake) in the Adley Rutschman deal. Still, Brooks Brannon raked, the team had 8 walk-off wins and generally found ways to come up on top. The pitching staff headed by Hayden Mullins, in his own right a guy to watch, pitched a combined no hitter in April (but not a shutout). And Justin Gonzales looks formidable as an everyday outfielder a few years in the future. Overall, the cupboard is not as fully stocked as some teams, but there's some players to feel good about starting to make their mark in the mid-levels of the farm.

#pitching

WORCESTER — Reinforcements are coming for the Boston Red Sox.
Just before 8 p.m. on Saturday evening, Roman Anthony and Trevor Story walked out of Polar Park together with their Boston Red Sox duffle bags already packed in the back of a black car that eschewed them out of the Triple-A ballpark.
The two Red Sox players appear to have concluded their rehab ****** ignments and will return to the Red Sox soon.
"I'm excited to get back," Roman Anthony said a few minutes before leaving. "I'm excited to just get back to the normalcy of seeing the guys and being around the boys and for it to be a different environment."
"I feel like I'm ready," said Story after he and Anthony both played in the WooSox' game. "I'm excited."

#excited

The Boston Red Sox have been without star outfielder Roman Anthony for most of the season, but he could return at any moment.
He has played in seven rehab games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. He played the entire game on Thursday night, going 2-for-4 with a single and a double. He has gotten 23 at-bats on the rehab ******* ignment, but he may not be exactly where he wants to be just yet.
"I'm getting more and more at bats, I'm getting to where I want to be at the plate," Anthony told Bridgette Proulx after Thursday's WooSox game. "Am I quite there yet? Probably not. I'm getting close to where I want to be. Like I said, I'll be ready when the time is right."
There is talk of Anthony potentially being called up to join the team in the Bronx for the four-game series against the New York Yankees. However, if he feels like he needs more at-bats, they might let him get those down in Triple-A.
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#anthony #getting #like #rehab

The WooSox didn't get much offense in Syracuse (Mets AAA) and, as a result, got walked off with two outs. But it shouldn't have even gotten to that point since they were getting outhit 11-3, so there's some people on the squad we need to tip our caps to. Blake Wehunt didnt' quite make it five innings but kept all but one run off the board despite allowing seven total baserunners. Allen Castro drove a late run in to make this a tie game in the 9th, and Franklin Arias and Romy Gonzalez hit doubles; Arias' scored a pair of runs.
Don't look now, but Arias already has 22 RBIs since his call up to Triple-A a month ago, and his total in 2026 sits at 74. That's a good season by any account, but keep in mind that Arias batted first for a lot of his time in Double-A so that total might be even higher if he wasn't hitting so many solo shots to start the game. That he's consistently been the youngest at his level and hasn't gone more than three days before finding a groove are very, very good signs going forward (as in, after the lockout, in this writer's humble opinion.) Still, Arias is slashing .291/.357/.488(!) in a sample size that is growing bigger and bigger against guys who are getting better and better. And maybe, just maybe, it was all part of Breslow's plan to waltz straight from the Trevor Story (0-4, 2 K's on Friday) contract into Franklin Arias mowing down big league pitching. (And it was just how he drew it up, even down to Andruw Monasterio playing so well this year, right?)
Yes, it was Roman Anthony rehab night against the Fightin Phils (Phillies AA.) Yes, he drove in a run, his third in as many games. Devin Futrell also had a good night on the mound and shoved through six innings even after allowing a first-run home run, displaying a line that could have been plenty enough to take a decision win with a bit more pop at the plate: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
But the real story of the night – aside from Anthony getting closer to beign back with the big league club just in time to be one of the team's "September call-ups" – has got to be how good Justin Gonzales has looked in general this year, but especially since his promotion to Double-A. He hit a triple and his OPS stands at over 1. These are numbers that folks made a big deal out of when Arias started the season hot this year, and there's reason to believe that it's time to pay attention to the outfielder, who won't turn 20 until New Years Eve.
I will not jinx the Drive into saying they might be able to sleepwalk into a win Saturday following a rain delay in which they had a lead. The last time I did that, they sweated out a 7-run performance in the remaining innings and gutted a win out by the skin of their teeth. What I will say is that it's looking good in the third against Winston-Salem (White Sox High-A.) "First" pitch of the double-header is today at 4:30.

#even #time #getting

Roman Anthony begins a rehab **** ignment on Tuesday, but when he gets back to Boston, his friend Marcelo Mayer will not be there.
Mayer and Anthony were two-thirds of Boston's "big three" of prospects, which also included Kristian Campbell. Anthony was a star in the big leagues almost instantly and signed an extension, but Mayer did not have the same fate. He struggled as a hitter and dealt with injuries. The Red Sox decided to trade him at the deadline after adding Curtis Mead in a separate trade.
"Obviously, Marcelo hit a little different," Anthony told reporters on Tuesday, per WooSox reporter Tommy Cassell. "I came up with him and lived with him every day, and he was my roommate since we were — since I was 18, 19 years old. So, seeing him go, I was excited for him to kind of get a new opportunity and almost like a refresh and to be back close to home, I think it'll be good for him and hopefully get to see him come to Boston, that'd be pretty cool, right? But yeah, I was sad. Obviously, spoke to him, still speak to him quite a bit. So, I hope all goes well for him always."
Mayer, Campbell and Anthony were once expected to lead the Red Sox into a new era of greatness, but it looks more like it will be Anthony alone leading the way.
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#mayer #boston #almost

BOSTON — Asked Monday about when he might be able to return to the Red Sox lineup after a three-month absence, rehabbing shortstop Trevor Story suggested a rather aggressive possibility.
Story, who played in his first rehab game for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday and will fly to Syracuse to join the WooSox for their games Tuesday and Wednesday, said he thinks it's "a possibility" he could be in Boston's lineup when the Giants come to town for a three-game series beginning Friday night.
"At least Tuesday and Wednesday I'll be in Syracuse, then we'll see how I feel after that," Story said at Fenway Park, where he worked out before the Red Sox faced Arizona. "Obviously, Thursday's an off day here, so we'll see how it goes.
"I've had my fair share of rehabs and I've been through it, so I feel like I know when I'm good to go. I have that in my back pocket and have that experience to rely on. It's really about getting my game legs back and how I recover the next day, not so much the stuff that's going on in the moment."
Interim manager Chad Tracy didn't dismiss the possibility that Story returns this week but noted the Red Sox were taking things day by day. For now, the goal is to get him to play 7-9 innings in Syracuse over the next two days — and then the parties will go from there.

#tuesday #we 'll

The Boston Red Sox made a blockbuster trade on Aug. 3 to acquire Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles.
Rutschman was on the injured list with wrist inflammation when the Red Sox got him, but he could make his Red Sox debut very soon. He went on a rehab **** ignment, and it looks like after just two rehab outings, the Red Sox are ready to get him in their lineup.
"Adley Rutschman will fly to Toronto with the Red Sox tonight, work out with the team tomorrow and could be active as soon as Tuesday," wrote MLB.com's Ian Browne on X on Sunday.
The three-time All-Star went 1-for-5 with a double and 2 walks during the two games he played for the WooSox. He also caught one runner stealing with a perfect strike to second base. The numbers during his rehab **** ignment are not nearly as important as how Rutschman feels after playing.
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#perfect #Baseball

Red Sox Prospect Erupts For Ridiculous Six-Hit Masterpiece originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Mikey Romero did not simply have a productive afternoon for Triple-A Worcester. The Boston Red Sox prospect delivered the type of performance players may experience once in an entire career.
Romero went a perfect 6-for-6 in Worcester's 19-0 destruction of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Saturday at Polar Park. Boston's No. 9 prospect collected four singles, a double and a home run while helping the WooSox deliver one of the most overwhelming victories of their season.
It was not just another encouraging game from a former first-round pick. Romero became only the fifth Minor League player to record six hits in a game this season and just the third to produce six hits in exactly six at-bats, according to MLB.com.
Romero started his historic afternoon with a first-inning single to right field. His next five plate appearances unfolded almost like a video game: home run, single, single, double and another single. Every trip to the plate ended the same way. Romero reached base with a hit, and Worcester continued piling on runs.

#game

WORCESTER -- Adley Rutschman collected his first hit as a member of the Red Sox organization on Saturday as he went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks in his first rehab game.
"[The wrist] felt good; I was very happy with how it's been responding and feeling," Rutschman said. "I think in rehab games, they want to see you try and sprint a little bit, use the arm and throw the ball around; that's always good. Just getting ABs and seeing pitches."
Rutschman caught five innings and got up to bat four times, hitting a two-run double down the right-field line, drawing a pair of walks and popping out to left. He also threw out a baserunner and scored for the WooSox.
The catcher, who was acquired from Baltimore at the trade deadline, has been on the injured list since July 20 with left wrist inflammation.
He said he has no answer on when he will be activated, but the wrist is moving in a positive direction.

#rutschman #pair #walks #worcester

WORCESTER — It's been a storybook two weeks for John Holobetz.
On July 26, the right-handed pitcher was told he was being promoted from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester. Four days later, he made his Triple-A debut on the road.
On Wednesday, Holobetz made his first start in a WooSox uniform at Polar Park — throwing four innings while allowing five hits and zero runs and striking out two.
Just 10 days after learning he'd been called up to Worcester, the 23-year-old prospect finds himself settling into Worcester nicely while being one call away from the big leagues.
"It's cool. I mean, I'm one step away," Holobetz told the T&G. "It is a dream come true."

#holobetz #four #told #days

Blake Wehunt hops on Cassell's Corner podcast to talk about his recent call up to join the WooSox.
The new Worcester pitcher was promoted from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester on July 21 and now finds himself one call away from the big leagues.
The 25-year-old 6-foot-7 righty details his call up story, recent engagement and what it was like to grow up on a chicken farm in Georgia.
The pitcher, with a nickname of "The Chicken Farmer," also details how he got his funky delivery with T&G sports reporter Tommy Cassell while showing him a tutorial of his pitching form.
Here's where you can listen to the podcast and watch it, too.

#worcester #podcast #corner

WORCESTER — With Boston Red Sox brass and fans in wait-and-see mode around Monday's 6 p.m. MLB trade deadline, the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox will welcome Lehigh Valley nearly 24 hours later to kick off a six-game homestand at Polar Park.
As all eyes and ears fixate on rumors swirling around the Red Sox, and what Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is (or isn't) doing heading into the trade deadline, the WooSox cruised to their fifth-straight win on Sunday in Norfolk, Va.
While no big moves were made (as of Monday morning) involving anyone from AAA Worcester, the Red Sox' recent resurgence in the standings flipped the franchise from pretenders to contenders at the deadline — which makes what's happening with the WooSox a little more pressing at the moment.
So, while we wait for any more news to break with Boston (and possibly Worcester), here's a look at the upcoming WooSox homestand and promotional schedule, which includes a Ceddanne Rafaela Bobblehead giveaway:
Tuesday (6:45 p.m.): Taco & Tequila Tuesday, presented by Teremana; Tail Waggin' Tuesday (fans can bring their dogs); AARP Ticket Tuesday; Wepa Night, presented by Modelo and La Mega 106.1 celebrating Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

#worcester #tuesday #woosox #fans

WORCESTER — While Chad Tracy sat inside his office at Polar Park around 5 p.m. on April 25, the former WooSox manager made a rare call to his wife, Emily, during the middle of a Triple-A game.
Drenched in sweat and coated in mulch from her fingertips to toes, Emily, who was in the middle of landscaping the front yard of their home in Fairfield, Ohio, answered the phone.
"I said, 'Darn, what did you get kicked out of the game for?'" Emily recalled. "He said, 'Em, are you sitting down?' You start to go into panic mode that something bad happened. But he told me a plane was coming to pick him up that night to go manage (the Boston Red Sox) in Baltimore the next day.
"I was speechless."
Nearly four hours after telling his wife he'd been named interim manager of the Boston Red Sox, Tracy rolled a black suitcase through the lower bowel of Polar Park and left to board a plane headed for Baltimore.

#emily #park #wife #game

WORCESTER — The Chicken Farmer has made his way to the Canal District.
On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox promoted pitcher Blake Wehunt to Triple-A Worcester.
The 25-year-old righty, who was given the nickname of the "Chicken Farmer" since his family owns a chicken farm in Georgia, made his Triple-A debut a day later when the WooSox played the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Polar Park.
"It's kind of a cool perspective to be here," Wehunt told the T&G. The right-hander, with a slight southern drawl, was originally scheduled to pitch Tuesday before the WooSox game was postponed due to rain.
"Obviously, I'm grateful for the chance to be here and just ready to get to work."

#chicken #worcester #made #here

BOSTON — As the Red Sox try to match a franchise record by extending their winning streak to 15 victories on Tuesday, they’ll welcome one of their All-Stars back to the mound after a brief injured list stint.
Lefty Ranger Suarez will be activated from the IL to pitch Tuesday against the Orioles, interim manager Chad Tracy said after a 6-5 victory in which Caleb Durbin was the hero. The corresponding roster move is unknown. Suarez came out of a pregame workout — which included playing catch and doing some fielding drills on the mound — well enough to be activated.
Suarez last pitched July 5 in Anaheim, when he left after 2 ⅔ innings of a 7-5 Red Sox win with left adductor tightness. He tried to complete his between-starts work in hopes of feeling good enough to make his next start but three days later was placed on the IL. Because of the All-Star break, Suarez’s 15-day injured list stint meant he missed just one start, a game in which Eduardo Rivera started and the Red Sox beat the Mets on July 11.
BETTING: Red Sox moneyline is set at -136 on FanDuel for Tuesday night’s game versus the Orioles. Our complete FanDuel Sportsbook review provides an in-depth guide on how to use their app.
Rivera, who started Friday against Tampa Bay, is a candidate to be sent down to make room for Suarez on the active roster, as is righty Brayan Bello, who returned from a month-plus stint in Triple-A to pitch well on July 12 against the Mets but has been in limbo since. Between the majors and Triple-A, Bello has made just two appearances — a five-inning start for the WooSox on July 1 and his 4 ⅓ inning outing for the Red Sox in New York — since June 25.

#orioles #bello

BOSTON — As the Red Sox await further information on Connelly Early’s sore elbow, the club will shake up its pitching staff before Wednesday’s matinee against the Nationals.
Early is not being placed on the injured list — at least yet — because the Red Sox are still gathering information on his injury. Regardless, the club designated veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle for **** ignment and is summoning lefty Alec Gamboa to Boston for Wednesday’s game, according to sources.
Cutting bait with Kahnle clears a 40-man roster spot for the impending addition of corner infielder Brett Harris. The Red Sox and Athletics are finalizing a minor trade that will send Harris to Boston and minor league pitching prospect Ben Hansen to the A’s.
Kahnle, who joined the Red Sox in early June when the club added him to its roster so he wouldn’t opt out of a minor league contract and pursue opportunities elsewhere, was shelled in Tuesday’s 9-1 loss to Washington. The righty allowed four earned runs (on four hits) in the eighth inning, continuing a pattern of poor performances. After beginning his tenure with five shutout innings over four games from June 4-14, Kahnle allowed eight earned runs in his last four innings. His ERA sits at 8.00.
Kahnle, who turns 37 in August, is out of minor league options and therefore will be waived, traded or released in the coming days. He had a 1.40 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 19 ⅓ innings with the WooSox before being called up.

WORCESTER — Brayan Bello continues to make progress in AAA.
In his third start with the Worcester since his demotion from the Boston earlier this month, due to struggles as a starting pitcher for the Red Sox this season, Bello pitched well for the WooSox in his 2026 Polar Park debut Thursday.
After telling media inside the Worcester dugout on June 7 that "I'm ready to do what I need to do down here so I can go back to the show. And you can imagine, (I) just want to be back up there," Bello took another positive step forward in his possible return to the Red Sox.
The 27-year-old righty finished with a stat line of: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 5 strikeouts in Worcester's 3-2 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens.
More: Red Sox Hall of Famer Rich Gedman joins 'Cassell's Corner' podcast

In a bullpen game, the WooSox ended up fending off the IronPigs in extra innings. (Phillies AAA) Just as Nathan Hickey (who homered) and Vinny Capra (who drove in the game’s opening run) helped put some early runs on the board, they helped put plenty of padding on during a tenth inning offensive outburst with a knock apiece. It’s also notable that Kristian Campbell contributed in his own way by drawing three walks. This hefty lead allowed Kyle Keller to come in for a second inning and struck out two to slam the door and increase his total to four.
In a Patrick Sandoval rehab apperance in which a homer was his only hit allowed, the Sea Dogs were not as lucky, or rather, skillful at generating offense, in the tenth inning as Worcester was. The Patriots (Yankees AA) scored a run in the tenth off of Cooper Adams and the Sea Dogs couldn’t answer. In fact, the inning was a continuation of a pretty poor night where they struck out 14 times and had just 4 hits… even if one came from a budding Stanley Tucker. Romy Gonzalez would reach on an error and end up scoring. The Sea Dogs giving up walks, eight on the night, to be exact, was also a factor in the loss.
I’m going to be honest: I don’t have much hope for Patrick Sandoval. It was a bad contract with limited upside from the jump. Even if you’re among the last stragglers of belief in the 2026 Red Sox season (I’m not), this is not the place for Sandoval to make a resurgence. It’s great he’s pitching again and that he is about to come back from injury after such a long road. But he likely won’t make an impact on this ball club.
Greenville has now been outscored 24-6 in three games. Dylan Brown just allowed too many runs while striking out seven BlueClaws (Phillies High-A). The Blue Claws had 16 hits on the night and simply overpowered the Drive, and nothing of substance was happening with just five hits and stranding ten runners.
The RidgeYaks are now losers of ten straight with this shutout loss to the Nationals. Leighton Finley again pitched well in his five-inning start, not letting his four walks or one hit score and striking six out. Salem only struck out four on the night, but also had to fight for hits. And when it was time to score, the offense couldn’t be found; they put their best Red Sox costume on and went hitless in eight attempts with runners in scoring position.