The Boston Red Sox have a dilemma, and it's within their pitching staff. Moving Walker Buehler to the bullpen was the right move to make, and they wanted to call up Kyle Harrison from Triple-A Worcester to give him a shot. However, they changed their plans at the 11th hour and had Brennan Bernardino start Game 1 against the Baltimore Orioles.
That seemingly was Harrison's best shot at cracking Boston's rotation. Now, he may not get a chance to prove himself for the Red Sox, at least for this season. All eyes are seemingly on Payton Tolle, their No. 2 prospect in their system and No. 28 in all of baseball. The Red Sox had just called Tolle up to play against the Pittsburgh Pirates (and against Paul Skenes).
Red Sox Prospect Kyle Harrison's Future in Jeopardy After Payton Tolle News
Now, with that gorilla-sized chip off their shoulders, another question needs to be answered: Where will Harrison be at the end of the season? His future could very well be in jeopardy, and it would be a terrible feeling since coaches were working hard to improve his arsenal and command in the minors.
Adding a cutter and a new grip to Harrison's changeup had only helped matters, as he's improved his command of his fastball and his curveball. He is one of those guys who is willing to learn, especially with that gift of a fastball he has that blows by hitters. The pitching factory that the Red Sox have now has fully unlocked his potential.
Harrison has been a protected player for the Red Sox since they acquired him from the San Francisco Giants in the Rafael Devers trade. While he had a tough couple of starts, giving up 11 earned runs in his first 13 innings, he's since given up only nine ERs in his last 36 1/3 innings. In August, he's pitched to a 2.35 ERA and 2-0 record with 24 Ks across five starts.
If Harrison does get called up, expect him to be the back-end starter for depth; although, he could still be a formidable weapon with his new arsenal and trained command. Expect a new and improved Harrison if the Red Sox do give him the opportunity, but it may not happen for a while after the Tolle call-up.