Red Sox to promote Payton Tolle after Triple-A strikeout surge

Payton Tolle did not just collect outs at Worcester, he kept missing bats at a pace that made Boston’s next move hard to ignore. The 6-foot-6 left-hander struck out 19 hitters in 15 innings across three Triple-A starts, went 2-0, and posted a 3.00 ERA with only four walks, a line that suggests more than a brief hot streak. With Sonny Gray landing on the 15-day injured list Monday after straining his right hamstring in a 2 2/3-inning start against Detroit, the Red Sox had a clear opening and Tolle had the performance to force the conversation.

The timing only sharpened the case. Tolle had not pitched since April 12 after Worcester held him back as a contingency because of weather concerns and a possible doubleheader, and he was scratched from his scheduled April 18 start. Worcester manager Chad Tracy said there was a “pretty good likelihood” Tolle would be promoted later in the week, while Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the club would meet and decide how to fill the rotation spot. Boston is moving because it needs a starter, but it is also moving because Tolle has checked the Triple-A boxes the organization wanted to see: strike throwing, swing-and-miss, and enough efficiency to work deep enough into games.

That matters because Tolle’s path to Fenway has not been linear. Boston drafted him in the second round in 2024 out of Texas Christian University, and MLB.com lists him as the club’s No. 1 prospect. He opened camp competing for the fifth starter job, but lost out to fellow left-hander Connelly Early. He then returned to Worcester with a specific assignment, and Tolle said the demotion “does sting,” while also framing it as a chance to sharpen his off-speed pitches and become a more complete major league pitcher.

The early Triple-A results suggest that adjustment has taken hold quickly. Tolle finished spring training with three earned runs, one walk and 13 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings, then carried that form into Worcester with just five earned runs allowed across his three starts. He already debuted for Boston on Aug. 29, 2025, and finished that first big-league stint with a 6.06 ERA in seven appearances, including three starts. If the promotion lands as expected, Boston will be betting that the command and strikeout surge Tolle showed in Worcester can translate faster the second time around.