MLB Notebook: Red Sox pitcher Tyler Uberstine reaches MLB: 'Goal wasn't just to make it to Boston. It was to pitch in the big leagues'

BOSTON — Worcester manager Chad Tracy has built a reputation for delivering the call every player dreams of telling top Red Sox prospects they’re headed to the big leagues.

But beyond the organization’s headliners, Tracy also gets the chance to share that moment with players who’ve battled adversity throughout their careers, the ones who had to grind for every opportunity, and tell them they’ve finally made it.

Red Sox minor league pitcher Tyler Uberstine was the latest player to receive the call from Tracy that he was headed to Boston.

Tracy had hoped to make the moment special, but plans changed quickly when the WooSox were rained out in St. Paul, Minnesota on Thursday. With the home opener looming, Uberstine needed to get to Boston in a hurry.

“We had some bad weather in St. Paul and games got canceled, so the schedule got thrown off,” Uberstine said. “I was supposed to throw, but then Dan (DeLucia) and Jun (Noah Junis) told me I had a schedule change.”

Uberstine found it unusual that both the WooSox pitching coach and bullpen coach wanted to speak with him at the same time. The three walked into Tracy’s office, and the rest was history.

“I usually try to make this super special, but you’ve got a flight in two hours, you’re going to the big leagues,” Tracy told him.

The 26-year-old admitted the moment was overwhelming.

“I’m not a very emotional person, but it was super exciting,” Uberstine said.

After leaving Tracy’s office, Uberstine made his first call to his father, who assumed it was about unfinished taxes.

“My dad was on me all week about finishing my taxes,” Uberstine said. “So I called him and said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to be able to finish that tonight.’”

His father wasn’t pleased at first, reminding him they needed to be done, until Uberstine shared the real reason.

“You need to hop on a flight to Boston,” he told him.

After the call with his father, Uberstine reached out to his mother and girlfriend to share the news.

Uberstine’s path to the big leagues is anything but typical.

He was never a top prospect in the Red Sox system, and out of high school, he wasn’t even recruited by colleges. Determined to keep his dream alive, he set his sights on the University of Southern California, taking part in midnight throwing sessions in parking lots in an effort to prepare for tryouts and earn a spot.

He instead attended Northwestern University, where he posted a 4.82 ERA across 61 2/3 innings in 13 outings from 2020–21.

Boston selected the right-hander in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and signed him for $97,500. He began his professional career shortly after in the Florida Complex League, where he impressed in limited action, allowing just one run over 7 1/3 innings while striking out eight and issuing only one walk.

Uberstine opened the 2022 season at Low-A Salem and quickly impressed, earning a promotion to High-A Greenville by year’s end. In his first full professional season, he made 21 appearances, posting a 3.83 ERA over 91 2/3 innings with 101 strikeouts and 35 walks.

He entered 2023 with momentum and in the best shape of his career, but his progress was halted in his final spring outing when he felt discomfort in his arm. That led to Tommy John surgery in June, sidelining him until August 2024.

Uberstine turned in a strong 2025 campaign, beginning the year with Double-A Portland where he posted a 3.64 ERA with 35 strikeouts and just four walks over 29 2/3 innings before earning a promotion to Triple-A Worcester.

With the WooSox, he made 19 appearances (15 starts), going 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA across 91 innings while striking out 102 and walking 37.

Uberstine’s arsenal features a 92–94 mph fastball that has topped out at 95. He struck out 26.9% of opposing hitters with an 8% walk rate, showcasing improved command. Throughout his climb, he’s taken on multiple roles, starting, piggybacking, and working in both long and short relief.

“My stuff has definitely ticked up, and my arsenal has gotten more consistent, throwing harder, better shapes,” Uberstine said.

“Growing up, I wasn’t a guy who threw hard. Now I take pride in being a pitcher with six pitches I can throw in any count,  filling up the zone, getting outs, being efficient. That’s what I try to bring every time I’m on the mound.

“I’m not going to throw 100 by you, but it’s not going to be a comfortable at-bat, either, because I can throw six different pitches at any time.”

Uberstine may be in the majors, but he’s still waiting for his first opportunity to take the mound at Fenway Park, a moment he’s been chasing since he was a kid.

“It’s been a long seven or eight years, and it’s easy to have doubts, whether you get cut, your arm hurts, or things just don’t go your way,” he said. “The goal wasn’t just to make it to Boston. It was to pitch in the big leagues. Now it’s the next step. It was cool to get added to the 40-man, but now it’s, ‘let’s go pitch in the big leagues.’”

“It’s all kind of coming full circle. I realized I had to knock the door down myself. I got an opportunity in Triple-A last year and made the most of it — now I’m trying to do the same here. You have to believe you can achieve something. Put your mind to it, there are no limits.”

Roman Anthony Working on Footwork in Outfield

Roman Anthony has struggled defensively in the outfield this season, particularly with his throwing strength and accuracy, prompting Alex Cora to shuffle his alignment with Jarren Duran on Saturday, using Anthony as the designated hitter and Duran in left field.

“There’s a few things we have to be better at defensively, and the kid knows it,” Cora said pregame. “The other day, Correa was at second, base hit to left, we’ve got to throw him out, and he knows it.”

That play came Tuesday, when Anthony fielded a shallow single but bounced his throw home twice, forcing catcher Connor Wong to adjust. Wong’s attempt to recover and tag Carlos Correa came up short.

Anthony’s defensive metrics paint a mixed picture. He’s shown solid range, ranking in the 74th percentile in Outs Above Average with one defensive run saved in 35 1/3 innings, but sits in just the seventh percentile in arm value, according to Baseball Savant.

“It’s footwork,” Cora said. “His footwork has been off.”

Cora added that Anthony has been working daily with outfield instructor Kyle Hudson to clean things up.

“The walk-off in Cincinnati is what it is, you rush,” Cora said. “The one with Correa, that ball tailed. It’s like playing catch, good footwork, put the ball on the money, and get him out.”

Anthony’s throw home on Dane Myers’ walk-off RBI single last Saturday bounced four times and sailed off line.

“We have to improve,” Cora said. “It’s not only him, it’s everybody. Jarren plays the ball really well here. We’ll use him out there when we feel like it. But there are things we need to clean up as a group, and that’s part of Roman’s development.”

Anthony served as the DH again in Sunday’s series finale, with Masataka Yoshida starting in left field and Duran sliding over to center.

Red Sox Prospects Returned

The White Sox returned 22-year-old right-hander Jedixson Paez to the Red Sox on Saturday after his brief stint in Chicago. 

Boston will assign Paez to Double-A Portland after reacquiring him for $50,000. Chicago had selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in December’s Rule 5 Draft, which required him to remain on the active roster all season or be offered back to Boston. 

Paez was designated for assignment earlier in the week after struggling in three appearances, allowing six runs on four hits (including two home runs) and three walks across three innings without recording a strikeout. 

The right-hander represented a classic lottery-ticket pickup for Chicago, a high-upside arm who had never pitched above High-A. Given his development needs, it was always going to be a challenge for the White Sox to carry him on a big league roster.

MLB Pipeline ranked Paez as Boston’s No. 18 prospect entering the year. He spent most of 2025 at High-A Greenville, posting a 2.79 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings despite missing time with a right calf strain. In 2024, he logged a 3.17 ERA across 96 2/3 innings between Single-A Salem and Greenville.

Boston also regained another Rule 5 arm, as the Blue Jays returned right-hander Angel Bastardo after designating him for assignment while finalizing their Opening Day roster.

Bastardo, 24, was signed out of Venezuela in 2018 but missed the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery. Toronto kept him on the injured list after selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft, hoping he could compete for a roster spot this spring.

Now healthy, Bastardo showed rust in camp, walking seven of the 33 batters he faced (21.2%) while also throwing four wild pitches.

Around the League

One of the game’s top prospects has officially arrived.

The Pittsburgh Pirates promoted shortstop Konnor Griffin ahead of their home opener on Friday in Pittsburgh, and the 19-year-old wasted no time making an impact. In his first big league at-bat, Griffin ripped an RBI double into the left-center field gap for his first career hit, later coming around to score his first run on a single from Jared Triolo.

Griffin’s arrival could be just the beginning of a long-term commitment. According to ESPN, he and Pittsburgh are working toward a record-breaking nine-year, $140 million extension. The deal has yet to be announced, potentially tied to the club preserving eligibility for the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI)—an MLB rule that rewards teams with an extra draft pick if a promoted top prospect wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top three in MVP or Cy Young voting before arbitration.

Out west, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell turned in one of the most remarkable defensive performances in recent memory.

Adell robbed three home runs in a 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners, taking potential blasts away from Cal Raleigh in the first inning, Josh Naylor in the eighth, and J.P. Crawford in the ninth. The final robbery was the most dramatic, as Adell tumbled into the stands down the right-field line before emerging with the ball secured—lifting his glove in celebration as the catch was upheld after review.

Mookie Betts was removed in the first inning of Saturday’s game due to lower back pain and is set to undergo an MRI. The Los Angeles Dodgers star is expected to miss time, adding to a slow start at the plate, where he’s hitting .179 (6-for-28) with two home runs and seven RBI.

Meanwhile, Juan Soto exited Friday’s game with calf tightness but is not expected to require a stint on the injured list. Soto appeared to grimace while running from first to third, and the discomfort lingered as he stood on the bag.

The Dodgers are also making a notable addition off the field, introducing a blue alternate jersey into their regular road rotation. While the club has worn blue in the past, most recently with their City Connect uniforms from 2021–23 and during “Think Blue Week” in 1999, this will mark the first time in franchise history that blue serves as a consistent road option.

Elsewhere, former Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer is beginning a new chapter. The 35-year-old has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Bauer spent 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds, and Dodgers across a 15-year professional career.