MLB Notebook: Red Sox pitching prospect Anthony Eyanson racking up strikeouts; Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s costly late-inning mistake

The Red Sox have made it a priority to stockpile young pitching since chief baseball officer Craig Breslow took over three years ago. Boston reinforced that approach in last year’s draft, using three of its first four picks on arms.

Less than a month into the minor league season, Anthony Eyanson is already showing why the Red Sox selected him in the third round (No. 87 overall).

Eyanson, Boston’s No. 10 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, turned in a dominant outing Saturday night for High-A Greenville. The right-hander struck out seven over 4 1/3 perfect innings, issuing no walks in the Drive’s 6-1 win.

Leading into the 2025 draft, Eyanson was ranked No. 32 overall, but Boston landed him at No. 87 and signed him to an over-slot bonus. He did not pitch after being drafted, a common approach for the Red Sox, as the organization prioritized his transition to pro ball following LSU’s national championship season.

The Red Sox used that time to begin Eyanson’s development, and this offseason he trained at Beimel Elite Athletics in Torrance, California, where his fastball sat in the mid-90s and touched 97 mph. That high-octane velocity has carried over into the season.

In his statement outing Saturday night, the former LSU Tiger struck out the first batter he faced on three pitches and ended the inning with another punchout. Overall, the 6-foot-2 right-hander threw 34 of his 54 pitches for strikes and generated 11 swings and misses.

Through two starts, Eyanson has allowed just one run, a solo homer, over 7 1/3 innings, while striking out 13. His 16.0 K/9 ranks third in the South Atlantic League, trailing only fellow Red Sox prospect Juan Valera (17.3 K/9).

It’s not just the fastball that makes Eyanson intriguing. He also features a curveball that SoxProspects labels a “potential plus” offering. The 21-year-old showed it off Saturday, striking out the side in the eighth inning using the pitch.

Beyond that, Eyanson mixes in a gyro-slider and a splitter, the latter showing noticeable improvement since joining the Red Sox system.

Fans got an up-close look at his upside this spring during MLB’s Spring Breakout game, where he touched 100 mph. In that outing, his four-seam fastball averaged 99.2 mph.

Eyanson hasn’t cracked the Top 100 prospect lists yet, but performances like Saturday’s will put him firmly on the radar. If the velocity gains hold, he could be on a fast track to Double-A Portland, and pitching at Hadlock Field sooner rather than later.

Valera is another flame-thrower rising through the Red Sox system, regularly touching 100 mph this season with High-A Greenville. The 19-year-old is ranked as Boston’s No. 5 prospect, according to Baseball America.

His BA scouting report highlights a “powerful 6-foot-3 starter’s build” paired with a high-octane four-seam fastball that averaged 96.7 mph and topped out just over 100 in 2025. The pitch features more cut than ride, limiting whiffs at times but still forcing hitters into defensive swings.

Through two starts this season, Valera has been dominant, striking out 16 while issuing just three walks over 8 1/3 innings. He turned in his best outing Thursday, going a season-high five innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while punching out nine.

Like Eyanson, if the velocity holds and the strikeouts continue to pile up, Valera could be on a fast track to Double-A Portland by midseason.

Kyson Witherspoon turned in a strong outing this week for Greenville, working four innings with 16 whiffs while allowing three hits and one earned run, striking out six.

To open the season, the Red Sox’ first-round pick has recorded eight strikeouts with a 9.82 K/9 and a 25.8% strikeout rate. He’s also filled up the zone, throwing 44 of his 57 pitches for strikes.

Another key arm in Boston’s growing pitching pipeline, Witherspoon could be on a similar trajectory to Payton Tolle and Connelly Early if he continues to produce consistent results early in the season.

Triston Casas Will Be ‘Out a While’

Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas is awaiting the results of an MRI on his ribs after being shut down from baseball activities.

Casas is dealing with a left-side intercostal (rib muscle) strain that he aggravated last Monday while taking swings off a tee. Early indications suggest the injury is not related to the torn rib cartilage that sidelined him for 63 games two years ago. Instead, it’s believed to be more oblique-related, which could keep him out for an extended period.

“Right now, we’re going to treat it like an oblique, rib injury,” Alex Cora said to reporters in St. Louis on Saturday. “He’s going to be out for a while, but we’re still waiting for the news from the doctor.”

Casas’ latest setback comes near the end of a long road back from a serious knee injury suffered last season. On May 2, he ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee, requiring surgery and ending his year.

He made steady progress throughout the offseason, participating in baseball activities, including batting practice and intrasquad at-bats during spring training. When the team broke camp in Fort Myers, Casas remained behind with the expectation of appearing in extended spring games in early April.

The Red Sox should have a clearer picture of Casas’ status next week. For now, there’s optimism that a worst-case scenario has been avoided, with more details on the severity of the oblique issue expected in the coming days.

“From what I know right now, our doctor feels like this has nothing to do with what happened before,” Cora said. “But let’s wait for the surgeon, see what he has to say and go from there. As of now, they’re going to treat it like an oblique/rib kind of thing.”

Standing Ovation

As the Red Sox wrapped up their three-game series in St. Louis, Willson Contreras received a warm welcome from the Busch Stadium crowd in his return with Boston.

In his first at-bat Friday night, Contreras was greeted with a standing ovation.

“I’m gonna be honest, this is the first time that I got emotional after the WBC. I wasn’t expecting that good of an ovation, but that melted my heart,” Contreras told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal on Saturday night. “I have really good memories here. I have really good friends on the other side. Coming back to St. Louis, the team that gave me the opportunity. ... I’ll always be thankful and grateful for them. But I’m glad that we won (Saturday) and I’m glad I get to see them again.”

Contreras has been one of the few bright spots in Boston’s lineup this season. During his time in St. Louis, he hit .261 with 55 home runs and 183 RBI, posting a .459 slugging percentage and an .817 OPS.

Clueless

Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a costly miscue that helped extend New York’s losing streak to four games.

With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 10th, the Rays loaded the bases with one out and Jonathan Aranda at the plate. The Yankees brought in Cody Bellinger to form a five-man infield, and Aranda hit a weak 0-1 splitter from closer David Bednar into play.

Chisholm appeared to recognize the situation, the correct play would have been to tag Yandy Díaz and quickly throw to first to complete an inning-ending double play against the slow-footed Aranda. Instead, he failed to field the ball cleanly, allowing Chandler Simpson to score the winning run.

What started as a frustrating loss quickly turned more concerning, as Chisholm’s postgame comments suggested he didn’t fully understand the situation or the rules.

"I was really going to go try to tag the runner and just throw it to first," he said after the game. "I don't know what the rule is. If I went to first base first and threw it back to second, if it's still an out. Is it still a double play? I don't know. Does it count as not an RBI?"

Aaron Boone came to his star’s defense Sunday morning, insisting that Chisholm Jr. does, in fact, understand the situation and the rules.

"He's not confused on it," he said, via the New York Post. "I think that's kind of the default answer when he's got (reporters) in front of him. Look, it turns out to be a tough play. Watching it back, there might have been a chance to, where if he gets it cleanly, he gets the tag off, it's hard to know how exactly Díaz reacts in that moment (running from first to second). Once it chops like that, you know it's going to be a tough one to turn the normal 4-6-3."

Chisholm Jr. is in the final year of his deal with the Yankees and will be looking to cash in this offseason, lockout permitting. He plays with a level of confidence that makes him the kind of player you hate to face but love to have on your side.

Last month, he even proclaimed he has 50-50 potential offensively.

“I just can’t help but get that gut feeling -- it’s going to be an amazing year,” Chisholm Jr. said. “Especially with [Aaron] Judge pushing me ever since I’ve gotten here, I feel like I’ve matured a lot in the game, just from watching him and his at-bats every day, watching the way he goes about it.

“That’s how I’m trying to go about it every day, and I feel like I have been this offseason. So that’s why I feel like my year is going to be so magical, because I’m following that guy.”

Chisholm believes improved health is the key to unlocking his full potential, saying it’s the main thing that’s kept him from reaching and surpassing a 40-40 season.

He plans to cut down on strikeouts, draw more walks, and believes preparing earlier to represent Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic will help sharpen his plate discipline.

He’s hitting just .179 with three RBI, four doubles, and three runs scored to begin the season.

“I worked hard this offseason,” he said. “I did what I had to do. I was in the gym a little bit earlier than I’m normally in there. And with the ABS system coming.. I think since I hit home runs, people think I’m 6-foot-3 in the box. I stand kind of straight up. So that’s going to help a lot for me.”

Around the League

Former Red Sox infielder Justin Turner is continuing his professional career.

Turner, 41, announced on Instagram Saturday that he has signed with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League after failing to land a major league deal this season.

“I am fired up to join the team and to bring another championship back down to Cerro Colorado,” Turner said. “And don’t worry — the beard is definitely on the way back.”

Turner spent last season with the Cubs, appearing in 80 games while hitting .219 with three home runs, 18 RBI, and a .602 OPS, splitting time between the corner infield spots and designated hitter. The two-time All-Star has now played for four teams over the past three seasons following his nine-year run with the Dodgers.

He was a key contributor for Boston in 2023, serving as a clubhouse leader while hitting .276 with 23 home runs, 96 RBI, and an .800 OPS at age 38. Turner left the Red Sox following his only season with the club in 2023 and signed with division rival Blue Jays. 

The Mets promoted former Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel to the major league roster on Saturday.

The 37-year-old signed a minor league deal with New York this offseason and did not make the Opening Day roster. Despite having an opt-out clause, Kimbrel chose to remain with the organization and report to Triple-A.

He made his season debut Saturday, tossing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, needing just 10 pitches, nine for strikes.

Three-time All-Star second baseman and former manager Phil Garner passed away Saturday, April 11, after a nearly three-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 76.

Garner recorded 1,594 hits over his playing career, never hitting more than 17 home runs but twice surpassing the 30-steal mark, known more for his grit and consistency than power.

Elsewhere around the league, Orioles starter Zach Eflin will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow. His season ends after recording just 11 outs, beginning the long rehabilitation process that many pitchers have faced.

Astros rookie right-hander Tatsuya Imai returned to Houston to be evaluated for right arm fatigue following his third start.

The 27-year-old recorded just one out in Friday’s 9-6 loss to Seattle, allowing three runs on one hit with three walks and a hit batter while throwing 37 pitches.

Imai, who signed a three-year, $54 million deal, is 1-0 with a 7.27 ERA to start the season. He has issued 11 walks and recorded 13 strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings.

White Sox top pitching prospect Noah Schultz is headed to the big leagues, with the left-hander expected to make his MLB debut Tuesday against the Rays, per Elijah Evans of Just Baseball.

Schultz has impressed early at Triple-A, opening the season with four hitless innings in his first outing before allowing just one earned run over five innings in each of his next two starts.

Sam Antonacci has quickly climbed the minor league ladder since being drafted in 2024. In 12 games at Triple-A Charlotte, he’s hitting .299/.445/.419 with two homers, six RBI, and four steals. Per Elijah Evans of JustBaseball, he’s expected to be called up Tuesday.

The Blue Jays will be without George Springer, who was placed on the 10-day injured list ahead of the series finale against the Twins. The designated hitter fouled a ball off his left toe in the third inning Saturday.

Toronto is now down the equivalent of three everyday players, with Springer joining All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk (thumb surgery) and infielder/outfielder Addison Barger (ankle) on the shelf.