WORCESTER — Payton Tolle is awaiting word from the Red Sox on whether he will be called up to replace Sonny Gray in the rotation.
Boston has held out its top pitching prospect since the weekend, initially keeping him in reserve in case inclement weather forced a postponement of the game on Sunday against the Tigers.
That decision now looms larger after Gray lasted just 2 2/3 innings on Monday before exiting with what he described as a “grab” in his right hamstring. The veteran was placed on the injured list on Tuesday, opening the door for a potential call-up.
Gray doesn't think his injury is a long-term issue, but he understands the Red Sox need to place him on the injured list.
“I’m not concerned for a long-term thing," Gray said on Monday. "Having familiarity with it is a good thing because it’s kinda like a ‘crap’ thing too because you have familiarity with the same thing. It doesn’t feel as bad as it has other times where I have missed time. I will say that. And that’s a good thing.”
Tolle, 23, has been impressive to start the season with Worcester, going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA over 15 innings. He’s posted a 1.07 WHIP while holding opponents to a .214 batting average.
Ahead of the WooSox series opener against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park, manager Chad Tracy was asked about Tolle’s status and whether a promotion to Boston could be on the horizon.
Payton Tolle struck out 6 in 5 scoreless innings on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/tYzAbmQmjl
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) April 14, 2026
“Obviously, he's been in limbo since the end of last week,” said Tract. “I think, you know, there's a pretty good likelihood, he’ll go. I have not heard that officially, I won't make that a secret obviously; he's not throwing, he's not scheduled right now.”
Tolle was originally scheduled to start last Saturday against the Nashville Sounds but was scratched before the game, with Worcester turning to left-hander Michael Sansone, who delivered six scoreless innings.
The WooSox had planned to start Tolle on Sunday as well, but were instructed by the big league club to hold him back.
“He was supposed to throw on Saturday. We were still optimistic of Sunday. A lot of that was predicated on the weather in Boston, like the weather looked terrible,” added Tracy.
Over the past few days, Tracy and his staff have focused on keeping Tolle in the right headspace. The left-hander has stayed active, getting light work in, including brief bullpen sessions of 10–12 pitches, as he awaits his next opportunity.
Tracy noted that Tolle likes to touch the mound daily, and joked that, aside from his work on and off the field, he’s also been “crushing” the clubhouse food spread.
“He's very good about his routine and what he knows he's supposed to do leading into his start,” said Tracy. As each day he doesn’t pitch in a game, Tolle continues to adjust to his preparation to be ready for Boston.
Tolle has been