The Red Sox have revised their intentions for former top pitching prospect Bryan Mata’s rehabilitation assignment.
After first considering Mata as a short-term reliever, Boston now intends to increase Mata’s innings and stretch him out during his time in the minors, manager Alex Cora said Monday. Mata is scheduled to pitch three innings for Double-A Portland on Thursday. This will be Mata’s second appearance on a regular five-day schedule since beginning his rehab assignment in the minors a week ago.
Cora stated that the Red Sox are not necessarily looking at Mata as a starter, but rather to see what he can do in lengthier outings as a possible big league alternative in the coming weeks.
“You can always cut him short later on,” Cora replied. “So we’ll stretch him out like everyone else and see where we are whenever we need to make a decision.
Mata, who has never pitched in the majors and is on the 60-day injured list with a left hamstring strain sustained during spring training, is in a peculiar roster predicament.
Because he has no minor league options after being on the 40-man roster since 2020, the Red Sox must decide at the end of his 30-day rehab window whether to activate him to the major league roster or place him on waivers, most likely by designating him for assignment. Mata’s rehab assignment will reach its 30th day on June 11, thus a decision must be made by June 12. According to a source who spoke with MassLive’s Sean McAdam, the Red Sox feel Mata, if fit, will almost surely be claimed by another team because of his enticing pitch mix.
The Red Sox are trying to add rotation depth, with Garrett Whitlock potentially out for an extended length of time due to elbow pain, which prompted him to undergo imaging over the weekend. Cora stated before Monday’s game that the team is still gathering information and would likely have more later in the evening. For the time being, four of the five starters who started the season in the rotation are healthy (Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and Nick Pivetta), with Cooper Criswell filling in for the fifth place.
Baseball America ranked Mata, 25, as one of the top six prospects in the Red Sox system in 2018, 2019, and 2020, with a peak of No. 4. Last year, a right teres major strain limited him to 27 innings for Triple-A Worcester. He last pitched for High-A Greenville on Saturday, giving one run and three hits while striking out two batters over two innings. It was his second rehab appearance since commencing his assignment in the Florida Complex League on May 13.
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