WORCESTER — With the Red Sox roster depleted by injuries and three WooSox regulars recalled to help the big club in just the last few days, the WooSox needed some reinforcements of their own.
A couple of those came in the form of rehabbing Red Sox. Tyler O’Neill began his rehab assignment as he makes his way back to the Red Sox after dealing with knee inflammation. He’s eligible to come off the injured list on Wednesday, and served as the DH on Tuesday night, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a pair of groundouts. He appeared to be moving well as he ran to first base.
“I haven’t been off for too long, so I just want to get in there and make sure I’m at game pace, see some balls on the plate, feel like I’m in the batter’s box again, nothing crazy,” O’Neill said before the game. “Hopefully catch a barrel or two and see where we’re at…and go from there.”
Isaiah Campbell is still on his rehab assignment and made his sixth appearance for the WooSox since starting the assignment during the team’s last homestand. He went an inning and gave up a hit and an unearned run. Campbell has been out since mid-April with a right shoulder impingement.
The WooSox also called up three players from Double A Portland. Matthew Lugo should be a big help to manager Chad Tracy; he’s spent the bulk of his time in the outfield this year in Portland but has a lot of experience in the infield, mainly at third base, as well. Lugo was thrown right into the fire on Tuesday night, batting fifth and playing left. He scored his first Triple A run in the second inning after reaching on a force out and collected his first WooSox hit late in the game.
Lugo, who is the nephew of nine-time MLB All-Star Carlos Beltrán, was the second-round pick of the Red Sox in the 2019 draft. The 23-year-old tore it up in Portland this season, hitting .315 with a 1.069 OPS and 11 home runs and nine stolen bases in 43 games.
With Tyler Heineman going up to Boston on Tuesday, catcher Mickey Gasper joined the WooSox. Gasper is a local kid (although he grew up a Yankees fan), growing up in Merrimack, N.H. and then playing four years at Bryant University in Rhode Island. Gasper spent most of his career in the Yankees organization before he was selected by the Red Sox in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft this offseason. He put together a nice couple of months in Portland, drawing four more walks (26) than strikeouts (22) and hitting .280 over 44 games, splitting time between catcher and first base.
On the pitching side, Zach Penrod, who has opened eyes this season thanks to his lively fastball and 58 strikeouts in only 39 1/3 innings. The starter has an interesting story; before signing with the Red Sox late last season, he last played in the minors in 2018. After having Tommy John surgery, he was released and bounced around independent ball before putting together an impressive four starts in Greenville to finish out the 2023 season. He picked up where he left off in 2024, holding hitters to a .183 average in seven starts for Portland. He turned in five scoreless innings in his Triple A debut on May 30. He’s slated to start at Polar Park on Thursday, if the weather cooperates.
In addition to Heineman being promoted, catcher Elih Marrero being optioned to Portland, pitcher Richard Fitts was placed on the temporary inactive list, and pitcher Jorge Benitez and Sal Romano were reinstated from the development list.
Red Wings 11, WooSox 4
It was an ugly one at Polar Park as the WooSox made five errors, leading to seven unearned runs. Starter Brian Van Belle went three innings, giving up two hits, a walk and a pair of unearned runs. Each one of the WooSox’ five pitchers allowed a run, though the first seven were all unearned.
The offense couldn’t get much going either; Eddy Alvarez and Niko Kavadas each doubled and Alvarez drove in a couple of runs. Lugo scored twice and singled in his first Triple A game.
What’s Next
Grant Gambrell (3-6, 3.93) gets the start on Wednesday night against Rochester’s Jackson Rutledge (2-3, 6.21). First pitch is at 6:45 p.m.
