Purple Sox teenager Noah Track will start the season on the injured record, with Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reporting that the right-hander is ready to endure Tommy John surgical procedure. He’ll be joined on the shelf to open the season by southpaw Brandon Walter, who per Chris Cotillo of MassLive is nursing a strained rotator cuff in his left arm.
Neither Track nor Walter have been anticipated to open the season within the majors, however the twin damage updates are nonetheless a brutal blow for the membership’s pitching depth on the higher ranges of the minor leagues. Track, 26, is probably the extra well-known of the pair regardless of not but having made his main league debut. The proper-hander was one of many extra well-regarded hurlers within the 2019 draft however fell to the Purple Sox within the fourth spherical as a result of his navy commitments as a Naval Academy cadet. He made simply seven begins within the Purple Sox group earlier than lacking the following three seasons whereas fulfilling his navy duties, although he was moved to the naval reserve previous to the 2023 season, permitting him to return to skilled baseball.
The Phillies took the chance to pick Track within the Rule 5 draft that offseason and remained within the group for the primary a number of months of the 2023 marketing campaign, although he made no appearances on the massive league stage after starting the season on the injured record as a result of a low again pressure. Track made his return to a minor league mound in late June and struggled badly with Philadelphia, posting a 7.36 ERA in 11 innings of labor throughout three ranges of the minors earlier than the membership determined to designate him for project in late July.
Track was promptly returned to the Purple Sox, and he completed the season sturdy with a strong 4.15 ERA in 21 2/3 frames on the Excessive-A stage down the stretch. Track appeared prone to open the season on the Double-A stage for Boston this season, which may’ve doubtlessly put him again on the large league radar sooner or later this yr. That gained’t come to go now, nevertheless, as he figures to overlook your complete 2024 marketing campaign and maybe among the 2025 season as nicely whereas rehabbing from surgical procedure.
Walter, 27, was a Twenty sixth-round decide by the Purple Sox within the 2019 draft and made his massive league debut with the membership final season. The lefty struggled badly by means of 9 appearances in Boston, pitching to a 6.26 ERA in 23 innings of labor. His peripheral numbers indicated that his efficiency was higher than the outcomes indicated, as he posted a 4.60 FIP that was nearer to league common. Walter’s numbers on the Triple-A stage have been equally mediocre, as he threw 94 innings of 4.60 ERA ball whereas placing out 21.3% of batters confronted.
Regardless of these uninspiring outcomes, the lefty figured to supply the Purple Sox with upper-level pitching depth able to pitching out of the rotation and the bullpen behind fellow lefties Joely Rodriguez and Brennan Bernardino, although now he’ll be out of motion for the foreseeable future. The membership nonetheless has not solely Bernardino but in addition arms corresponding to Cooper Criswell and Zack Kelly obtainable as depth choices on the 40-man roster who might be known as upon to complement the large league membership as wanted, nevertheless.