Forgotten Red Sox pitching prospect ‘opening some eyes’ in camp; pitching with a ‘little chip’ on his shoulder
There’s a forgotten pitcher at Red Sox camp this spring who is opening eyes amongst the pitching evaluators in the organization.
Left-handed pitcher Shane Drohan has looked impressive both physically and on the mound with the Red Sox. Drohan has pitched in one game, earning the win, tossing two frames while striking out three batters. He’s also been working hard in the backfields, ramping up for the start of the Triple-A season.
The WooSox pitching coach has taken notice of Drohan and has been impressed with the lefty.
“Dro did a great job this offseason, getting stronger, right?” said WooSox pitching coach Dan DeLucia while on the “To the Show” Baseball Show, presented by Beyond the Monster. “And really, you know, just the work ethic, right?
“He was in a tough spot at the end of the year last year. I don't know if he felt like his back was against the wall maybe this year, but I mean, he put the work in. You saw what I saw when he first arrived in Fort Myers. Is that he is physically looks better, bigger, and stronger.
“The shoulder strength is back to where he wants it, and as a result, he's throwing right now at 95 mph, sit in 94 mph, where he struggled to even get close to that last year at certain times.
“I know he's feeling good. I haven't seen him with my own eyes yet, but I've talked to a lot of the other minor league coaches who have had him. He's opening some eyes on the minor league side right now.”
Drohan returned to the Red Sox organization on June 12 last season after the White Sox designated him for assignment and he cleared waivers. Chicago initially selected the lefty hurler during the Rule 5 draft back in December.
Prior to the start of the regular season last year, Drohan underwent nerve decompression surgery in his throwing shoulder. While rehabbing with the White Sox, Drohan was used as a reliever. He made 10 appearances out of the bullpen, posting an 8.68 ERA, giving up 10 runs (nine earned) off nine hits while striking out 15 batters and walking eight over 9 1/3 frames. He was later returned to the Red Sox due to the White Sox not keeping him on their 40-man roster.
A healthy Drohan offers the Red Sox different possibilities this season. The lefty can start, pitch in a bulk-innings role, and in relief. Boston will utilize its depth all year, and the Florida native could emerge into a role similar to what Zach Penrod pitched in for the Sox.
When Penrod transitioned from the rotation to the bullpen, it was designed to carve out a clearer path to the Red Sox roster. The Sox transitioned Penrod back to the bullpen following his return from the IL last summer. Boston’s left-handed pitching depth was thin, and the organization saw an opportunity to bolster it internally with the former Indy hurler.
Drohan could take the same approach, giving the Sox another internal lefty that could impact the bullpen, mainly due to Boston’s rotation depth improving over the last few years, and the lefty has fallen down the pecking order to other hurlers.
“We’re not sure if he's going to be lengthened out just yet as a starter or if we're going to have him kind of in a reliever role or a swingman role,” said DeLucia.
“The one thing we, Trace (Chad Tracy) and I, were talking about the other day is we don't have a ton of lefties potentially at the AAA level, at least looking through all the arms and everything like that. But he could be one that can really make an impact. And again, he's been there, right? He's been to big league camp and pitched in the big leagues just for a little bit there. So he knows what to expect.
“I think he has a little chip on his shoulder. I don't think he liked last year and how he was handled with the other organization he was with. So I'm pretty excited to see him personally, but I think everybody else should be too, because he's worked his tail off and he looks like he's ready to go.”
Drohan can offer the Red Sox options as a starter, bulk-innings pitcher, or reliever as he spends time with the WooSox. Consistency will be the key; he’s struggled at the Triple-A level while showing flashes of brilliance.
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