Former top pitching prospect makes rehab start for the Greenville Drive
Red Sox right-handed pitcher Bryan Mata was sent to the Greenville Drive for a minor league rehab assignment on Saturday.
Mata tossed two innings, giving up two earned runs off four hits with one walk and no strikeouts. The 25-year-old worked a clean 1-2-3 first inning, but in the second inning, he would struggle. The righty allowed a bloop single followed by a double and then a two-run single.
Mata is working his way back from a hamstring injury he sustained during spring training. He worked two innings last Monday, starting for the FCL Red Sox, giving up three hits, one earned run, and striking out two batters.
The clock is ticking on the Red Sox to make a decision on Mata, who is eligible to come off the injured list on June 11. Boston would be required to either activate him on the active roster or place him on waivers in an attempt to sneak him back to Triple-A Worcester. It’s unlikely that Mata will clear waivers, according to MassLive’s Sean McAdam.
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox are looking to bring back Mata as a reliever and not a starting pitcher.
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“We’ve got to make a decision at one point,” said manager Alex Cora to reporters in St. Louis on Saturday night. “He’s very talented. He is talented. We’ve been talking about him for a while. It just hasn’t happened. Inconsistency and being hurt. Hopefully, he stays healthy, and then we have to make a decision.”
If Mata can stay healthy, he offers the Red Sox another power arm for their bullpen. The 25-year-old’s fastball sits between 95 and 97 mph and has topped out at 99 mph. His velocity pops, but Mata struggles with command and control when on the mound. In addition to his four-seamer, he offers an 87-90 mph slider, a 78-81 curveball, and an 88-92 mph changeup.
