Kyle Teel catches Rich Hill’s first BP session; ‘I just put my glove there and closed my eyes, and the ball was in my glove’
New Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill reported to Triple-A Worcester on Sunday and completed his first bullpen since signing a minor league deal on Saturday.
Hill threw a bullpen session that was caught by recently promoted catcher Kyle Teel.
“It was awesome. He’s awesome,” Teel said. “He has really good stuff, so I really didn’t have to do much. I just put my glove there and closed my eyes, and the ball was in my glove.”
The veteran southpaw is double the age of Teel, who was only three years old when he made his major league debut.
The WooSox expect Hill to throw a three-inning bullpen session on the road while in Norfolk, according to Audacy’s Rob Bradford. Following his bullpen, Hill is expected to make his Triple-A debut on Friday against the Tides, Bradford added.
Hill’s roll with the WooSox and eventually the Red Sox has not yet been determined. Red Sox skipper Alex Cora provided some insight on the returning lefty on Sunday in Baltimore.
"Let's see what happens," Cora said. "Going to Worcester. There are no promises, first. And second, role-wise, if it happens, he could start, he can open, he can come in for leverage. But first things first, let's get him back on the mound, back to compete, and then we'll go from there. I do believe, first of all, he is so diligent with his work.
"Throughout the years, he has stayed on top of everything. He had the workouts, but he was also throwing bullpens. I don't know how long he is going to take, if that is the case, and we need him. But I know the person, the pitcher, he will be ready."
Hill left a positive impression with WooSox pitching coach Dan DeLucia on Sunday.
“What’s cool about him is he wants to continue learning and seeing if he can gain edges,” DeLucia said. “That’s what he’s done his whole career; just within the first couple hours, that’s where we’ve hit it off.”
Once Hill is ready to land back on the Red Sox roster, he could provide the ability to eat innings down the stretch with the loss of James Paxton, who tore his calf during his third start with the club.
