Red Sox reliever out of minor league options shutdown with hamstring issue
The Red Sox were hoping to give a long hard look at pitcher Bryan Mata this spring. The right-hander was once a promising top pitching prospect in the organization, but injuries have plagued him throughout his career. His latest injury could cost him a spot on the Opening Day roster and with the Red Sox organization as a whole.
Mata has been shutdown due to a right hamstring issue. The Venezuelan native is out of minor-league options and manager Alex Cora did not indicate how long Mata will be out of action.
“He’s shut down for now, we’ll know during the week,” Cora said. “It happened during a (fielding drill) during a workout before the Northeastern game. He felt it but he didn’t say nothing and the next day when he woke up it was worse than what he expected so we have to shut him down.”
The 6-foot-3 righty was vying for a spot in the bullpen competing with the likes of Rule 5 draft pick Justin Slaten, Isaiah Campbell and Greg Weissert.
“He's competing for a spot on the major league roster because he's out of options,” said Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham on the To the Show We Go Podcast following Red Sox Winter Weekend.
“We sent him to the fall league for more innings to prepare and be be ready to perform. You actually have to do it on the mound so that is the point where he's at in his career where we're going to have to see some success during spring training, he's going to have to stay healthy, he's going to have to be able to repeat his delivery, he's going to have to be able to throw strikes, do all those things so he can be a reliable arm in the bullpen.
“I don't think we are are built to have a roster of someone who's not going to be able to be utilized to their maximum capacity on a daily, I don't think any organization or major league roster is.”
Mata worked hard this winter and prepared for big league camp, this latest injury is just another bump in the road for the righty.
“I think he's done everything we want physically mentally um you know it was it's been a it's been a hard road no doubt you know injuries are difficult. He's had ups and downs, he's had progress and he's had regression in terms of the physical side but I think we're finally at a point now where hopefully the the stuff that he has, like you said you know he's got he's got electric stuff when he's healthy. We're hopeful in those those shorter stints where he can recover will allow him to have success on our major league roster,” said Abraham.
Mata has dealt with back issues early on in his career, Tommy John surgery missing all of 2021 and the first half of the 2022 season. Last season he was placed on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation in May and never pitched for Worcester the remainder of the season.
