Tall lanky Red Sox pitching prospect makes season debut in a rehab start in the Florida Complex League
Red Sox pitching prospect Yordanny Monegro is working his way back to the mound after dealing with a right shoulder injury.
Monegro was placed on the Greenville Drive’s injured list after reporting to camp with weakness in his right shoulder, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com.
Monegro was assigned to the FCL Red Sox to begin a rehab stint before heading back to Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.
The 21-year-old made the start on Thursday against the FCL Rays, tossing three innings in which he gave up three hits and no walks while striking out four batters. Two of his strikeouts came in the second inning, and the other two in the third inning.
Monegro is coming off a breakout season last year, splitting time with three affiliates. He finished the year 6-3 with a 2.06 ERA with 93 strikeouts and 26 walks in 65 2/3 innings. The 6-foot-4, 180-pounder saw the bulk of his time with the Low-A Salem Red Sox, where he made nine starts, posting a 3-2 record with a 2.43 ERA.
The native of the Dominican Republic is regarded as the Red Sox No. 19 prospect with Baseball America. He has a build that makes him look more like a basketball player than a pitcher. Monegro throws from a three-quarter arm slot and operates a four-seam fastball that sits around 95 mph, a swing and miss 12-to-6 curveball, and an 88-90 mph cutter, per his Baseball America scouting report.
“In order to stick as a starter, he’ll likely need to either sharpen one of his pitches into a plus offering or develop the splitter into a solid offering,” wrote BA. Monegro projects as a potential back-end starter or even an up-and-down multi-relief arm.
