Red Sox May Have Revealed Payton Tolle Decision

There has been a lot of noise out there about the No. 5 spot in the Boston Red Sox's starting rotation.

With Walker Buehler moved to the bullpen, the spot is up for grabs. Richard Fitts was a guy seemingly in the mix for the job, but he was placed on the Injured List this week. The other guy who has been discussed the most is lefty Kyle Harrison who is down with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox and came over to Boston from the San Francisco Giants earlier in the season.

Beyond Harrison, the other guy who has caught Red Sox fans' attention is No. 2 prospect Payton Tolle. Boston recently called up No. 3 prospect Jhostynxon Garcia. Tolle is potentially the next big-name prospect to make the jump to the big leagues.

Brayan Bello is taking the mound on Wednesday followed by Garrett Crochet on Thursday. Those are the only two guaranteed starters for Boston. Dustin May will start either Friday or Saturday. His last start was on August 24th against the New York Yankees.

Who will start for the Red Sox in place of Walker Buehler?

Aug 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Walker Buehler (0) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

It's fun to think about Tolle making the jump to the big leagues, but did the Red Sox just tip their hand that this time around rotation won't be his turn?

The Boston Globe's Tim Healey shared that the current expectation is that Tolle will pitch for Worcester on Friday along with Shane Drohan.

"The Red Sox’ latest plan for Payton Tolle: He’ll pitch Friday for Triple-A Worcester, either as the starter or piggybacking out of the bullpen behind Shane Drohan," Healey said.

If this holds true, then obviously Tolle wouldn't get the ball for Boston on either Friday or Saturday. If that's the case, than Harrison would seemingly be the favorite for the spot. He took the mound on Tuesday for Worcester, but threw just 38 pitches. Boston hasn't made an announcement for the spot yet, but this Tolle update could be a sign that it's not his turn in Boston yet. But, until the team officially makes the announcement, you'll likely hear more about him.

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