Red Sox Have Obvious Roster Move to Make Before Yankees Showdown

Make the move, Sox

Feb 26, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws a pitch in the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

It's been a weak start to the season from the Boston Red Sox to this point, and a three-game rivalry series against the New York Yankees feels like an opportunity to either get back in the hunt or start unraveling early on.

At 9-13, the Red Sox trailed the first-place Yankees by four games in the American League East at the conclusion of play on Monday. They also exhausted their bullpen in Monday's series finale against the Detroit Tigers, thanks to starting pitcher Sonny Gray exiting in the third inning with hamstring tightness.

Whether or not Gray is placed on the injured list, however, the Red Sox have a crucial opportunity to add some much-needed firepower to the pitching staff for this series. Lefty Payton Tolle, who is still considered the team's No. 1 prospect by many outlets, should be on the roster by Tuesday afternoon.

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Tolle is extra arm Red Sox need for tone-setting series

WooSox pitcher Payton Tolle starts against Columbus April 13 at Polar Park. | Rick Cinclair/Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tolle was scheduled to start for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday, but was held out due to the possibility of the Red Sox's game being postponed due to rain and setting up a doubleheader the next day. He would be ready to pitch in long relief after Connelly Early's scheduled start on Tuesday, but the Red Sox could also reconfigure their rotation for the rest of the week to have Tolle make a start.

If Gray goes on the IL, the transaction is fairly simple -- bring up Tolle, who is already on the 40-man roster, in his place. But if the Red Sox feel like Gray can make his next scheduled start, which would come on Saturday or Sunday, they can simply option righty Jack Anderson back to Triple-A. Zack Kelly is another option for demotion after he threw 27 pitches in a shaky Monday outing.

Tolle also has looked dominant to start the year, striking out 19 batters in his first 15 innings in Worcester after punching out 13 in his 10 2/3 innings during major league spring training. Perhaps it shouldn't be noted, given that most of the major leaguers were out of the game by the time he came in, but Tolle did strike out seven Yankees in three innings of work in his best spring outing.