One of the Boston Red Sox' top pitching prospects will be thrust into action Saturday.
Right-hander Connor Seabold will start for the Red Sox against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday in his first major league appearance.
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The 25-year-old came to Boston from the Phillies' system along with starter Nick Pivetta in the August 2020 trade that sent Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree to Philadelphia. He owns a 3.67 ERA over eight starts for Triple-A Worcester this season with 44 strikeouts in 41.2 innings.
Seabold's call-up comes after Chris Sale tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, forcing him to miss Sunday's start. Pivetta also is on the COVID-related injured list, but the Red Sox are hopeful he'll be cleared to start in Sunday's series finale.
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Seabold should be intriguing to watch; he's the No. 13-ranked prospect in Boston's organization, per MLB.com, while SoxProspects.com ranks him as the team's No. 2 pitching prospect behind Brayan Bello. The Cal State Fullerton product thrives on solid control (13 walks in 41.2 innings this season) and a low-80s changeup that MLB.com calls his "money pitch."
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The Red Sox are hoping to get Sale back as soon as possible, but his absence will give Seabold a chance to show his stuff at the big-league level.