Pitcher Kyle Harrison prepared to take the mound for Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 7, 2025. The left-hander, who is widely expected to be called up by the Boston Red Sox, could be nearing his long-awaited debut. | WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Boston’s starting rotation has been in flux during a critical stretch of its postseason push. Richard Fitts has landed back on the injured list with a biceps issue, Walker Buehler was released, Dustin May has struggled to find consistency, and promising rookie Payton Tolle is being managed carefully to preserve his arm late in his first pro season.
That uncertainty has left the Red Sox scrambling for a starter in Wednesday’s series finale against the Oakland Athletics. Garrett Crochet and May are lined up for the Sept. 8-9 matchups, but the club is short on fully rested, rostered arms for the finale. As a result, two of the team’s top arms in Triple-A could be under consideration.
One option is Harrison, who may finally get the call to Fenway on Sept. 10. Acquired from San Francisco in the Rafael Devers blockbuster, the 24-year-old has been on the verge of a call-up several times. Injuries and the emergence of others, including Tolle, have delayed his promotion, but this could be his opportunity. Harrison logged parts of three big-league seasons with the Giants from 2023–25, posting a 4.48 ERA across 182.2 innings. This year in Triple-A with the WooSox, he owns a 3.75 ERA with 50 strikeouts and 27 walks through 50.1 innings.
But Harrison isn’t the only candidate. Connelly Early, the Red Sox’s No. 6 prospect, could also get the nod. Early was scratched from his scheduled Sept. 7 start and is “very much in play” for the Oakland series, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Drafted in the fifth round in 2023, Early has made a rapid rise through the system, starting 2024 in High-A and now pitching in Triple-A. He’s delivered a 2.60 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP, 132 strikeouts, and 40 walks across 100.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
Kyle Harrison
Manager Alex Cora has already ruled out Tolle as a starter for Sept. 10, though he could still pitch in relief. Whether the Red Sox turn to Harrison’s major-league experience or Early’s dominant strike-throwing ability, Boston could see a boost from a fresh arm as it looks to capitalize against a struggling Athletics lineup.
