Minor Notes: Arias continues his breakout campaign; Valera diagnosed with elbow soreness
Last week's Minor Notes column discussed a spectacular performance from Juan Valera as well as the beginning of rehab assignments for Patrick Sandoval and Kutter Crawford. Much like the weather in New England last week, the updates on all three players have turned from hot to cold. One player who was highlighted last week who continues to set the minors ablaze is Franklin Arias (pictured, left). Through 10 games he has been the best player in the Eastern League, with the underlying metrics backing up the stats.
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Valera injured
Fans were fearing the worst after Juan Valera was pulled abruptly from his last start after suffering an apparent arm injury. Fortunately it appears the worst-case scenario was avoided as reports are that he will not need to go for an MRI or X-ray. He is currently expected to be shut down for two weeks due to elbow inflammation and has been placed on the seven-day injured list. The talented right-hander had just joined Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list.
Crawford and Sandoval dealing with new injuries
Both Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval are navigating through new injuries as they work to get back to the big leagues. The news seems a bit more ominous on Crawford as he was returned from his rehab assignment without being activated due to forearm soreness. Sandoval's rehab assignment is still active, but he is suffering from biceps tightness. He was scratched from his scheduled start on Sunday is back in Boston for testing.
Anderson added to 40-man roster
With Johan Oviedo being transferred to the 60-day injured list, the Red Sox added Jack Anderson to the 40-man roster and recalled him from Worcester. Tyler Samaniego got optioned to the WooSox to make room for him in Boston. Selected by the Red Sox in the minor league portion of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, the 26-year-old had a solid showing in Double-A last season. He had some success this spring pitching for Great Britain in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and he was just coming off a game where he fired six shutout innings for Worcester. So far in the majors he has allowed two runs over six innings.
Rivera promoted to Worcester
Though not yet official, all signs point to left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rivera being promoted to Worcester. Rivera is an imposing presence listed at 6-foot-7, and he has had a tremendous start to the year. Through two starts with Portland he has allowed just one run over 10 innings with 16 strikeouts and three walks. Rivera has been a phenom in winter ball the last couple of years in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Combined over the last two years he has gone 3-1 while pitching to a 1.67 ERA over 54 innings while collecting 75 strikeouts. This does not include his postseason play, where he led Santurce to a championship this past season. This move sends a strong signal that Payton Tolle's next start will be with Boston.
Injuries and other transactions
- Right-hander Tyler Uberstine was placed on the seven-day injured list with right shoulder soreness. Uberstine made his major league debut on April 5, but his last two appearances have come with the WooSox.
- Elsewhere, Matt McShane and Max Ferguson were activated from the injured list, while Matt Lloyd is now on the seven-day injured list with an unspecified injury.
- A slew of promotions has happened early in the season, with some due to performance and some due to roster needs. Worcester added Michael Sansone and Isaac Coffey from Portland, Portland added Jay Allmer from Greenville, Greenville added Devin Futrell and Gilbel Galvan from Salem, and Salem added Dalvinson Reyes from extended spring training.
- Spring training star Braiden Ward was placed on the suspended list on Sunday. Ward was hit by a pitch in the head and reacted by throwing his bat in the direction of the pitcher.
Where are they now?
- Some tough injury news for familiar faces this week, led by Richard Fitts who is done for the season after undergoing surgery to address a lat strain. One of the key pieces in the Sonny Gray trade, Fitts had a chance to win a rotation spot with the Cardinals this year, but was optioned to the minors near the end of spring training.
- Right-hander Nick Pivetta is set to miss "weeks and maybe months" after an MRI revealed a flexor strain in his right elbow. Pivetta turned a fantastic year in 2025 with the Padres into a 4-year, $55 million contract with the team this offseason.
- Former MLB All-Star Jackie Bradley Jr. was named the Banana Ball Player of the week. Playing for the Indianapolis Clowns, Bradley hit for the cycle against Charleston.
Players of the week April 14-19
Franklin Arias, SS, Portland Sea Dogs
4 G, 13 AB, 4 H, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, .308/.471/1.000
To recognize how hot Arias has been to start the year, this week actually dropped his batting average and on-base percentage on the season. He is sitting at .467/.564/.833 over 10 games entering play on Tuesday. The highlight this week was the power surge that saw him hit a home run in three straight games, including one that went 440 feet. He is doing all this as the youngest position player in the Eastern League. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe had some more notable stats on Arias in his recent Minor Details post. Speier notes that Arias has increased his bat speed by 1.5 mph year-over-year, while producing a low chase rate and a low whiff rate. This level of performance is not sustainable, but Arias is certainly trending up despite already being a consensus top-50 prospect in baseball.
John Holobetz, RHP, Portland Sea Dogs
1 G, 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 K, 1.29 ERA
The Sea Dogs sweep the awards this week after a dominant outing from Holobetz (pictured, right). He had retired the first 13 batters he faced before a solo home run broke up the streak in the fifth. He followed that up by retiring eight of the next nine batters, with a two-out walk being the only blemish. He did this while setting a career-high with 11 strikeouts and the performance was good enough for him to be named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. The player-to-be-named later in the Quinn Priester trade, Holobetz has done nothing but produce since coming over from Milwaukee. The 23-year-old was a 2025 SoxProspects.com All-Star, and he is in the conversation as the best pitcher in the system so far this year. His ERA is a miniscule 1.13 while striking out 23 over 16 innings.
Photo Credit: Franklin Arias and John Holobetz by Kelly O'Connor