The Red Sox will promote right-hander Hunter Dobbins from Triple-A Worcester, according to Chris Henrique of the Boston Sports Journal. Dobbins will be Boston’s 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Cardinals, and since he was already added to the 40-man roster in November, no matching transactions are required.
If Dobbins plays in either of the two games, the 25-year-old will make his Major League debut. The Red Sox selected Dobbins in the eighth round of the 2021 draft, despite the fact that he had Tommy John surgery that year while pitching for Texas Tech. Dobbins’ pro debut was postponed until 2022 due to surgery rehabilitation, but the righty has been performing admirably since returning to the mound.
In 311 minor league innings, Dobbins has a 3.88 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate, and 7.94% walk rate. Only 24 1/3 of those innings have been at the Triple-A level, and he was expected to gain additional experience in Worcester as the 2025 season progressed. Dobbins has started 61 of his 63 career games, but he’ll most likely work out of the bullpen today to provide a fresh arm for the Sox to use over the twin bill.
Baseball America lists Dobbins as the 11th best prospect in Boston’s farm system, while MLB Pipeline ranks him 13th. Dobbins’ five-pitch arsenal includes a fastball that can reach 98 mph and a splinker that he began utilizing last season — as BA’s scouting report states, “he doesn’t have a single killer pitch to generate a ton of whiffs, but he steers clear of barrels.” Dobbins allowed only two home runs in 125 2/3 combined innings of Double-A and Triple-A ball in 2024, but has already eclipsed that total in his lone Triple-A appearance this year, when he was blasted for three homers and five earned runs in a 3 2/3-inning relief performance on April 1.
