By Matt McCarthy, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Red Sox have promoted their top pitching prospect, left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez, to Triple-A Pawtucket.
The team made the announcement before Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Hernandez made his first major league start on Tuesday when he was called up to face the Texas Rangers. The 22-year-old gave up three runs in three innings of work and was sent back to Double-A Portland after the game.
The Red Sox are apparently not concerned about Hernandez’s struggles in Portland. The lefty was sporting a 5.19 ERA with a 1.61 WHIP over 10 appearances with the Sea Dogs. Walks have been a problem for Hernandez, who issued 33 free passes in 40 innings of work, but he has flashed strong swing-and-miss stuff with 59 strikeouts this year.
Hernandez entered the season as the number three prospect in the Red Sox system according to Baseball America and is currently the fourth ranked prospect in the organization by SoxProspects.com. Both outlets rank him as the Red Sox top pitching prospect.
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