The Boston Red Sox are unsure if left-handed pitching prospect Payton Tolle will make his next start on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians, manager Alex Cora told the media. Because Tolle isn't accustomed to pitching on four days' rest, the Red Sox could wait until later in the week to give him the ball again. One of baseball's premier pitching prospects, the 22-year-old held his own in his debut on Friday. The Red Sox suffered a 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, but Tolle didn't factor into the decision after throwing 5 1/3 innings of two-run, three-hit ball and logging eight strikeouts against two walks. He became the first Red Sox starter to punch out at least eight in his debut since Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2007.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Payton Tolle struck out eight hitters in his MLB debut on Friday evening. Facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tolle tossed 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball with three hits and two walks. He was cruising through five innings but ran into some trouble in the sixth. Pittsburgh outfielder Tommy Pham ripped a two-run double, which did most of the damage. The 22-year-old made his professional debut with High-A this season and quickly progressed through the Boston system. Tolle needed just nine appearances in Double-A and Triple-A to prove he was ready to join Boston for the stretch run. Across 91 2/3 innings in the minor leagues, he held a 3.04 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Given his impressive debut, the southpaw is worth targeting in all standard leagues this weekend.