May 12, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A bag of baseballs sits on the diamond before a game against between the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Red Sox Broadcaster Teases Highly-Anticipated Upcoming MLB Debut

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 4:00 PM ET

There's a major question the Boston Red Sox have thus far yet to answer about their September stretch run.

On Friday, the Red Sox publicly confirmed that Walker Buehler won't be in the starting rotation moving forward. It was a move that felt almost overdue, but the only reason for hesitation would be the lack of an obvious answer as to who should take over Buehler's spot.

Monday's starter has yet to be determined in Buehler's absence, with rookie Richard Fitts and possible Triple-A call-up Kyle Harrison currently available. But just because one of those two will make that single start doesn't mean they're the only long-term answers.

Red Sox color analyst Lou Merloni teases Payton Tolle call-up

Top pitching prospect Payton Tolle has had a meteoric rise through the Boston system. The 2024 second-round pick made his minor league debut in High-A back in April, and sometime in the next couple of weeks, he could make his major league debut.

On Sunday, popular Red Sox television and radio broadcaster Lou Merloni was asked on social media if he believed Tolle would make his major league debut soon, and his response was a pretty clear indication of how strongly he feels that the 22-year-old can succeed right away.

"I don't see why not," Merloni said matter-of-factly.

Merloni's confidence in Tolle is not unfounded. On the principle of dominating opposing hitters, there's no doubt Tolle gives the Red Sox the best chance at catching lightning in a bottle, even though he's only made three starts in Triple-A.

With nine strikeouts and one hit allowed in his start on Friday, Tolle upped his K/9 to 13.1 on the year while lowering his ERA to 0.993. He blitzes hitters with an upper-nineties fastball that gets on them even faster due to an elite 7 1/2 feet of extension. His secondary pitches are works in progress, but have consistently improved throughout the year.

It may be considered aggressive to promote Tolle so soon, but the Red Sox are in the aggression business this year. Merloni may not have guaranteed anything on Sunday, but it's still wise to be on high alert for more news about Tolle's immediate future.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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