May 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A Boston Red Sox hat and glove rests on the railing by the dugout prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Red Sox Demote Promising Lefty To Make Room For Kyle Harrison: Report

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Sep 10, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Boston Red Sox's pitching plans these days necessitate a lot of roster juggling.

A day after Connelly Early's brilliant major league debut, the Red Sox are going with two more young lefties in the Wednesday series finale against the Athletics. Payton Tolle is expected to make his third major league start, but working on four days' rest for the first time, he's not expected to go deep into the game.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Kyle Harrison, the top remaining piece from the Rafael Devers trade, was en route to West Sacramento to make his Red Sox debut on Wednesday. He'll likely piggyback off Tolle's start, but before he could do that, a roster move had to be made.

Red Sox make roster move for Kyle Harrison

Early on Wednesday morning, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that the Red Sox are expected to demote 27-year-old left-hander Chris Murphy to Triple-A Worcester to facilitate adding Harrison to the roster.

It's a tough break for Murphy, who now has to spend a minimum of 15 days in the minors before he could potentially be recalled. After closing out the 6-0 win over the A's on Tuesday night, his ERA in Boston this season sits at 2.81 in 25 2/3 innings.

At the same time, Wednesday is a chance for the Red Sox to finally see Harrison against major league competition. And ironically enough, because the A's are borrowing the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A facility for the year, the 23-year-old's Red Sox debut will be in a ballpark he's spent hundreds of days at in his young career.

In 12 starts for Worcester, Harrison put up a 3.75 ERA in 50 1/3 innings, striking out 50 batters, but walking 27. He's got a high-level fastball that should play against any competition, but he's long been struggling to refine his secondary pitches, both before his trade to Boston and after.

It's all hands on deck as the Red Sox try to sweep the A's before heading home for a pivotal weekend series against the Yankees. Murphy was an unfortunate and somewhat undeserving roster casualty, but those things are sometimes necessary in the midst of a playoff chase.

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

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