Patrick Sandoval suffers setback with biceps tightness as Red Sox pitching depth tested

Patrick Sandoval has yet to throw a pitch for the Red Sox, and his return hit another setback Sunday.

The left-hander was pulled from his rehab start with Triple-A Worcester due to biceps tightness, manager Alex Cora told reporters.

It’s another frustrating turn for Sandoval as he works his way back to the big league mound.

“He felt some tightness in his day three, so he’s here just to make sure everything is ok,” Cora said. “I don’t know what’s next with him, but obviously they want to check on him.”

In addition to Sandoval being scratched, the Red Sox also pulled left-hander Payton Tolle from Triple-A Worcester on Sunday.

Tolle is being held in reserve in case of a rainout in Boston, where he could be added as the 27th man for a potential doubleheader on Marathon Monday.

"If we don’t play today, he’d probably be in the mix tomorrow,” Cora said pregame. 

Back to Sandoval, the left-hander signed a two-year, $18.25-million deal with the Red Sox prior to the 2025 season but missed the entire year while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

He made his first rehab start last Wednesday at Polar Park. His outing got off to a rocky start, featuring two errors, including a throwing miscue of his own, along with a defensive play ruled a hit, a walk, and two base knocks in the first inning.

Sandoval threw 63 pitches, 35 for strikes, over 3 1/3 innings. While he wasn’t particularly sharp, he expressed satisfaction with simply being back on the mound.

"I’m happy I got into the fourth and got an out in the fourth," Sandoval said following his rehab outing. “I like the way I pitched even with the stuff not being there and not being in the zone all that much. ... Even when they hit the ball, it wasn’t necessarily hard contact. There was a lot of soft contact. There’s a lot I can take away from that.”

He has a career 4.01 ERA in 107 appearances (100 starts), all with the Angels from 2019-24.

Tolle has opened the season with the WooSox, making three starts. Over 15 innings, he’s allowed eight runs (five earned) on 12 hits and four walks while striking out 19.

With both Sandoval and Tolle unavailable, the WooSox will turn to Michael Sansone for Sunday’s series finale against the Nashville Sounds.

Sansone was promoted to Worcester earlier this week after working out of the bullpen with Double-A Portland. In three appearances, he posted a 3.72 ERA with nine strikeouts and four walks over 9 2/3 innings.

The Connecticut native was signed out of the independent Pioneer League’s Yolo High Wheelers in the summer of 2024. He features a four-pitch mix, including an 86–88 mph fastball, a 75–78 mph changeup, an 81–83 mph slider, and a 74–76 mph curveball, according to SoxProspects.

Sandoval is the latest Red Sox pitcher to suffer a setback. Earlier this week, Kutter Crawford was also pulled from his rehab assignment with Worcester due to elbow soreness. The Red Sox are awaiting the results of Crawford’s MRI and hope to have more clarity soon.

Both Sandoval and Crawford were expected to provide valuable big league depth this season. For now, the club is optimistic that both issues are short-term.

“I’m here to support them,” said Cora. “Obviously, it has been up and down.”

Tyler Uberstine was placed on the WooSox’s 7-day injured list this week with shoulder inflammation. The right-hander recently made his big league debut against the Padres during the Red Sox’s first homestand, allowing one run on three hits over 2 2/3 innings before being optioned back to Worcester.

Boston thinned out some of its organizational depth this offseason, trading several arms, including Richard Fitts, who will miss the entire season following lat surgery, along with Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan, Luis Perales, Hunter Dobbins, but he’s recovering back from an ACL injury, and David Sandlin. Despite those moves, the system still has depth.

Jake Bennett continues to stand out for Worcester. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 0.55 ERA through four starts, allowing just two runs (one earned) over 16 1/3 innings. He currently leads the International League in ERA, ranks third in opponent batting average (.140), and sits second in WHIP (0.61).

“It’s like every year, right? Last year, we were talking about how deep we were and then the season happened,” Cora said. “This year, it’s the same thing. I think the organization has done a good job getting arms and preparing for 162. Every organization gets tested throughout the season.”

The depth is being tested, but for now, the Red Sox still have internal options who could help at the big league level. The next wave may not be fully ready, but Portland left-hander Hayden Mullins could be in line for a move to Worcester as he continues to position himself for a potential call-up.