Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Bryan Mata has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester on Sunday. The 23-year-old looked fantastic during Grapefruit action this spring. He threw seven scoreless innings with a 1.00 WHIP and six strikeouts. The right-hander made his return to the mound last season after a lengthy absence due to Tommy John surgery. He posted a 2.49 ERA with 105 strikeouts and only five home runs allowed in 19 games (18 starts) between Double-A and Triple-A last season. It appears Mata is getting extremely close to making his big league debut. The expectation is that Mata will take the mound for the Red Sox at some point in 2023.

Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata (elbow) had an impressive outing in extended spring training action on Thursday. He threw two innings and struck out five batters while his fastball topped out at 100 mph. This was the first time that Mata faced live hitters from another organization since he underwent Tommy John surgery last spring. The 23-year-old is currently rated as the team's second-best pitching prospect and seventh overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. His last minor league exposure came in 2019, when he pitched to a 3.43 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP over 105 innings split between High-A and Double-A.