Naoyuki Uwasawa Makes His Red Sox Debut With Triple-A Worcester

By Tiffany Williams –

Japanese RHP Naoyuki Uwasawa, who was traded to the Boston Red Sox from the Tampa Bay Rays in late March for cash, and selected by the Red Sox to the major league roster and optioned to the club’s Spring Training Complex, was optioned to Triple-A Worcester and was seen last week At Polar Park in Worcester, but Worcester Red Sox manager Chad Tracy last week during a press a gaggle said it probably wouldn’t be until this week that we saw Uwasawa.

During that press gaggle on April 5, Worcester Manager Chad Tracy told the media, “I met him, met his translator, so I told him,anything you need, you come and find me. I’ll make you feel comfortable. But he threw just recently in Fort Myers, so we’re not looking until next week. So for the big part right now, it’s like get here, meet Dan, get out, get used to our pitcher stretch and our routine, things that they do, and then the outing will fall sometime next week whenever we talk to the pitching coordinator about when they want to get him involved.” 

When Tracy was asked if Uwasawa was going to be more in the bullpen, Tracy said, “Don’t know yet specifically. Waiting to hear from them. I think it might be starting, but until I hear from those guys specifically, I want to wait and see if they want to do that or if it’s a lengthy role.  I know whatever it is, it’s probably going to be some type of length role, whether it’s starting or relief, I don’t know yet. I’ll wait to hear from them.

Well on Wednesday night the Worcester Red Sox met the Syracuse Mets for game two of a six-game series on the road in Syracuse, and Uwasawa made his Red Sox minor league debut with triple-A Worcester.  

Uwasawa started for Worcester and went three innings, and out of the 52 pitches he threw, 33 were strikes. He allowed three hits, two runs, and walked one. 

Bottom of the third Uwasawa struck out Luke Ritter with an 84.2 mph changeup. Bottom of the third with an 82.8 mph changeup he struck out Luisangel Acuña and then with 91.2 mph four-seam fastball he struck out Mark Vientos. Bottom of the fourth he struck out Trayce Thompson with an 82.3 mph slider and then for a second time he struckout Luke Ritter this time throwing a 90.7 mph four-seam fastball.

Bebore signing with Tampa in January, Uwasawa had spent the previous nine years playing pro ball in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and had gone 9-9 with a 2.96 ERA in 170 innings for the Nippon-Ham Fighters last season.