Out
Injury Lat
Est. Return 2/1/2025
2024 Stats
W-L
0-0
ERA
0.00
WHIP
0.00
K
0
SV
0
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Mata, who has never pitched in the majors, enters spring training out of minor-league options and must make the 26-man roster or be designated for assignment. A team could potentially claim the 26-year-old righty, whose upper 90s fastball with movement will generate interest. Mata's trajectory was delayed by the pandemic and Tommy John elbow surgery before a bout of shoulder inflammation limited him to seven starts early in 2023. By the time he returned in September, the Red Sox seemed focused on turning him into a reliever, which is how he'll have to make the team in 2024. Mata's always had issues with walks, and the Red Sox feel he's best suited for shorter stints, which plays nicely with his velocity. Read Past Outlooks
Cast off 40-man
The Red Sox designated Mata (elbow/lat) for assignment Tuesday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Mata missed the start of the season with a hamstring injury and missed the final three months due to shoulder and elbow soreness and never got surgery, which likely contributed to him getting squeezed off the 40-man roster. He is 25 and hasn't thrown more than 30 innings in a season since he threw 83 innings in 2022. Mata has a career 4.87 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 61 innings at Triple-A, and his best path forward is likely as a reliever who can just let it rip with his fastball and slider in short bursts.
Mata missed the start of the season with a hamstring injury and missed the final three months due to shoulder and elbow soreness and never got surgery, which likely contributed to him getting squeezed off the 40-man roster. He is 25 and hasn't thrown more than 30 innings in a season since he threw 83 innings in 2022. Mata has a career 4.87 ERA, 1.75 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 61 innings at Triple-A, and his best path forward is likely as a reliever who can just let it rip with his fastball and slider in short bursts.
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2024
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2021
2020
2018
The Red Sox seemingly have a half dozen unproven starting pitchers poised for some form of MLB work in 2023, and Mata is among those. The 6-foot-3 righty underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2021 and made 19 appearances while building up to 83 innings in 2022, primarily working at Double-A and Triple-A. He had an identical 29.4 K% at those levels and an 11.4 BB% at Double-A followed by a 14.7 BB% at Triple-A. Control can be the last skill to return when a pitcher first gets back from TJS, but Mata's strike throwing was suspect even before the procedure. He has had a groundball rate north of 50% at every stop above rookie ball, thanks to a devastating sinker/slider combo. Mata's changeup has emerged as a fine third pitch. It all comes down to his ability to throw enough strikes to start. Boston will surely use Mata in some big-league role this season, as he is on the 40-man roster and could at least help as a multi-inning reliever. The team's other swing men types, save Tanner Houck, can't match Mata's pure stuff, which makes him worth monitoring in spring training and early in the minor-league season.
More Fantasy News
Soreness halts rehab assignment
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Mata (elbow/lat) was pulled off his rehab assignment after experiencing soreness following his Sept. 10 appearance, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Ready to restart rehab assignment
Mata (lat/elbow) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday.
ANALYSIS
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Begins throwing
Mata (elbow/lat) played catch Friday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
ANALYSIS
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Shifts to 60-day IL
Mata (elbow/lat) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday.
ANALYSIS
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Suffers setback
Mata (lat) was returned from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Friday after experiencing right elbow inflammation during an appearance Sunday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could debut soon
Mata will travel with the Red Sox over the final week of the season and may get a chance to make his big-league debut, reports Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican.
ANALYSIS
The minor-league season has come to an end but Mata's year may not be over just yet. The 23-year-old played at four different levels in the minors this season and compiled a 2.49 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 105:46 K:BB in 83 innings across 19 appearances, including 18 starts. The Red Sox will have a couple of players ineligible for Friday's game in Toronto, the last day that Canada will require the COVID-19 vaccine to enter the country.
The minor-league season has come to an end but Mata's year may not be over just yet. The 23-year-old played at four different levels in the minors this season and compiled a 2.49 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 105:46 K:BB in 83 innings across 19 appearances, including 18 starts. The Red Sox will have a couple of players ineligible for Friday's game in Toronto, the last day that Canada will require the COVID-19 vaccine to enter the country.