July 9, 2008 at 9:57 AM
Lentz promoted to Portland
According to multiple sources, fireballing reliever Richie Lentz was promoted to AA Portland from Lancaster this morning. Lentz went 4-3 with a 2.87 ERA for the JetHawks, along with an eye-popping 77 strikeouts in 53.1 innings. He is presently the 33rd ranked prospect in the Red Sox system according to SoxProspect.com's rankings. It will likely take a day for Lentz to pack up and travel across country before he officially reports to the Sea Dogs. When he does, we anticipate it could be the first of a bevvy of transactions before or during the upcoming All Star breaks. Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson should both be in Boston permanently within a few days after the MLB All Star Break (Buchholz gets the start for Boston on Friday, but might be optioned back to Pawtucket after the game so the Sox can add another hitter for a few games). Michael Bowden may be pitching his last game in AA today. Some other minor leaguers that could see immediate promotions to their respective next levels include Jeff Corsaletti, Bubba Bell, Beau Vaughan, Josh Reddick, Blake Maxwell, and Jered Stanley.