Fort Report: Owens struggles, Castillo seeks redemption

With spring training in full swing, Boston's top starting pitchers saw their first action this week. Minor leaguers, meanwhile, got some work in as their spring training schedule looms.

Here are Thursday's minor league notes:

• The Pawtucket Red Sox tweeted out the full minor league spring training schedule on Wednesday. The spring slate kicks off on March 15 with the Sox minor leaguers taking on the Rays' farmhands.
• Rob Bradford of WEEI.com praised the early spring success of Sam Travis, noting that his power display so far and his future promise is a sign as to why the Red Sox may not have gone after Edwin Encarnacion for a long-term contract this offseason.
• Although the high-profile trades of prospects last season and this offseason have thinned the talent in the farm system considerably, MILB.com ranked the Red Sox minor league system eighth in baseball for talent aged 21 and under heading into 2017.
• Henry Owens' spring struggles continued this week, as he walked four batters in an inning on Monday. Tim Britton of the Providence Journal spoke with Owens and manager John Farrell about the lefty's struggles after the game.
• He may have been removed from the 40-man roster, but the Red Sox seem to still be willing to give Rusney Castillo a shot at proving himself, as John Tomase of WEEI.com notes. Castillo has been red-hot to start the spring, hitting .467 and a 1.167 OPS in 15 at-bats.
• After taking on the Mets on Wednesday, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal broke down how the Red Sox hope to emulate that franchise in developing home-grown pitchers.
• In news that has an impact on every minor league player, a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit brought by minor league players against Major League Baseball for allegedly violating labor laws will be allowed to proceed as a class action, according to the Providence Journal.
• The following minor league players (not on the 40-man or a non-roster invitee to major league camp) saw action in major league games this week: Heiker Meneses, Joseph Monge, Mike Miller, and Tzu-Wei Lin.

Photo Credit: Rusney Castillo by Kelly O'Connor

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