Chris Mazza to Start Sunday for Red Sox and Enter Fifth Starter Competition

The Boston Red Sox are extending a huge opportunity to a journeyman veteran on Sunday. Chris Mazza, who has spent the bulk of his career floating between the minor leagues and indie ball, will get the start for Boston's spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles.

The 30-year-old Mazza saw his first MLB action last season with the New York Mets. In 16.1 innings pitched, he gave up 10 earned runs on 21 hits, with five walks and 11 strikeouts.

The trade of David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers has opened up the fifth starter spot for the Red Sox, and a career opportunity for Mazza.

“He’s in that mix for what we’re doing,” said interim Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke. “It’ll be good to see him, actually.”

After being selected by the Twins in the 27th round of the 2011 draft, he didn't advance past the Single-A level, and was released in 2015.

He then spent the next three years in the Miami Marlins farm system, where he advanced to Triple-A, before being released in May of 2018.

Mazza spent the remainder of that year bouncing between the San Rafael Pacifics of the Pacific Association and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League, before playing his way back into an MLB farm system with the Seattle Mariners. He spent the rest of 2018 in Double-A with the Arkansas Travelers.

If Mazza does earn the fifth spot in Boston's starting rotation, it will be one of the most turbulent journeys among current MLB starters, but could prove to be a story that the fans in Boston fall in love with.