One of the most inspiring tales in the Red Sox's minor league network has faced a sad twist.
Noah Song, a former top pitching prospect who returned to baseball after serving in the U.S. Navy, needs Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2024 season.
Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com first reported Song’s injury, which was later confirmed by a Red Sox source.
Song, a 26-year-old right-hander, was highly regarded after his college career at Navy. However, due to uncertainty about his military obligations, he fell to the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft. After completing flight school, he received approval in 2023 to resume his baseball career and played seven games with the Lowell Spinners.
Before Song's waiver was approved, he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. He had to stay on their major league roster for the entire season, but when his waiver was approved in February 2023, he was on the fast track to the big leagues despite not having played in four years.
Amid his rapid progression, Song tweaked his back and, once recovered, was understandably out of practice. After being returned to the Red Sox, he was assigned to High-A Greenville and finished with a 4.15 ERA over 21.2 innings.
It was anticipated this season that Song could earn a spot in the upper minors, likely at Double-A Portland first. However, he will now be sidelined for at least a year, a devastating setback for a pitcher who has missed out on significant playing time.
