The Boston Red Sox’s farm system lost a bit of depth late last week.
Catcher and right-handed pitcher, who signed with the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Connecticut in 2022, never produced eye-catching offensive numbers. Still, he advanced steadily from Low-A to Double-A over his first two and a half seasons before being placed on the injured list this year.
Donlan’s performance at the plate as a minor-league catcher fell short of expectations, posting a .536 OPS over 37 games. He had begun transitioning to a pitching role, making two scoreless outings for Double-A Portland last August.
Unfortunately, his progress was derailed when he tore the UCL in his right elbow, necessitating Tommy John surgery later that month. The timing of the injury was especially unfortunate, as it prevented him from completing his rehab in time to return to play this season.
Donlan spent the entire 2025 season on the minor-league injured list, getting transferred from the 60-day IL to the full-season IL on Mar. 20. He retired without a professional home run, but he did manage 17 hits, including six doubles, and picked up seven RBIs.
Donlan began his college career at Division II Stonehill College before transferring to Connecticut for the 2022 season. He also played in the highly-regarded Cape Cod Baseball League the summer before his senior year.
Boston presumably replaced Donlan on its minor-league catching depth chart when he was injured a year ago, and a farm system rarely lacks additional pitchers. He didn’t necessarily have a spot to replace, but it’s still a credit to him that he made it as far as he did in the professional baseball ranks.
Leave a Reply