Full name is Robert William Poyner...Signed by Stephen Hargett (Red Sox)...Played 4 seasons at the University of Florida... Went 14-10 with a 3.10 ERA (62 ER/180.0 IP) in 89 appearances (15 starts)...Was a 3-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient as a finance major...Was a part of 2 College World Series teams (2012, 2015)...Helped the Gators claim the 2014 SEC Championship and 2015 SEC Tournament title...In 9 career NCAA tournament games, recorded 12 SO and 0 BB while posting a 1.17 ERA (2 ER/15.1 IP)...Attended Palm Beach Central (FL) High School.
2019
Made 13 relief appearances over 3 stints with BOS...Also pitched in 43 games for Triple-A Pawtucket, posting a 3.77 ERA (24 ER/57.1 IP) with 6 saves...Matched a career high with 43 minor league games...26 of his 43 outings for the PawSox were scoreless...For the PawSox, averaged 10.99 SO/9.0 IP (70 SO)...Held minor league LHH to a .181 AVG (28-for-155)...Began the season with Pawtucket...Had a season-high 6 SO on 4/17 vs. Buffalo (2.0 IP)...Recalled by BOS on 4/20...Made 2 appearances for BOS (4/20 at TB, 4/23 vs. DET-G1) before being optioned to Pawtucket on 4/24...Recalled by BOS a 2nd time on 6/10...Threw a career-high 3.0 IP on 6/11 vs. TEX (6 H, 5 R, HBP, 2 BB, 2 SO)...Was optioned to Pawtucket on 6/12...Over 16 appearances with the PawSox from 5/25- 7/19, posted a 0.79 ERA (2 ER/22.2 IP), 0.88 WHIP, and .152 opponent AVG (12-for-79)...Did not allow a run in 10 consecutive appearances from 5/25-6/28 (14.1 IP, 8 H, 6 BB, 15 SO)...Recalled by BOS on 9/4 and spent the remainder of the season in the majors...Posted a 2.35 ERA (2 ER/7.2 IP) in 10 September games...Limited opponents to a .042 AVG (1-for-24), posted a 0.26 WHIP, and had 9 SO to just 1 BB...Did not allow a run in his first 7 outings following his recall on 9/4 (6.2 IP)...Made his 1st career ML start on 9/11 at TOR and retired all 6 batters faced (2.0 IP, 2 SO)...Allowed 0 hits to LHH in September (12 PA, 0-for-10).
2018
Saw the 1st ML action of his career, posting a 3.22 ERA (8 ER/22.1 IP) with 24 SO and only 3 BB in 20 games over 6 stints with BOS ... Made his 1st career Opening Day roster after going to ML spring training as a non-roster invitee ... Was selected to the active ML roster on 3/29 ... Became the 4th Red Sox player since 1981 to make the Opening Day roster without having appeared above the Double-A level (also Shea Hillenbrand-2001, Jackie Bradley Jr.-2013, and Ben Taylor-2017) ... 13 of his 20 appearances for BOS were scoreless ... Worked more than 1.0 inning 6 times ... Held ML left-handed hitters to a .143/.182/.238 batting line (3-for-21, 0 HR) ... Beginning 4/11, retired 11 of his 13 lefties faced (1-for-12, BB, 3 SO) ... Posted an 8.00 SO/BB ratio (24 SO/3 BB) ... Faced a total of 93 batters on the season ... Retired 15 of his 20 first batters faced (75.0%) ... Made his ML debut on 3/31 at TB and recorded a hold in the Sox' 3-2 win (0.2 IP, ER) ... Earned his 1st ML win in the Sox' 12-inning walk-off victory in the home opener, 4/5 vs. TB ... Threw 2.0 scoreless innings (11th & 12th) with 1 hit and 3 SO ... Was on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain from 4/12-21 ... Made rehab appearances with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket ... Activated from the DL and optioned to Pawtucket on 4/22 ... With the PawSox, was 6-for-7 in save chances ... Posted a 1.29 ERA (3 ER/21.0 IP) with 19 SO over a span of 16 appearances for the PawSox from 6/11-8/7 ... Worked more than 1.0 inning in 16 of his appearances for the PawSox, including 2.0 IP 7 times.
2017
Split the season between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, recording 15 saves with a 1.49 ERA (10 ER/60.1 IP) and a 0.93 WHIP...His 43 appearances were the most among all Red Sox minor leaguers, while his 12.53 SO/9.0 IP ranked 2nd (min. 20.0 IP). Limited opponents to a .177 AVG (39-for-220)...Double-A hitters were 19-for-134 (.142) against him... Allowed just 8 hits in 57 AB (.140) with RISP...Held opposing RHH to a .145 AVG (22-for-152)...LHH batted .250 (17-for-68) with 25 SO and 1 BB against him...Did not allow a run in his final 6 outings with Salem (7.0 IP)...Promoted to Portland on 6/2...Extended his scoreless IP streak to 15.0 before allowing a run in his 1st frame of work on 6/18 at Akron...Allowed 4 ER in 38.1 IP (0.94 ERA) over 27 games with Portland, holding his opponent scoreless in 25 of those outings...His 0.94 ERA led Portland (min. 2.0 IP)...Recorded a 3.60 ERA (4 ER/10.0 IP) with 10 SO over 7 relief outings for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League.
