Another Red Sox Rule 5 Draft gamble has paid off; Noah Song is a member of the organization once again.

There was considerable outrage when the Red Sox chose to leave Song unprotected from last December’s Rule 5 Draft, which led to the Philadelphia Phillies scooping him up. But as has been the case for much of the last few years, Chaim Bloom took the long view; the 26-year-old Song hadn’t pitched since 2019 due to his commitment to the U.S. Navy but per the Rule 5 requirements, the reigning National League pennant-winners would have to carry Song on the 26-man roster for the entire season. If not, he could be up for grabs before long.

That’s exactly what happened. Song reported to Phillies spring training and began pitching again, but suffered a back strain before the season began, and ended up sidelined for most of the season.

Song’s rehab assignment didn’t go well. Over 11 innings between games in A-ball, Double-A, and Triple-A, he struck out 16 batters, but also issued 11 walks. The Phillies recalled him from his rehab assignment last Saturday, reinstated him from the injured list, and designated him for assignment. Per the Rule 5 guidelines, once he cleared waivers, they had to offer Boston’s 2019 fourth-round pick back to them at half price ($50,000). He’ll report to High-A Greenville and attempt to climb the ladder again.

Other than Song’s return, the biggest minor league news of the month came in the form of the MLB Draft. The first round was a coup for the Red Sox, who found top catching pick Kyle Teel still on the board when the 14th pick rolled around.

Here are the highlights from the farm:

Ceddanne Rafaela has been unstoppable ever since his promotion to Worcester.

Much like last season, when the 22-year-old moved from the infield to center field and became a human highlight reel, each month of this MiLB season has yielded a new jaw-dropping performance. The organization’s No. 2 prospect (No. 76 on MLB’s Top 100) stole six bases in a single game in May, earned the promotion to Triple-A in June, hit .337 with a 1.008 OPS in July, and began the month of August by homering in three consecutive games.

Plate discipline was a key factor in the organization determining that Rafaela should begin the minor league season in Double-A, rather than move up to the farm’s top level. Several team sources have made clear to the Herald that they believe he’s already a major league-caliber defender, an opinion his WooSox manager, Chad Tracy, reiterated this week.

“Honestly, he could go to the big leagues tomorrow and play an elite-level center field, there’s no doubt in my mind on that,” Tracy told reporters. “And if he continues on the track he’s on and really hones in on making good choices as a hitter, he’s going to be able to impact the game in a big way on the offensive side, too, so the sky’s the limit for this kid.”

At this rate, it may not be long before Rafaela heads east on the Mass Pike, bound for Fenway. He doesn’t have a monopoly on the long ball, though; the WooSox entered Friday with 158 home runs, tied for third in the International League. Wilyer Abreu, David Hamilton and Stephen Scott are among the WooSox sluggers who’ve been sending balls out of the yard recently.

Scott hit .304 with a .951 OPS in July, collecting 14 hits in 15 games, including a pair of doubles, three home runs, 10 runs, 10 RBI and a pair of stolen bases. He also walked (7) more than he struck out (6).

Hamilton has also stolen 40 bases, at least 17 more than every other WooSox player, and fourth-most in the International League.

Bobby Dalbec is no longer a prospect, but he’s the team leader in home runs (25), runs (63) and RBI (58) this season. There isn’t really room for him with the big league team, and it’s hard to believe no organization would be willing to take a flyer on him in a trade.

Speaking of raking at the next level, Blaze Jordan is having his own home-run fest since being promoted from High-A to Double-A. He’s collected 15 homers this season, three since getting moved up to Portland.

But the biggest performance in Double-A last month was undoubtedly Wikelman Gonzalez’s portion of a combined no-hitter on July 23. In only his second Sea Dogs start after his July 14 promotion, the organization’s No. 11 prospect struck out 10 batters over six innings, earning himself Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors.

Over three starts in Portland totaling 17 innings, the 21-year-old right-hander has a 1.59 ERA and has struck out 23 batters, only allowed six hits, three earned runs, one homer, and nine walks. His command seems to be improving rapidly; after 10 wild pitches in his 15 starts for Greenville before the promotion, he’s yet to throw one in Portland.

Gonzalez wasn’t the only one to earn POTW honors in July. On the last day of the month, fellow righty Grant Gambrell was named Pitcher of the Week after his own shutout start. Gambrell, who was one of the players to be named later the Kansas City Royals sent to Boston to complete the Andrew Benintendi trade, tossed seven scoreless innings in which he only issued one walk and struck out eight.

Down in the South Atlantic League, Angel Bastardo had a stupendous month, capped off by becoming just the third Greenville Drive pitcher ever to bring home Pitcher of the Month honors.

The 21-year-old right-hander’s July included back-to-back complete-game shutouts on July 15 (called after six innings due to rain) and July 23, both of which were on the road. In the latter, he tied the club record with 14 strikeouts in a single game.

Overall, Bastardo posted a 2.89 ERA and held batters to a .192 average in July. He struck out 42 over just 28 innings across his five starts.

On the offensive side, No. 5 prospect Roman Anthony hit .268 over 16 games. The 19-year-old outfielder, who moved up to Greenville in mid-June, put up a .984 OPS in July that was nearly 100 points higher than his June total.

Preseason, Keith Law of The Athletic wondered if the Red Sox have a single legitimate starting pitching prospect in their organization.

Up and down the farm, that hasn’t looked like the case this summer. On the second-to-last day of July, Jedixson Paez made his case, tossing six shutout innings and only allowing one hit.

Overall, Paez had a stellar month, posting a 0.90 ERA across four starts in which he only allowed 10 hits and two earned runs, and struck out 20. Opposing batters hit .141 against him with a meager .348 OPS. He didn’t issue a single walk all month.

The end of July also saw Elvis Soto’s promotion from Florida Complex League, and an impressive Salem debut. Over four shutout innings, the 19-year-old held the Cleveland affiliate Lynchburg Hillcats to two hits, two walks, and struck out three.

On the offensive side, Cutter Coffey continues to improve with each passing month. After hitting .247 with a .337 on-base percentage in June, the organization’s No. 17 prospect put up a .264 average and .354 OBP in July.

Top draft picks Kyle Teel (first round, No. 14) and Nazzan Zanetello (second, No. 50) are among the greenest Red Sox prospects playing rookie ball in Fort Myers. Though this is July’s farm report, it’s worth noting that both made their professional debuts on Thursday, with Teel serving as starting catcher and batting third, and Zanetello playing shortstop and batting second. Both went 0-for-2 in a 7-0 loss in which their team only managed three hits.

On Friday, Zanetello hit third and served as the designated. While he again went hitless, he drew three walks, stole three bases, and scored a pair of runs.