Tom Caron makes embarrassing flub during endless Red Sox-Pirates rain delay

The Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates endured a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay at PNC Park on Sunday. The lapse in action meant NESN play-by-play announcer Tom Caron had to vamp. Caron is as seasoned as they come, but even he is suspect to an on-air mistake with over two hours of unexpected air time at his disposal.

“They found the news this morning — we all did — that Dice-K Matsuzaka had been placed on the IL with a hamstring injury suffered last night,” Caron said.

Boston placed Masataka Yoshida on the 10-day IL, not Daisuke “Dice-K” Matsuzaka, who retired from professional baseball in 2021. Matsuzaka pitched for the Red Sox from 2007 to 2012, winning the World Series in 2007. He finished his MLB career with the New York Mets from 2013 to 2014 before returning to Japan.

So, it would be pretty difficult for the Red Sox to place Matsuzaka on the IL. Caron recognized his mistake later in NESN’s rain delay broadcast.

“Masataka Yoshida — had that inadvertently before — Masataka Yoshida, as expected, placed on the 10-day IL,” Caron said.

Tom Caron breaks the news that Dice-K Matsuzaka is going on the IL for the Red Sox during the weather delay pic.twitter.com/uG3BKJFmH3

— Sox Content (@SoxContent) August 16, 2026

Caron’s flub was harmless. That means nothing in the age of the internet, so he inevitably became the butt of several jokes on X (formerly Twitter).

“Damn. Tom Caron reports that Dice K Matsuzaka will be placed on the IL Our pitching is getting really thin now,” Alex Zachary wrote.

“This is embarrassing,” Jordan Moore wrote. “Like actually humiliating for someone who covers the team.

“WTF?? Is there a reporter in Japan that can verify if Dice K is okay?? I hope Yoshida is okay too!” another user wrote.

The 162-game MLB schedule provides endless opportunities for redemption. That’s the beauty of baseball. Caron will be back in the booth to redeem himself when the Red Sox will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.

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