Tag: promotions

Red Sox promote top prospect Franklin Arias to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted top prospect Franklin Arias from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Arias is moving up a level for the second time this season. The 19-year-old infielder opened the 2025 campaign at Low-A Salem and batted .346/.407/.397 (134 wRC+) with four doubles, nine RBIs, 15 runs scored, four stolen bases, six walks, and 12 strikeouts in 19 games (86 plate appearances) before receiving a promotion to Greenville in late April.

After getting off to a blistering start with Greenville that saw him net South Atlantic League Player of the Month honors for May, Arias began to cool off as spring turned to summer. The right-handed hitter continued to struggle offensively out of the All-Star break in July, but has fared relatively better as of late to bring his line up to .265/.329/.380 (107 wRC+) with 21 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 49 RBIs, 43 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 32 walks, and 35 strikeouts in 87 games (392 plate appearances) for the Drive.

Overall, Arias is slashing .279/.343/.383 (112 wRC+) with 25 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 58 RBIs, 58 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 106 games (478 plate appearances) between Salem and Greenville this season. That includes a .214/.296/.282 line against lefties and a .300/.358/.415 line against righties.

Between his stops in Salem and Greenville, Arias primarily split his playing time between shortstop and second base, logging 780 2/3 innings at the former and 44 innings at the latter. The rangy 5-foot-11, 170-pounder (listed height and weight) committed six errors (all at shortstop) in 364 total defensive chances. He also made 10 starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Arias originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as an international free agent coming out of Caracas in January 2023. Lauded for his ability to make contact and fielding prowess, he made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League shortly thereafter. He impressed there before truly breaking out last season. As part of a standout 2024 campaign, he was recognized as a Baseball America Rookie and Florida Complex League All-Star, the Florida Complex League’s Top MLB Prospect and MVP, and Boston’s Minor League Baserunner of the Year.

Unsurprisingly, Arias was included in multiple top 100 prospects lists to begin the 2025 season. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 3 prospect and the game’s No. 50 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him ranked as Boston’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 24 prospect in the sport. SoxProspects.com has him at No. 2 on its top 60 list behind only rookie left-hander Payton Tolle.

Arias, who turns 20 in November, is leading off and starting at shortstop in Portland’s series opener against Erie at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night. The Sea Dogs have 12 regular-season games remaining and currently trail Somerset by just 1 1/2 games for a spot in the Eastern League playoffs.

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote OF prospect Justin Gonzales to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted outfield prospect Justin Gonzales from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Gonzales, 18, is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 12 prospect. At the same time, MLB Pipeline has him ranked at No. 7 and SoxProspects.com has him ranked at No. 13. The Dominican Republic native is enjoying a productive first season in the United States after originally signing with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Bani last January.

On the heels of earning 2024 Dominican Summer League All-Star honors and being named the organization’s Minor League Latin Program Position Player of the Year in his professional debut, Gonzales impressed in his first stateside spring training down in Fort Myers and received a promotion to Salem on May 6 after appearing in just one game in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

Given his general lack of experience, it’s not terribly surprising that Gonzales struggled somewhat out of the gate in his first taste of full-season ball. The right-handed hitter was batting .246/.398/.277 in his first 18 games (83 plate appearances) with Salem through the end of May. He began to turn a corner in June, however, and has been steadily on the rise since then. Overall, he slashed .298/.381/.423 with 23 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 27 RBIs, 45 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 52 strikeouts over 81 games (357 plate appearances) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. That includes a .317/.431/.533 line against lefties and a .294/.368/.397 line against righties.

Among 54 qualified Carolina League hitters entering play Tuesday, Gonzales ranked first in batting average, third in slugging percentage and strikeout rate (14.6 percent), fourth in OPS (.804), wOBA (.393), and wRC+ (131), ninth in on-base percentage, 18th in swinging-strike rate (10.3 percent), and 20th in isolated power (.125), per FanGraphs.

“This kid is more physical than any player I’ve been around,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier earlier this year. “He’s a monster. I think he’s still kind of learning what he can do physically, learning his body. And for a guy who’s so big and has so much power, his ability to control the bat is incredibly impressive. He’s been a much better hitter than maybe we had expected. That’s been really exciting.”

Defensively, Gonzales saw playing time at all three outfield spots with Salem. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder logged 226 1/3 innings in center, 192 innings in right, and 127 2/3 innings in left, recording two assists and committing four errors in 127 total chances. He also made 16 starts at DH and has previous experience at first base.

Gonzales, who does not turn 19 until December, surpasses recently-activated right-hander Juan Valera as the youngest player on Greenville’s roster. He is batting second and starting in right field for the Drive in their series opener against the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fluor Field on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Justin Gonzales: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote IF/OF prospect Justin Riemer (.423 OBP) to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted infield/outfield prospect Justin Riemer from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Riemer is not currently regarded among Boston’s top prospects by publications like Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com. The 23-year-old has not hit for much power this season, though he has gotten on base at an exceptional rate thus far.

After breaking camp with Greenville earlier this spring, Riemer suffered a shoulder injury on April 15 and was sidelined for a month as a result. The right-handed hitter returned to action on May 15 and batted .243/.423/.287 with five doubles, one home run, 16 RBIs, 26 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 54 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 66 games (241 plate appearances) for the Drive overall. That includes a .238/.365/.286 slash line against lefties and a .245/.439/.288 slash line against righties.

Among the 95 hitters who entered play Friday having made at least 240 trips to the plate in the South Atlantic League this year, Riemer ranked first in walk rate (22.4 percent) and swinging-strike rate (2.8 percent), second in on-base percentage, 14th in wOBA (.364), 15th in strikeout rate (18.7 percent), 16th in wRC+ (127), and 34th in batting average and OPS (.710), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Riemer has seen playing time at five different positions so far this season. In addition to making 34 starts at second base, nine starts at third base, and two starts at shortstop, the versatile 5-foot-10, 170-pounder was introduced to the outfield in early June and has since logged 125 error-free innings between the two corner spots. He has also made three starts at DH.

Riemer was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 133rd overall pick (which the club received as compensation for qualified free agent Nathan Eovaldi signing with the Rangers in December 2022) in the 2023 draft out of Wright State. The Virginia native signed with Boston for an over-slot $500,000 shortly thereafter, but was still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered that spring, which pushed his professional debut back until last July.

In the time since officially entering the pro ranks, Riemer has drawn praise for his disciplined approach, pitch recognition, and bat-to-ball skills. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, though, Riemer’s ability to draw walks at a high rate could be put to the test as he moves from the lower minors to the upper minors, where he is sure to be challenged more by tougher opposing pitchers.

Having said that, Riemer is not in the starting lineup for Portland’s game against Binghamton at Hadlock Field on Friday night.

(Picture of Justin Riemer: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote OF prospect Miguel Bleis to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted outfield prospect and former top international signing Miguel Bleis from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Bleis, 21, is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 20 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him at No. 12 and SoxProspects.com has him at No. 13 in the system. The right-handed hitter got his season off to a somewhat late start due to a quad injury, but batted .226/.314/.422 with 15 doubles, one triple, a team-leading 13 home runs and 41 RBIs, 48 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 75 strikeouts in 77 games (325 plate appearances) for Greenville. That includes a .247/.327/.466 slash line against right-handed pitching and a .156/.270/.266 slash line against left-handed pitching.

Among 71 qualified South Atlantic League hitters entering play Friday, Bleis notably ranks first in pull rate (62.6 percent), second in fly ball rate (46.3 percent), ninth in isolated power (.195), 14th in slugging percentage, 23rd in OPS (.736), 24th in wOBA (.343), and 29th in strikeout rate (23.1 percent) and wRC+ (113), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Bleis saw playing time at all three outfield spots with Greenville this season. The athletic 6-foot-2, 205-pounder made 37 starts in right field, 30 starts in center field, and four starts in left field, recording five assists (all from center) and committing two errors in 137 total chances. He also made six starts at DH.

Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Bleis received the largest bonus ($1.5 million) of any international free agent the Red Sox signed in 2021. The San Pedro de Macorís native was once viewed as a consensus top-100 prospect after dominating the rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2022. Since undergoing season-ending left shoulder surgery in June 2023, however, he has struggled to produce consistent results, despite occasionally showing flashes of his five-tool potential.

In Portland, Bleis figures to provide the Sea Dogs with additional outfield help after the Red Sox traded James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard to the Dodgers for right-hander Dustin May on Thursday. This promotion is also noteworthy because Bleis can become eligible for this winter’s Rule 5 Draft, so how he fares in his first stint at the Double-A level could go a long way in determining if he is worthy of being added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote IF prospect Mikey Romero to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect and former first-round pick Mikey Romero from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Romero, 21, is currently ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 14 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him at No. 7 and SoxProspects.com has him at No. 11. The left-handed hitter broke camp with Portland this spring and batted .254/.315/.440 with 18 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, a team-leading 40 RBIs, 40 runs scored, four stolen bases, 23 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 66 games (297 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs to begin the 2025 season.

After being sidelined for most of June with arm fatigue, Romero had slashed .262/.292/.423 with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 22 RBIs, 14 runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and 31 strikeouts in his last 30 games (138 plate appearances) leading up to Friday’s promotion. Overall, he is batting .253/.305/.452 against right-handed pitching and .255/.356/.392 against left-handed pitching so far this year.

Among 62 qualified hitters in the Eastern League entering play Friday, Romero notably ranks eighth in isolated power (.187), 11th in slugging percentage, 16th in OPS (.755), 18th in batting average, 19th in wRC+ (116), 20th in wOBA (.342), 26th in line-drive rate (23.2 percent), and 31st in on-base percentage, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Romero has seen playing time at every infield position besides first base this season. With Portland, the 6-foot, 205-pounder made 20 starts at third base, 20 starts at shortstop, and nine starts at second base, committing seven errors in 138 total chances. He also made 17 starts at DH.

A California native, Romero was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 24th overall selection in the 2022 draft out of Orange Lutheran High School. He forwent his commitment to LSU by signing with Boston for an under-slot $2.3 million and has dealt with several injuries since entering the professional ranks. Having said that, he had a healthy offseason after reaching Portland last August and then impressed manager Alex Cora in spring training despite not being part of big-league camp.

“Mikey Romero is a good player,” Cora said in March. ” We just got to get him healthy. He did everything this offseason to put himself in good shape. He’s a lot stronger now. This is the first time I’ve had a look consistently, and I like him as a player. … Good instincts, really good instincts.”

Romero figures to provide the WooSox with additional infield help after Blaze Jordan was traded to the Cardinals for veteran left-hander Steven Matz on Wednesday night. To mark his Triple-A debut, he is batting sixth and starting at third base in Game 1 of Worcester’s doubleheader against Lehigh Valley at Polar Park on Friday afternoon. He will be tasked with facing Phillies righty Aaron Nola, who is beginning a rehab assignment with the IronPigs, out of the gate.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote D’Angelo Ortiz, David Ortiz’s son, to Low-A Salem

The Red Sox have promoted minor-league corner infielder D’Angelo Ortiz from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Ortiz, the son of franchise legend and Hall of Famer David Ortiz, was selected by the Red Sox in the 19th round (567th overall) of the 2024 draft out of Miami Dade College. The 21-year-old previously played with the Brockton Rox of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. He signed for an at-slot $150,000 last July but did not make his professional debut until May.

A right-handed hitter unlike his father, the younger Ortiz is still in search of his first pro home run after batting .273/.384/.305 with two doubles, one triple, 18 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 27 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 51 games (185 plate appearances) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox to begin his 2025 season.

Among 66 qualified Florida Complex League hitters, Ortiz notably ranks 12th in batting average and on-base percentage, 17th in strikeout rate (18.4 percent), and 22nd in walk rate (14.6 percent), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Ortiz split his playing time with the FCL Red Sox between the two infield corners. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder logged 302 1/3 innings at first base and 85 innings at third base, committing seven errors in 250 total defensive chances.

Ortiz, who just turned 21 earlier this month, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top prospects by publications such as Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com. He will likely need to tap into his power potential if he intends on sticking at either first or third base moving forward.

With that being said, Ortiz is slated to join a corner infield mix in Salem that consists of Frederik Jimenez, Karim Ayubi, Yohander Linarez, Fraymi De Leon, and Starlyn Nunez at present. He will presumably make his full-season debut against the Charleston RiverDogs at some point this week.

(Picture of D’Angelo and David Ortiz: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox to promote pitching prospect Cooper Adams to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting pitching prospect Cooper Adams from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster.

Adams, who turned 25 last month, is not regarded among the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system but is nonetheless having an interesting year. The right-hander appeared in 21 games (made one start) for Greenville to begin his second season in the organization and posted a 3.95 ERA (2.99 FIP) with 55 strikeouts to 20 walks over 43 1/3 innings in which opponents batted .256 against him.

In his last 11 outings dating back to May 28, Adams has pitched to a 1.89 ERA (2.53 FIP) with 21 strikeouts to eight walks across 19 innings in which he has held opponents to a .219 average. Overall, right-handed hitters are batting .263 against him, while left-handed hitters are batting .250 against him.

Among 67 pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings in the South Atlantic League this year, Adams most notably ranks fifth in swinging-strike rate (15.9 percent), 12th in FIP, 13th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.42), 15th in strikeout rate (29.3 percent), and 21st in xFIP (3.48), per FanGraphs.

After going undrafted out of Mount St. Mary’s University as a fifth-year senior in 2023, Adams worked to add velocity to his repertoire through strength training and mechanical changes at Tread Athletics in North Carolina. The Maryland native later threw for interested teams at the facility’s annual pro day weekend and ultimately signed with the Red Sox last February.

From there, Adams spent the entirety of his first professional season at Greenville, where he forged a 5.08 ERA (5.48 FIP) over 26 appearances (six starts) spanning 79 2/3 innings. He also pitched for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League to close out an eventful 2024, which he described to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith earlier this spring as “a big development year.”

“And I credit all the guys with the Red Sox,” said Adams, who shouted out then-development coach (and now Low-A Salem’s pitching coach) Alex Reynolds as well as longtime Greenville pitching coach Bob Kipper. “That led me to go to the offseason and go, ‘OK, I’m gonna work on getting my pitches more consistent, getting the shapes of my pitches consistent. And then being able to throw them in locations and throw strikes.”

Adams carried over that momentum from the offseason into Fort Myers and earned a spot on the Red Sox’ 2025 Spring Breakout roster. He retired two of the four batters he faced in the fourth inning of a 7-5 loss to the Rays at Charlotte Sports Park on March 13.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Adams throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium leg kick into his delivery. The righty now sits 94-95 mph and can reach velocities north of 97 mph with his fastball. He has also featured a 92-94 mph sinker, an 86-91 mph cut-slider, an 83-85 mph curveball, and an 86-88 mph changeup, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

With his promotion to Portland, Adams is slated to join a Sea Dogs bullpen that already includes the likes of Jeremy Wu-Yelland, Noah Song, Yovanny Cruz, and Jack Anderson, among others.

(Picture of Cooper Adams: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox promote pitching prospect acquired in offseason trade to Low-A Salem

The Red Sox have promoted rising pitching prospect Yhoiker Fajardo from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Fajardo was among the top arms in the Florida Complex League to begin the 2025 season. In six appearances (four starts) for the FCL Red Sox, the 18-year-old right-hander posted a 0.44 ERA and 2.71 FIP with 24 strikeouts to seven walks over 20 2/3 innings pitched. Opposing hitters batted just .134 against him.

Coming into play on Tuesday, Fajardo was one of 41 pitchers to have thrown at least 20 innings in the FCL so far this year. Among those 41, he ranked first in ERA, FIP, and line-drive rate (2.3 percent), second in batting average against and WHIP (0.77), sixth in strikeout rate (31.6 percent), seventh in xFIP (3.53), 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.45), 12th in groundball rate (51.2 percent), and 16th in walks per nine innings (3.05), per FanGraphs.

Fajardo was acquired by the Red Sox from the White Sox for left-handed reliever Cam Booser in December. The native Venezuelan originally signed with Chicago for $400,000 as an international free agent coming out of Villa de Cura last February. He enjoyed a strong professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that culminated in him being recognized as a 2024 DSL All-Star.

Upon switching organizations for the first time in his career over the winter, Fajardo entered the 2025 campaign ranked by both Baseball America and SoxProspects.com as the No. 40 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The projectable 6-foot-3, 181-pound righty throws from a three-quarters arm slot and currently operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s fastball (topped out at 97.4 mph with it last Friday), a low-80s slider, and a high-80s changeup, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

It is unclear when Fajardo, who does not turn 19 until October, will make his full-season debut for Salem. Still, with another young arm in the Red Sox pitching pipeline set to move up a level and encounter a new challenge, this is nonetheless an exciting development.

(Picture of Yhoiker Fajardo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote power-hitting IF prospect Freili Encarnacion to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect Freili Encarnacion from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, as was first reported by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield.

Encarnacion, 20, had gotten his second season with Salem off to a roaring start and was promptly rewarded with a promotion. In 45 games for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate this year, the right-handed hitter batted .303/.363/.566 with 14 doubles, one triple, a team-leading 10 home runs and 32 RBIs, 34 runs scored, five stolen bases, 11 walks, and 39 strikeouts over 193 plate appearances. That includes a .273/.385/.545 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .310/.357/.570 slash line against right-handed pitching.

Among qualified hitters in the Carolina League coming into play Tuesday, Encarnacion ranked first in slugging percentage and isolated power (.263), second in OPS (.929), third in batting average, fifth in wOBA (.434) and wRC+ (153), 19th in on-base percentage, and 21st in line-drive rate (24.6 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Encarnacion saw playing time at every infield position besides shortstop to begin the season with Salem. The 6-foot-2, 181-pounder logged 151 1/3 innings at first base, 44 innings at second base, and 154 innings at third base, committing nine errors in 212 total defensive chances. He also made four starts at DH.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Encarnacion originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.1 million as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in January 2022. He made his professional debut and held his own (.704 OPS in 41 games) in the Dominican Summer League shortly thereafter before a back injury limited him to just eight Florida Complex League games in 2023. In his first go-around with Salem last year, he slashed .244/.290/.329 with two home runs and 32 RBIs in 45 games.

Encarnacion, who just turned 20 in January, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top prospects by publications such as SoxProspects.com. He does, however, possess some of the best raw power in the system, as evidenced by the exit velocities (including a 120.6 mph single and a 117.2 mph home run) he has produced so far this season. If he can continue to refine his approach at the plate, he could put himself in a position to move up organizational prospect boards across the industry.

(Picture of Freili Encarnacion: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote IF prospect Blaze Jordan to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Jordan, 22, will move up a level for the first time in nearly two years with this promotion. The right-handed hitter initially got his 2025 season off to a slow start offensively, but turned things around for the better in May. Altogether, he batted a stout .320/.415/.513 with 11 doubles, six home runs, a team-leading 37 RBIs, 30 runs scored, three stolen bases, 22 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 44 games (176 plate appearances) for Portland.

Among qualified Eastern League hitters entering Sunday (Jordan didn’t play in Portland’s series finale against Altoona), Jordan ranked first in on-base percentage and wOBA (.422), second in OPS (.928), third in batting average, strikeout rate (10.8 percent), and wRC+ (166), seventh in slugging percentage, 14th in swinging-strike rate (8.1 percent), 19th in isolated power (.193), 20th in walk rate (12.5 percent), and 22nd in line-drive rate (25.8 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Jordan unsurprisingly split his playing time on the dirt between the two corner infield spots with Portland this year. The 6-foot, 220-pounder made 28 starts (238 2/3 innings) at first base and 14 starts (114 1/3 innings) at third base without committing an error in 222 total defensive chances. He also made two starts at DH.

Originally selected in the third round (89th overall) of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of DeSoto Central High School, Jordan began his professional career when he forwent his commitment to Mississippi State and signed with the Red Sox for an over-slot $1.75 million. The Southaven, Miss., native has dealt with plenty of adversity both on and off the field since then, but is now in the process of putting together the kind of season that should help him get back on the prospect map.

Though he is not regarded among the organization’s top prospects by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, Jordan is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Adding on to that, Jordan — who does not turn 23 until December — can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

Relatively speaking, that deadline is a long way away. Still, the Red Sox will almost surely use this promotion as an opportunity to further evaluate Jordan and determine if he is worthy of a 40-man roster spot this winter. Based on the club’s willingness to deal from its pool of Rule 5-eligible prospects in the past, it also would not come as a shock if Jordan were moved before this summer’s trade deadline.

Putting that aside for the time being, Jordan is slated to join a corner infield mix in Worcester that currently includes the likes of Nathan Hickey, Vaughn Grissom, Ryan Noda, and Nick Sogard. The WooSox open a six-game series against the Rochester Red Wings at Polar Park on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)