Short Season Lowell
Yoan Aybar has started off the season strong with a .320/.358/.440 batting line in his first 50 at-bats. The 19 year old centerfielder has just three walks so far this season, but over all, his .798 OPS this season shows improvement over last year’s .635 mark.
Carlos Tovar, the Spinners shortstop is a Venezuela native. He has posted a .298/.353/.468 line this season over 47 at-bats. The five foot eleven shortstop also shows little patience this season as he too has walked just three times this season in almost as many at-bats as Aybar. While the patience is currently lacking, the .468 slugging mark is an encouraging one.
Gerson Bautista is a right handed pitcher ranked 46th in the SoxProspects.com’s list of top Red Sox prospects. The 21 year old Dominican was suspended for the 2013 season for PEDs. If he can stay clean, perhaps he can help in the bullpen in a few years. This season he is off to a fast start with a scoreless 7.1 innings over five appearances, allowing just four hits. Bautista has walked just one batter while striking out eight.
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Casey Janssen is a project at this point at 34 years old. He has 110 major league saves to his credit, which is what makes him intriguing for trying to help the bullpen at some point down the stretch. The fact that he has not done well thus far at Lowell has to be a concern. After a scoreless first two appearances, he has allowed three runs on four hits over 2.1 innings of work. He has struck out five in 4.1 innings. The Red Sox might say he is just working things out so far and needs to get back into the major league grind, but unless he has a few good appearances, they might let Janssen go if he can’t get Short-A hitters out.
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