Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: 2 promotions should hopefully overshadow injury woes

The Boston Red Sox prospects had a busy week. There were more promotions and even more injuries. Meanwhile, a big name (and celly watch) returned.

In Triple-A, Zach Penrod made his debut. The left-handed pitcher allowed five hits in four innings but didn't allow a run to cross. He struck out five batters compared to two walks. It wasn't the cleanest appearance, but Penrod got the job done.

Richard Fitts easily had his best start in a WooSox jersey this week on May 29 when he carried a perfect game into the eighth inning. He allowed one hit and no earned runs over seven innings. Fitts struck out seven batters and walked none. He's down to a 3.72 ERA, and his BAA has drastically improved to .246. Fitts has 41 strikeouts and 15 walks in 48 1/3 innings.

Grant Gambrell allowed three hits and one unearned run in four innings this week. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.93 ERA, .266 BAA, and 1.44 WHIP in 52 2/3 innings. He's struck out 48 batters compared to 21 walks. Gambrell hasn't been perfect, but he's a consistently solid arm and had a solid May.

Injuries and promotions caused a commotion in the Red Sox farm

Ryan Zeferjahn redeemed himself after two rough outings last week. The righty pitcher tossed one perfect inning, striking out two batters. Zeferjahn has a 1.52 ERA and 35 strikeouts compared to 11 walks in 23 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season.

Chase Meidroth has drawn seven walks and only struck out three times over his last five games. The right-handed hitting infielder holds a .284/.432/.364 slash line with eight doubles and two home runs. He's driven in 24 runs, scored 33, and stolen eight bases. Meidroth has 41 walks compared to 26 strikeouts.

Nick Sogard hit over .300 in May and has strong numbers on the season. The switch-hitting utility player is slashing .269/.399/.434 with nine doubles and has already tied his home run total from last year with seven. Sogard has 25 RBI, 34 runs scored, and three steals.

Nathan Hickey hit another double and another home run this week. The left-handed hitting catcher/first baseman is only hitting .215, but the power numbers are starting to creep back up. He's collected eight doubles, one triple, and six home runs. Hickey's also driven in 27 runs.

Boston Red Sox Double-A (Portland)

Luis Perales made his Double-A debut on Sunday and the righty was incredible. He struck out seven batters compared to just one walk over five innings. Perales gave up one unearned run on two hits. He hit at least 98 MPH on his fastball and his offspeed stuff looked nasty — he's earned his title as Boston's top pitching prospect,

Hunter Dobbins twirled a gem for his best start of the season. The righty allowed three hits over seven scoreless innings and struck out eight batters compared to one walk. Dobbins redeemed himself after back-to-back rough outings. He has a 4.08 ERA and 35 strikeouts (19 walks) in 39 2/3 innings.

Isaac Coffey threw five shutout innings, walked three batters and hit two more. He only allowed one hit and added four strikeouts. Coffey's posted a 4.54 ERA and 22 walks in 37 2/3 innings. However, he's struck out 38 batters and only allowed one home run. Last season, walks were not an issue, but homers were.

Brendan Cellucci gave up two hits in two scoreless innings in his lone outing this week. The lefty reliever hit one batter, didn't walk any and struck out five. He holds a 3.24 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season.

Caleb Bolden tossed three scoreless innings in his lone appearance of the week. The righty reliever allowed two hits, one walk and fanned five batters. Bolden has allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings in Double-A.

Tyler Miller made his Double-A debut this week and looked fantastic. The left-handed hitting corner infielder/outfielder went 6-for-25 with a double and a home run. He struck out three times and walked one, driving in three runs and scoring four.

Kyle Teel shouldn't be in Double-A much longer, and Altoona is going to throw a parade whenever they find out they never have to play him again. The left-handed hitting catcher was 10-for-24 and drilled two clutch ninth-inning homers. Teel's slashing .307/.411/.497 with 11 doubles and six home runs. He's driven in 34 runs, scored 34, and stolen three bags.

Marcelo Mayer had another good week. The left-handed hitting shortstop went 7-for-23 with two doubles and a home run. He drove in five runs and stole a base. Most importantly, he drew five walks (all in the last three games). Mayer is now on a seven-game hitting streak and holds a .295/.350/.487 slash line with 19 doubles and six home runs. He's driven in 27 runs, scored 42 more, and stolen 10 bases.

Tyler McDonough is rocking a 10-game hitting streak. He's raised his average from .184 to .275 in Double-A. The switch-hitting utility player has taken advantage of his increased playing time and is sure to earn more.

Matthew Lugo hit another double, triple, and home run this week. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .315/.405/.664 with 10 doubles, four triples, and 11 home runs. He's driven in 35 runs, scored 27 more, and stolen nine bases. Lugo was promoted to Triple-A on Sunday night.

Nick Decker went 6-for-20 with two doubles and five walks. He drove in five runs, scored five more, and stole two bases. Decker still doesn't have great stats on the season, but this was a big week, and he showcased his different abilities well.

Nick Yorke had a double, a home run, and drove in six runs. The right-handed hitting second baseman/left fielder is hitting .246 with eight doubles and four home runs. He's driven in 27 runs, scored 20, and stolen eight bases.

Roman Anthony and Phillip Sikes both missed the entire week due to injuries.

Boston Red Sox High-A (Greenville Drive)

Yordanny Monegro made his season debut in High-A on June 2. The right-handed pitcher allowed one run on three hits over four innings. He walked two batters and struck out two more and he still has incredible aura.

Jedixson Paez got the promotion to Greenville this week. He came in relief during Monegro's start. The righty allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits over four innings. Paez fanned four batters and, as usual, didn't walk anyone.

Hayden Mullins looked fantastic in his lone appearance this week. The left-handed pitcher allowed one run on four hits over four innings. He struck out eight batters and walked two. Mullins has a 4.01 ERA and .230 BAA in nine starts.

Connelly Early allowed two runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings this week. The lefty pitcher walked two batters and hit another but struck out six. He has a 3.67 ERA, .201 BAA, and 1.03 WHIP in 41 2/3 innings. Early has 51 strikeouts compared to only 12 walks this season.

Jhostynxon Garcia was moved up to High-A and found his footing quickly. The right-handed hitting outfielder went 5-for-16 with a home run and a walk (and one HBP). He drove in one run and scored one run. Garcia was impressive in Single-A and looks to keep his momentum in Greenville.

Kristian Campbell's 34-game on-base streak ended on Saturday but started a new one on Sunday. The right-handed second baseman/outfielder also got his first professional chance at third base on Sunday and looked great. Campbell's slashing .306/.418/.558 with 13 doubles and eight home runs. He's driven in 25 runs, scored 29, and stolen three bags. Campbell was promoted on Sunday night, so next time you see him, he'll be in a Portland jersey.

Ronald Rosario had a massive week, driving in seven runs. The right-handed hitting catcher is hitting .241 with eight doubles and one triple. Rosie's up to 20 RBI, thanks to the big series.

Mikey Romero is on a four-game hitting streak and has a .262 average in High-A. The left-handed hitting shortstop has two doubles, one triple, and one home run. He's driven in five runs and scored six more in nine games.

Juan Chacon appeared in his first game since May 21 on June 2. He went 1-for-5, but that one hit was a big one — the right-handed hitting outfielder hit a walk-off two-run double to cap a six-run ninth inning and give Greenville an improbable 7-6 win.

Allan Castro is riding a five-game hitting streak. The switch-hitting outfielder is only hitting .206 on the year but has a .352 OBP thanks to 34 walks. Castro has nine doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He's driven in 16 runs, scored 25 more, and stolen three bases.

Boston Red Sox Single-A (Salem)

Nelly Taylor has been on a roll since mid-May. The left-handed hitting outfielder had a massive series this week, which included hitting his first two home runs of the season. Taylor's hitting .261 with a league-leading 15 doubles and two home runs. He's driven in 24 runs, scored 26 more, and stolen 11 bases.

Miguel Bleis only appeared in two games this week but extended his hitting streak to 13 games, going 3-for-8 with a walk. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .258/.352/.403 with nine doubles, one triple, and four home runs. He's driven in 18 runs, scored 23 more, and stolen 16 bases.

Nazzan Zanetello appeared in three games this week and collected a hit in all three. The right-handed hitting shortstop went 4-for-14 with two doubles and two RBI. Zanetello's 11-for-41 with nine walks, three doubles, and two home runs. He's driven in five runs, scored nine, and stolen one base.

Marvin Alcantara went 7-for-24 with four RBI this week. The right-handed hitting infielder is above a .200 average. It's been a bit of a struggle, but there are some good signs from Alcantara. This week was a step in the right direction.

Freili Encarnacion was 6-for-21 with two doubles this week. The right-handed hitting infielder is slashing .287/.365/.376 with four doubles, one triple, and one home run. He's driven in 10 runs, scored 15 more, and stolen three bases.

Fraymi De Leon is on a seven-game hitting streak. The switch-hitting infielder has seen his average rise from .206 to .234 during the streak. He has one double and one triple and has eight stolen bases on the year.

Andy Lugo had two more multi-hit games this week. The right-handed hitting utility is slashing .273/.376/.391 with 13 doubles and one triple. He's driven in 10 runs, scored 19 more, and stolen 10 bases.

Blake Wehunt allowed one run on three hits over five innings. The right-handed pitcher struck out three batters without walking anyone. Wehunt holds a 2.16 ERA, .167 BAA, and 1.05 WHIP in 33 1/3 innings. The chicken farmer has 44 strikeouts compared to 15 walks. Wehunt was promoted to High-A on Sunday night.

Noah Dean had his second straight strong outing this week. The lefty allowed one run on one hit over four innings. He hit two batters but struck out five and didn't walk anyone. Dean has a 5.02 ERA but just a .170 BAA and 1.19 WHIP in 28 2/3 innings. Control is still an issue (18 walks and six HBP), but he's struck out 37 batters.

Matt Duffy gave up two runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings. The right-handed pitcher struck out three batters and walked two (also hit one). Duffy has a 3.92 ERA with 30 strikeouts compared to only nine walks in 39 innings.

Max Carlson struck out four batters in three scoreless innings. The righty reliever gave up two hits and walked one (intentionally walk). He has a 2.74 ERA, .193 BAA, and 1.13 WHIP in 23 innings in Single-A. Carlson has 34 strikeouts compared to 10 walks in 23 innings.

More Red Sox reads: