Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: The injury bug is now plaguing the minor leagues

The Boston Red Sox's roster has been ravaged by injuries. Last week, the injury bug reared its ugly head on Boston's minor league system. It didn't prevent some healthy players from putting up stellar numbers, though.

If there was anything negative that could be said about Chase Meidroth heading into Sunday, it was his lack of power — he's only posted two extra-base hits in 26 games. The right-handed hitting infielder shut his doubters up quickly with a double and a home run. Meidroth is slashing .270/.450/.360 with two doubles and two homers. He's driven in 14 runs, scored 18 more, and stolen five bases. Meidroth has 27 walks compared to just 12 strikeouts.

Niko Kavadas keeps crushing baseballs. The left-handed hitting first baseman is hitting a surprising .276 with a not-surprising .440 OBP. He's smashed eight doubles and six home runs, driving in 19 runs and scoring 21.

Nathan Hickey went 5-for-14 with two doubles this week. The left-handed hitting catcher/first baseman is hitting .238 but has a .342 OBP and the third most RBI on the team (16).

Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: The injury bug is now plaguing the minor leagues

Grant Gambrell went six innings in his start on May 1. The right-hander fanned three batters, walked one, and allowed one earned run. He pitched to a 4.35 ERA in one of the better outings of his campaign.

Corey Rosier's big day to end last week carried into this week. The left-handed hitting outfielder holds a six-game hitting streak (10-for-22) and has raised his average from .080 to .194. Rosier has elite speed (six steals) and plays good defense.

Richard Fitts made two starts this week. In the first, Fitts gave up two runs on three hits over six innings. He struck out a season-high seven batters while walking two. On Sunday, he only went 3 2/3 innings despite good numbers (apparently to manage his innings). Fitts allowed one run on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

Justin Hagenman made his second start of the year and dominated. The right-handed pitcher only allowed two hits over four scoreless frames. He struck out a career-high eight batters compared to just one walk.

Brian Van Belle only went four innings this week, but they were productive. The right-handed pitcher came out of the bullpen for the first time this year and didn't allow a run, or even a hit, in those four innings. He struck out three batters and only walked one.

Robert Kwiatkowski struck out two batters over three scoreless innings this week. The righty reliever hasn't allowed a run in 5 2/3 innings in Triple-A. Meanwhile, he has a 1.26 ERA, .180 BAA, and 0.84 WHIP in 14 1/3 innings between two levels this season.

Luis Guerrero continues to look dominant this season. The right-handed reliever has a 2.08 ERA, .156 BAA, and 1.00 WHIP over nine appearances. He's struck out 17 batters compared to six walks in 13 innings.

Brendan Cellucci has been impressive this year. The left-handed pitcher tossed another scoreless frame this week and has a 2.25 ERA in Triple-A (four innings) and a 2.61 ERA in 10 1/3 innings between two levels in 2024.

Double-A (Portland)

Matthew Lugo had another massive week, going 8-for-17 with two home runs. The right-handed hitting left fielder is slashing .354/.432/.815 with five doubles, two triples, and seven home runs. He's driven in 22 runs, scored nine more, and stolen one base. Doesn't seem like there's much left for the 22-year-old in Double-A. He's even making plays with the glove.

Blaze Jordan is currently rocking a 14-game hitting streak. The right-handed hitting corner infielder is slashing .291/.351/.442 in 22 games this year. If there was any knock on him entering this week, it was his lack of walks (one). Jordan drew four walks without striking out this week. He now has five free passes compared to just seven punchouts. Jordan also has 16 RBI.

Eddinson Paulino has been one of the best hitters in the entire system this season. The left-handed hitting infielder is on an eight-game hitting streak and slashing .286/.398/.514 with seven doubles and three home runs. Paulino's played great defense all over the infield, and his usually exciting bat has been lethal.

Marcelo Mayer slumped a bit this week but is still holding a .276 average. The shortstop has already ripped nine doubles (career-high is 30) and is 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts.

Roman Anthony is on a short four-game hitting streak. The lefty outfielder is only batting .225 but has a .343 OBP thanks to 16 walks. His 35 strikeouts are high, but it's important to remember that he's 19 in Double-A.

Kyle Teel had some big moments this week, including his third home run of the year. The left-handed hitting catcher is hitting .227 (.348 OBP) with 12 RBI and 16 runs scored.

Nick Yorke made a few impressive defensive plays this week. The righty second baseman/left fielder is hitting .244 with five doubles and three home runs. He's driven in 15 runs, scored 14, and stolen five bases.

For the second week in a row, Wikelman Gonzalez posted his best start of the season. The right-handed pitcher allowed just one run on one hit over five innings. He didn't walk anyone for the first time all year and tied a season-high with eight strikeouts. Just like last season, Gonzalez is shaking off a cold April to become one of the more dominant pitchers in the league.

Hunter Dobbins allowed one run on four hits in five innings in his lone start this week. The righty struck out eight batters without walking any. Dobbins has a 2.14 ERA, .211 BAA, and 1.19 WHIP in 21 innings this season.

Zach Penrod had a solid bounce-back outing this week. The left-handed pitcher surrendered two runs on five hits over five innings. He racked up seven strikeouts compared to two walks. Penrod boasts a 2.50 ERA, .188 BAA, and 1.17 WHIP in four starts. He's struck out 24 batters and walked nine in 18 innings.

Angel Bastardo allowed five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings this week. There were some positives, though. The defense let him down a bit, which made things worse than they could've been. Meanwhile, the righty struck out seven batters, which is a new season-high.

Isaac Coffey had his best start of the year on Sunday. The right-handed pitcher allowed one run on two hits over a season-high six innings of work. He struck out three batters and walked three. Coffey's down to a 3.66 ERA and has yet to allow a home run in 19 2/3 innings this season (gave up 22 in 117 2/3 innings last year).

Helcris Olivarez allowed three runs (all unearned) over 4 2/3 innings. He did so while only surrendering one hit. The lefty gave up four free passes and hit two batters (he also fanned four). Olivarez has a 1.76 ERA and .128 BAA, but a 1.63 WHIP due to the 19 walks (and four HBP) in 15 1/3 innings.

Ryan Zeferjahn had two more scorless outings this week. The right-handed reliever allowed just two hits and one walk in four innings, striking out seven batters. Zeferjahn has a 0.00 ERA, .176 BAA, and 0.88 WHIP in 13 2/3 innings. He's 3-for-3 in save opportunities and has 22 strikeouts compared to three walks.

To put it kindly, Wyatt Olds had a difficult 2023. The righty reliever has looked better this year, though. That included his best outing of the campaign, which came this week. Olds picked up a save by tossing three scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and, importantly, didn't walk (or hit) anyone while striking out five batters.

Felix Cepeda has struggled at times this year, but picked up another save this week. The right-handed reliever is 5-for-6 in save opportunities. His 6.00 ERA is deceptive, as Cepeda has really only had one bad outing this season.

Jonathan Brand tossed another scoreless inning this week. The righty has three shutout innings in Double-A and has a 0.00 ERA in 14 2/3 innings between two levels. He's struck out 20 batters compared to three walks this season.

Jacob Webb had two scoreless outings this week. The right-hander struck out seven batters in four innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. Webb has a 1.88 ERA, .236 BAA, and 1.12 WHIP in 14 1/3 innings. He's walked three batters and struck out 17.

High-A (Greenville)

Greenville played their games in Asheville this week. One, Ashville doesn't have a broadcast, so there was no way to watch the games.  Two, they played at a little league ballpark, so there are plenty of power numbers.

Kristian Campbell had a ridiculous week. The right-handed hitting second baseman/outfielder went 10-for-20 with two doubles and three home runs. He drove in seven RBI. Campbell is slashing .288/.390/.591 with six doubles and four home runs. He's driven in 13 runs, scored 11 more, and stolen one base.

Cutter Coffey clubbed a home run in his lone game this week but went on the IL the next day. The righty infielder was heating up, so this is difficult timing. He's batting .224 with four doubles and two home runs.

Allan Castro ripped his first home run of the year this week. The switch-hitting outfielder is only hitting .237, but his 19 walks have led to a .394 OBP. Castro has plenty of raw power, so expect those home runs to roll in now that the floodgates have opened.

Ahbram Liendo also posted his first home run of the year this week. The switch-hitting infielder is hitting .195 and hasn't shown much pop, but he's had some good at-bats and has tons of speed (9-for-9 on steal attempts). Liendo's also a great and versatile defender.

Tyler Miller went 4-for-15 this week. The average went down, but he added two more doubles, a home run, and four more RBI. Miller is slashing .297/.350/.514 with seven doubles and three home runs. The left-handed hitting corner infielder/outfielder has driven in 11 runs and scored 12.

Karson Simas is only hitting .115 in High-A, but his Triple-A excursion ended with the right-handed hitting utility player going 6-for-14 with a home run.

Luis Perales doesn't care about hitter-friendly parks. The right-handed pitcher had his best outing of the year this week. Perales tossed four scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and two walks while tying a season-high with seven strikeouts. Perales is already down to a 3.46 ERA, and we could expect more gems soon.

David Sandlin also had easily his best start of the year. The righty surrendered one run on two hits over five innings (season-high). He only walked one batter and struck out seven, another season-high. Sandlin's ERA sits at a high 5.17 but he's been so much better than that. Numbers don't always tell the whole story.

Juan Daniel Encarnacion struck out a season-high eight batters in his start this week. The right-handed pitcher gave up two runs on seven hits (and two walks) in 4 2/3 innings. JDE has a 4.24 ERA this season and has been great outside of a rough outing to start his year.

Hayden Mullins allowed two runs (one earned) over a career-high five innings in his start. He struck out four batters and walked three. The lefty is down to a 3.15 ERA in 20 innings this season.

Connelly Early tied a career-high with five innings this week. The left-handed pitcher allowed two runs on three hits in the start. Early struck out six batters and didn't walk any. However, he did hit three batters.

Bryce Bonnin tossed two scoreless innings out of the bullpen this week. The righty reliever has now thrown five scoreless and hitless innings. He's struck out three batters and walked two.

Single-A (Salem)

Johanfran Garcia went 5-for-7 in two games this week, raising his slash line to .385/.467/.596 this season. That's sadly not the big news for the right-handed hitting catcher, though. Garcia suffered a knee injury while running the bases on May 1. We don't want to speculate, but it didn't look good. He had to be carted off the field and was visibly emotional.

Nazzan Zanetello's big week was shortened by an injury as well. This one seems to be a much less serious hamstring strain. The righty hitting shortstop went 3-for-9 with a double, a home run, and a steal this week. He walked three times and only struck out twice.

Miguel Bleis had two multi-hit games this week. The right-handed hitting outfielder is slashing .224/.320/.318 with six doubles and one triple. He's driven in 10 runs, scored 12 more, and stolen nine bases. Bleis has 17 strikeouts compared to 11 walks in 97 plate appearances. He had 10 walks and 38 strikeouts in 142 plate appearances last year, so both are seeing major improvements.

Marvin Alcantara had a massive game on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a double and a triple. The right-handed hitting shortstop is only hitting .174 on the year, but this could be the spark he needed.

Antonio Anderson is hitting .116 this year, but had a great week. The 18-year-old switch-hitting third baseman went 3-for-16 with five walks and a steal. He's looked much better at the plate, and the numbers should start to follow.

Natanael Yuten is hitting .238 (.340 OBP) but seems to come up with big hits often. The lefty outfielder has two doubles, two triples, and two home runs. He leads the team with 14 RBI.

Fraymi De Leon is hitting .211 on the season but went 3-for-12 with four walks and three steals this series. The switch-hitting infielder also hit his first Single-A triple.

Andy Lugo went 2-for-12 this week but mashed two doubles and drove in two runs. He also walked twice and stole a base. The righty infielder is slashing .281/.418/.375 with eight RBI, 11 runs scored, and five steals.

Blake Wehunt was nearly perfect this week. In his lone start, the right-handed pitcher allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings. He didn't walk anyone and struck out a career-high eight batters. The chicken farmer has a 1.15 ERA in 15 2/3 innings.

Jedixson Paez is churning out great starts. The righty tossed five shutout innings this week. He allowed four hits and no walks while tying a season-high with seven strikeouts. Paez has a 2.37 ERA and two walks in 19 innings. He's struck out 24 batters (only had 73 in 84 1/3 innings last season).

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz allowed one earned run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings in his start this week. The right-handed pitcher struck out five batters compared to two walks. ERC has a 3.20 ERA, .213 BAA, and 1.37 WHIP in 19 2/3 innings. He's already up to 32 strikeouts this season.

The defense didn't do Matt Duffy any favors this week, but he still managed some positives. Duffy allowed four runs (only one earned) on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. The righty only walked one batter and struck out a career-high seven batters.

Luis Cohen has gone five innings in each of his last two starts. The right-handed pitcher gave up two runs on three hits this week. He didn't walk anyone and struck out three batters. This was his first start this year without issuing a free pass.

Jojo Ingrassia racked up the Ks this week, striking out 11 batters in five innings over two appearances out of the bullpen. The lefty reliever has a 2.40 ERA, .241 BAA, and 1.20 WHIP in eight outings. He's struck out 27 batters compared to four walks in 15 innings.

Danny Kirwin tossed three perfect innings in his lone appearance this week. The right-handed reliever has allowed one run on two hits over five innings in 2024. He's struck out four batters and has yet to walk anyone.

Isaac Stebens struck out three batters in two perfect innings this week. The righty reliever had a great bounce-back outing after struggling his last time out. Stebens has 17 strikeouts compared to four walks in 13 innings.

Royman Blanco picked up his first two saves of the season this week. The right-handed reliever struck out four batters (no walks) over two scoreless innings. He has a 2.40 ERA, .224 BAA, and 1.13 WHIP in eight appearances. Blanco is 4-1 with two saves and 11 strikeouts (four walks) in 15 innings.

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