Low-A Salem Red Sox catching prospect to miss the rest of the season following a 'significant' knee injury
Red Sox minor league catcher Johanfran Garcia has a significant knee injury and will miss the rest of the season, according to the MiLB transactions log.
The Salem Red Sox catcher was carted off the field last week and initially diagnosed with a knee sprain. After additional imaging, it was revealed he would need season-ending surgery.
“Unfortunately, with some more testing and some information we received, it’s a significant knee injury and he’s going to be out for the season,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said on the Fenway Rundown podcast. “I don’t have details exactly on the injury but it’s unfortunate for him. He’s been one of our best performers, offensively and defensively. He continues to improve and was making a ton of progress.”
Garcia had been off to a big year at the plate, hitting .385 with two home runs, five RBI, and a 1.063 OPS in 52 at-bats.
Boston signed Garcia for $850,000 in January 2022 and made his debut in the organization in the summer of 2023. The 5-foot-10, 196-pound backstop played 259 2/3 innings in his first professional season. Offensively, he hit .274 with 13 doubles, two triples, six homers, 37 RBI, 24 walks, six stolen bases, and a .814 OPS.
Garcia is ranked as the No. 13 prospect with Baseball America, and according to his scouting report, he has a ton of offensive upside and moves well behind the plate.
Garcia has the strength and bat speed to drive the ball—particularly pitches down in the zone—with ease from his balanced, upright stance. He leaves little on the table when his bat syncs up with a powerful torso rotation. Garcia has all-field power ability, but most of his right-handed power manifests on his pull side. His swing is long, which creates holes in the zone that suggest a below-average hit tool, but he limits his chases and shows plenty of potential impact when he makes contact. Garcia already has a powerful build and will have to work to avoid getting too big for the catcher, but he moves well and shows average technical skills, including strike-stealing on the edges of the zone. He showed sub-2.0-second pop times on throws to second base with solid accuracy, while he threw out 32% of basestealers in 2023. He also showed promise at first base as an amateur.
He ranks behind Kyle Teel and Nathan Hickey at the catcher prospect rankings in the Red Sox organization. With the depth at the position prior to his injury, he could have been a prime prospect to be traded to help improve the upper depths of the system or the 26-man roster.
