Red Sox infield prospect suspended for the entire 2024 season (report)
One of the Red Sox highly-regarded Red Sox minor league prospects will miss the entire 2024 season.
Infielder Brainer Bonaci has been suspended for violating Minor League Baseball’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, according to the Boston Globe.
The nature as to why he’s been suspended is not known.
The 21-year-old was placed on the reserve list last August while playing for the Portland Sea Dogs. The Red Sox sent home Bonaci, who is from Venezuela and was placed on “administrative leave,” according to the Globe.
He was set to play in the Arizona Fall League but was unable to after he was placed on the restricted list by Major League Baseball.
Bonaci played 79 games last season split between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland. The switch-hitting infielder slashed .297/.354/.464 with 11 homers.
Prior to his off-the-field issues, Bonaci was once considered a top-15 Red Sox prospect. MLB Pipeline had ranked Bonaci as high as No. 12 in the system.
MLB Pipeline wrote the following on Bonaci last season:
Though Bonaci has slowed as he has gotten stronger and is now a fringy-to-average runner, he remains one of the best infield defenders and has one of the strongest arms in the system. His instincts and quick first step still give him solid range to both sides at shortstop, though he played more second base last season as a teammate of 2021 No. 4 overall pick Marcelo Mayer. He also saw action at third and even played an inning in right field.
A switch-hitter, Bonaci has been a different hitter in 2023 after being too passive and making too much soft contact in the past. Stronger and more aggressive than ever, he's turning on more pitches, hitting the ball with more authority and showing 15-homer potential. If he can keep this up, he'll provide enough offense to profile as an everyday player.
It’s not known what will be next following the suspension for Bonaci. There’s a chance the Red Sox could release the prospect in 2025 once he’s eligible to return.
