Red Sox MiLB Notebook: Matthew Lugo’s bat making an instant impact on Worcester, Nick Yorke promoted, flurry of player promotions
What a year Red Sox outfield prospect Matthew Lugo is having! Prior to his promotion to Triple-A Worcester this week, Lugo had been off to a hot start for the Portland Sea Dogs.
The right-handed hitter slashed an impressive .315/.405/.664 with 10 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 35 RBI, 27 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 20 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 43 games.
Those numbers punched his ticket to Polar Park, and he‘s picking up where he left off in Portland.
In three games for the WooSox, Lugo has been hitting in the middle of Chad Tracy’s lineup and has posted a .364 batting average with two doubles, two homers, four RBI, six runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and a 1.591 OPS.
Lugo has homered in back-to-back games for Worcester.
Nick Yorke looking sharp early on in Worcester
Lugo wasn’t the only prospect promoted from Double-A Portland this week. Red Sox prospect Nick Yorke is also with the WooSox and has played two games and is 4-for-9 (.444) at the plate.
Yorke has played second base since his promotion but will also see time in both corner outfield positions.
The 22-year-old, who was “shocked” by his promotion, is the first of the top Red Sox prospects making their way to the WooSox.
“It means a lot just to be able to get here to where I’m at now. It’s been a long journey,” Yorke said. “There’s been some ups and downs, injuries, and stuff like that. So to be here now and being a call away from the bigs is pretty cool. So I’m just excited and super happy to be here.”
A flurry of MiLB roster moves
The Red Sox have promoted 19-year-old pitching prospect Ovis Portes from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem this week.
Portes has gotten off to a terrific start by not allowing a run in four relief appearances for the FCL Red Sox. The young right-hander allowed just five hits and four walks to go along with 16 strikeouts over 13 scoreless innings, in which he held opposing hitters to a .119 batting average.
Boston promoted catcher Mickey Gasper from Double-A Portland to the WooSox this week.
The switch-hitting Gasper batted .282/.403/.458 with 13 doubles, four home runs, 22 RBIs, 28 runs scored, three stolen bases, 26 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 44 games with the Sea Dogs.
Young infield prospect Fraymi De Leon was promoted from Low-A Salem to Double-A Portland.
The 19-year-old is making quite the jump to the Sea Dogs, but this looks more like bench help for Sea Dogs skipper Chad Epperson. In 28 games for Salem, De Leon has hit just .234 at the plate.
Karson Simas is back with the WooSox, providing much-needed bench help for Worcester. After an impressive week and a half in his first stint with the club earlier this year, Simas went 2-for-5 in Wednesday night’s WooSox game.
