MLB Player News

Red Sox infield prospect Xander Bogaerts is in the lineup and batting seventh in his major league debut Tuesday in San Francisco, the Boston Globe reports. 

Called up Monday, Bogaerts, at age 20, becomes the youngest position player for the Red Sox since Dwight Evans in 1972. Evans was also 20. 

Red Sox manager John Farrell confirmed to MLB Network Radio rookie infielder Xander Bogaerts, who was promoted Monday, will make his first career start Tuesday at San Francisco.

"Xander Bogaerts will be in the lineup tonight for Stephen Drew," Farrell said.

Red Sox prospect Xander Bogaerts is expected to make his first start Tuesday at San Francisco, according to MLB.com. The highly touted prospect was promoted to the majors Monday.

"He'll rotate through the left side of the infield," Red Sox manager John Farrell said Monday. "As [general manager] Ben [Cherington] and I and others talk about our position players coming down the stretch here, we're trying to build in some scheduled down days, and Xander will provide that at shortstop with Stephen [Drew]. The reason we brought Xander was a right-handed bat to complement him. That's not to say a platoon situation by any means."

The Red Sox officially recalled top infield prospect Xander Bogaerts from Triple-A Pawtucket Monday, though he did not start the game for Boston against San Francisco, WEEI.com reports. 

Bogaerts was hitting .284/.369/.453 at Pawtucket. Bogaerts has mainly played shortstop in the minors, but has seen some time at third base as well. 

The Red Sox are expected to call up top prospect infielder Xander Bogaerts Monday, according to WEEI. 

The team reportedly optioned infielder Brock Holt to the minors, leaving an opening for Bogaerts. Bogaerts is hitting .284/.369/.453 at Triple-A Pawtucket. Bogaerts has mainly played shortstop in the minors, but has seen some time at third base. 

Red Sox manager John Farrell said Saturday that infield prospect Xander Bogaerts will split time between shortstop and third base at Triple-A Pawtucket, the Boston Globe reports.

The organization sees Bogaerts as a shortstop over the long term, but they want to get him acclimated at third base in case they decide to use him at the position in the major leagues this season. Bogaerts has hit .289/.376/.469 with eight homers and 27 RBI in 194 at-bats with Pawtucket while playing 44 games at shortstop and seven at third base.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said Wednesday infield prospect Xander Bogaerts is "in the discussion" as a solution at third base, according to the Boston Herald. However, his promotion to the majors doesn't appear imminent.

The Red Sox made the bold move to trade infielder Jose Iglesias to Detroit, freeing up a path to the majors for for highly touted prospect Xander Bogaerts. Although Brock Holt is being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Iglesias' roster spot, it shouldn't be too much longer before Bogaerts gets his chance.

With Stephen Drew blocking Bogaerts' path at shortstop, the 20-year-old infielder has started to takes reps at third base. Thus far, the results have been positive. Bogaerts hasn't committed an error in seven chances at third base for Pawtucket. But he's still learning the position and while his offensive game might be major-league ready, the Red Sox can't afford to have a defensive liability at third base during a pennant race.

Still, even if Bogaerts spends most of August in the minors, he's likely to be summoned to the majors when rosters expand Sept. 1. Bogaerts can help Boston down the stretch, so it would be more shocking if he isn't called up this season.

The attentive owner who needs help at third base is going after the Phillies' Cody Asche right now, but the clever one is going after the Red Sox's Xander Bogaerts.

Anyone who needs help at shortstop might want to jump on that bandwagon as well. After all, that's the position Bogaerts has played throughout his minor-league career and projects to play long-term. But lately, he's been playing third base, where the Red Sox have a need in the majors right now. And according to the Boston Globe, manager John Farrell isn't exactly shooting down the possibility of him joining the big club, "whether that's this week or next month."

Bogaerts is only 20, so who knows if he's really ready? But he has stormed up the minor-league ladder this year and has the potential to be a Hanley Ramirez-type hitter. He doesn't run like Ramirez, mind you, but you can't have everything.

I'll take that over Asche.

Red Sox infield prospect Xander Bogaerts could be quietly getting himself prepared for a potential call up to man third base for Boston down the stretch. Bogaerts made his fifth start at third base for Triple-A Pawtucket Monday night, the Boston Globe reports. 

The 20-year-old Bogaerts, who entered the season as the No. 8 prospect in the majors, according to Baseball America, is batting .273 on the year at Triple-A over 143 at-bats after a promotion from Double-A Portland earlier in the season. Bogaerts is batting .306 over his last 10 games with Pawtucket. 

"Xander's doing everything that he can to tell us when he's ready to come to the big leagues," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Whether that's this week or next month, that's still in the debate or in the conversation. But it's an exciting young player. We're all looking forward to the day he begins his career, not knowing when that's going to be. There's still some things that are a work in progress for him defensively. Any time you go up against more veteran and accomplished pitching, that's going to be another adjustment on his part. He's a pretty exciting player."