Minor Notes: Password debuts at first base, Red Sox add Lowe

As the baseball season approaches the home stretch and with September call-ups less than two weeks away, Jhostynxon Garcia debuted at first base over the weekend, Boston added first base depth on the waiver wire, and some of the organization's 2025 draft picks have been performing at various levels.  

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Red Sox sign Nathaniel Lowe

Since the season-ending injury to Triston Casas in early May, Boston has been searching for a productive replacement, including the platoon of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro for most of the season. On Sunday night, the Red Sox agreed to a Major League deal with Nathaniel Lowe. Prior to being designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals, Lowe slashed .216/.292/.373 with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs in 119 games. Although it has been a down year for the lefty-hitting corner infielder, he boasts a career .771 OPS with a strong balance of power and plate discipline. 

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Garcia tries out first base

While the Red Sox were closing their search on a big league first basemen, Jhostynxon Garcia got his first in-game reps at the position on Sunday in Worcester's game against Iowa. Garcia had exclusively played outfield in his professional career prior to making his first appearance at first and joins Kristian Campbell as players to have worked out and attempted to learn the position while in Triple-A. 

Learning a new position has not slowed down Garcia's production at the plate. Since earning a promotion from Portland in late-May, he is slashing .308/.372/.573 in 65 games with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs. 

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2025 draft picks moving around

While some of Boston's top draft picks from this year's draft such as Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips and Anthony Eyanson likely not pitching in the Red Sox farm system until next year, some of the newest members of the organization have started their pro careers. 

On the hitter front, Mason White has jumped from Salem to Greenville since being drafted in the fourth round in July out of the University of Arizona. While it's been a slow start through 11 games, White profiles as a bat-first profile with an ability to hit the ball hard consistently. Boston's second round pick Henry Godbout started in Greenville and turned in a 1.071 OPS through six games before landing on the 7-day injured list. 

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Other Transactions

• In what has been a rollercoaster of a year for Brandon Clarke in his first full season of pro ball, the left-hander was placed on the 7-day injured list with a reoccurrence of blisters. It was also reported that it is unlikely that Clarke pitches again this season. If that proves to be the case, Clarke closes his 2025 season 0-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 38 innings with 60 strikeouts between Salem and Greenville. Control came and went for the left-hander who walked 27 while only allowing 17 hits. 
• In a continuation on the injury front, Conrad Cason posted on his social media this week that he underwent Tommy John Surgery. The two-way player who was drafted in the eighth round of the 2024 draft will reportedly return to the field in 2026 as a position player, while the timeline for his return to the mound remains up in the air.
• After being designated for assignment last Monday, Nick Burdi cleared waivers and was outrighted back to Worcester. In 25 appearances for the WooSox this season, Burdi carries a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings with 33 strikeouts. 

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Where are they now

• During Portland's series against the Somerset Patriots, the Sea Dogs faced off against former Boston prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz on Saturday. In Portland's loss, Rodriguez-Cruz allowed three runs on eight hits with four walks and eight strikeouts. Rodriguez-Cruz has had a strong season in his first year with the Yankees after being traded in the offseason that brought Carlos Narvaez to Boston. 
• While the Red Sox have benefited greatly from the Garrett Crochet trade, the White Sox have seen some of the players they received in the deal make impacts at the Major League level. Both Chase Meidroth and Kyle Teel have been with Chicago since early June, with Meidroth hitting .251 with a .651 OPS in 87 games and Teel hitting .250 with a .694 OPS in 45 games. Along with the pair, top prospect Braden Montgomery has climbed three levels and has reached Double-A in his first full season of professional baseball.

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Players of the Week August 11-17 

Nate Eaton, INF, Worcester Red Sox

6 G, 22 AB, 10 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 5 K, .455/.556/.909 

Eaton has added valuable depth to the Boston organization this season. While going back and forth between the Major League roster and Worcester, Eaton has not missed a beat when with the WooSox. On the season, Eaton has slashed .290/.373/.483 in 94 games with Worcester. On Sunday night, it was reported that Eaton was being called up to Boston in a corresponding move with Rob Refsnyder, who landed on the injured list with an oblique strain.  

Kyle Harrison, LHP, Worcester Red Sox

1 G, 0-0, 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 0.00 ERA 

Harrison (pictured right) has continued to make strides since being traded to Boston in the Rafael Devers deal. In Worcester's 1-0 loss to Iowa on Wednesday, the left-hander went five innings without allowing a run with eight strikeouts in his lone appearance of the week. The scoreless start lowered his ERA to 3.48 in 41 1/3 innings since joining Boston's organization. 

Photo Credit Jhostynxon Garcia and Kyle Harrison by Kelly O'Connor

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