Red Sox promote IF/OF prospect Justin Riemer (.423 OBP) to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted infield/outfield prospect Justin Riemer from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Riemer is not currently regarded among Boston’s top prospects by publications like Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com. The 23-year-old has not hit for much power this season, though he has gotten on base at an exceptional rate thus far.

After breaking camp with Greenville earlier this spring, Riemer suffered a shoulder injury on April 15 and was sidelined for a month as a result. The right-handed hitter returned to action on May 15 and batted .243/.423/.287 with five doubles, one home run, 16 RBIs, 26 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 54 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 66 games (241 plate appearances) for the Drive overall. That includes a .238/.365/.286 slash line again st lefties and a .245/.439/.288 slash line against righties.

Among the 95 hitters who entered play Friday having made at least 240 trips to the plate in the South Atlantic League this year, Riemer ranked first in walk rate (22.4 percent) and swinging-strike rate (2.8 percent), second in on-base percentage, 14th in wOBA (.364), 15th in strikeout rate (18.7 percent), 16th in wRC+ (127), and 34th in batting average and OPS (.710), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Riemer has seen playing time at five different positions so far this season. In addition to making 34 starts at second base, nine starts at third base, and two starts at shortstop, the versatile 5-foot-10, 170-pounder was introduced to the outfield in early June and has since logged 125 error-free innings between the two corner spots. He has also made three starts at DH.

Riemer was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 133rd overall pick (which the club received as compensation for qualified free agent Nathan Eovaldi signing with the Rangers in December 2022) in the 2023 draft out of Wright State. The Virginia native signed with Boston for an over-slot $500,000 shortly thereafter, but was still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered that spring, which pushed his professional debut back until last July.

In the time since officially entering the pro ranks, Riemer has drawn praise for his disciplined approach, pitch recognition, and bat-to-ball skills. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, though, Riemer’s ability to draw walks at a high rate could be put to the test as he moves from the lower minors to the upper minors, where he is sure to be challenged more by tougher opposing pitchers.

Having said that, Riemer is not in the starting lineup for Portland’s game against Binghamton at Hadlock Field on Friday night.