Sal DiMaggio / USA TODAY NETWORK

Red Sox promote Rule 5 pickup Mickey Gasper to Triple-A Worcester

Originally posted on Blogging the Red Sox
By Brendan Campbell | Last updated Jun 4, 2024 5:31 PM ET

The Red Sox have promoted minor-league catcher Mickey Gasper from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Gasper, 28, joined the Red Sox via the minor-league phase of last December’s Rule 5 Draft. Before that, the New Hampshire native had spent the first six seasons of his professional career in the Yankees organization after being selected by New York in the 27th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Bryant.

In 44 games for Portland to begin the 2024 campaign, 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 over 176 plate appearances. That includes a .205/.279/.256 slash line against left-handed pitching and a far more encouraging .311/.444/.534 slash line against righties.

Mickey Gasper 3-run pic.twitter.com/w7soqqAR44
— Portland Sea Dogs (@PortlandSeaDogs) May 25, 2024

Among 88 qualified hitters in the Eastern League coming into play on Tuesday, Gasper ranks eighth in walk rate (14.8 percent) and OPS (.861), second in strikeout rate (12.5 percent), 17th in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage, 13th in slugging percentage, 19th in isolated power (.176), first in swinging-strike rate (4.4 percent), and ninth in wRC+ (146), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Gasper has seen all his playing time on the field to this point in the season come at either catcher or first base. In deference to top catching prospect Kyle Teel in Portland, the 5-foot-10, 205-pounder has made 16 of his 43 starts behind the plate while throwing out six of 29 possible base stealers.

Gasper is not in Worcester’s starting lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against Rochester but does have past experience at the Triple-A level. He appeared in 22 games across two separate stints for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders last year and hit .191/.295/.265 with one homer and four RBIs.

With Gasper making the jump to Worcester, Elih Marrero has been sent down to Portland. This shakeup comes after fellow catcher Tyler Heineman was recalled by the Red Sox as a corresponding move for rookie outfielder Wilyer Abreu going on the 10-day injured list with a right ankle sprain.

This article first appeared on Blogging the Red Sox and was syndicated with permission.

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