The Red Sox’ third base prospect is tearing it up at Triple-A Pawtucket in 2012, mashing nine home runs in 23 games with a .348 batting average to match.
If he keeps raking, the team may need to find a spot for him in the big league lineup. Or circumstance may force its hand.
If Kevin Youkilis‘ back injury — which kept him out of games Sunday and Monday — continues to be an issue, Middlebrooks may be called upon to fill the void. However, the Red Sox brass could instead decide that Nick Punto is a capable substitute, and give Middlebrooks a little extra time and not throw him into the fire quite yet.
The All-Star break would be a good midpoint of the season to reevaluate Middlebrooks’ development and the team could make a choice before or after the team’s break, or maybe they’ll wait until September rolls around. After all, it’s at that point the rosters expand to 40 players, and Middlebrooks could find himself among the “September call-ups” for 2012.
Middlebrooks is widely regarded as the team’s best prospect, but rushing a minor league player along too quickly runs the risk of ruining his confidence if he struggles against the big boys in the major leagues.
Ultimately, the only real way to know if Middlebrooks is ready to play in the majors will be when he gets to face big league pitching on a regular basis. When do you reckon that will be?
