Jesus Montero, the top prospect in the New York Yankees minor-league system, will be called up by the Yankees when rosters are allowed to expand on Thursday.
When the Yankees would bring the 21-year-old catching prospect to the big leagues has been a source of discussion all season. It is a move I have been calling for since mid-July when the Yankees lost slugger Alex Rodriguez for six weeks due to knee surgery.
Montero is hitting .290 with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs for the Yankees Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and has hit five home runs in his last seven games. Montero has 40 RBIs since July 1.
The thrilled folks at SB Nation’s Yankees website, Pinstripe Alley, have dubbed Thursday Jesus Montero Day.
No word on how the Yankees plan to use the right-handed hitting slugger, but a logical expectation could be that he will be the designated hitter against left-handed pitching and possibly catch a little during the final month of the season.
Montero would be eligible for the playoff roster since he has been on the 40-man roster all season. It will be interesting to see if he can hit his way into the Yankees’ postseason plans.