Red Sox MiLB Notes: ‘The Password’ Jhostynxon Garcia headed to MLB Futures Game, Connelly Early making case for Triple-A promotion, Mayer returns to the lineup for Reds series

The Password is headed to Major League Baseball’s Futures Game.

Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was added to the annual All-Star Futures Game on Monday.

Since his promotion to Triple-A Worcester, Garcia, 22, has been on a hot start, recording a slash line of .292/.363/.569/.932 with nine homers and 23 RBI in 33 games.

Garcia, who Baseball America has ranked as Boston's No. 6 prospect, has been one of the Red Sox’s fastest-rising prospects over the last season. He led all of the Sox’ minor leaguers in home runs last season with 23, which he belted across three levels: Low-A Salem, High-A Greenville, and Double-A Portland. He was added to the 40-man roster last winter to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

He offers plus-power at the plate and has improved his offensive approach, resulting in whiffing less at the plate.

“Garcia holds nothing back in his right-handed swing, following a rhythmic leg lift with a violent hip rotation that sets in motion a furious swing meant to sledgehammer balls to his pull side,” Baseball America wrote in Garcia’s scouting report. “Garcia’s raw power had been evident in the past, but he got to it with significantly increased frequency in 2024, posting a 90th percentile exit velocity of 105 mph and topping out at 113. He smashed non-fastballs down in the zone, with particular impact against left-handers in a small sample. His eagerness to mash comes with an undiscerning approach. Though he cut his strikeout rate by four percentage points year-over-year, his proclivity to chase limited his slugging in Double-A. He’ll need to narrow his sights to earn more pitches over the plate.”

Garcia has been in the Red Sox system for the last five seasons after the organization signed him as an international free agent in 2019. He could be dangled by the Red Sox over the next few weeks in trade talks, as Craig Breslow tries to improve the big league roster. If the Sox keep Garcia, he could be a right-handed option next season, but it’s more likely he is traded.

Former Red Sox first-round pick, outfielder Braden Montgomery, was also named to the Futures Game.

Montgomery, who was involved in the Garrett Crochet trade to the White Sox in December, has dominated Low-A pitching en route to the Futures Game. Between High-A and Low-A this season, Montgomery is hitting .274 with 17 doubles, two triples, 10 homers, 49 RBI, 30 walks, nine stolen bases, and an .820 OPS. After his promotion to Salem-Winston, he has hit seven homers, and owns a .795 OPS and a 129 wRC+.

His final collegiate season was cut short due to an ankle injury, resulting in his draft stock slipping, and the Red Sox nabbed the outfielder with the No. 12 selection.

The 2025 All-Star Futures Game is set to take place on July 12 at Truist Park at 4 p.m. It will feature some of the game's young and brightest prospects, like the Phillies’ Andrew Painter, the Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt, Padres’ Leo De Vries, Pirates’ Konnor Griffin, Tigers’ Max Clark, and more.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS

Red Sox pitching prospect Connelly Early continues to make his case for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester.

The 22-year-old lefty tossed six no-hit shutout innings on Sunday, leading Portland to a 3-1 win over Binghamton. Early walked three and struck out seven batters, earning Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors.

The Sox’ southpaw had been strong this season for the Sea Dogs, recording a 6-1 record with a 1.94 ERA, 81 strikeouts to 24 walks in 55 2/3 innings. He ranks fourth in the league with strikeouts while notching a 1.10 WHIP and holding opposing hitters to a .189 batting average.

This is the second week in a row that a member of the Sea Dogs has earned Pitcher of the Week honors. Right-handed pitching prospect David Sandlin was given the honors after he tossed six no-hit innings last week. Sandlin has earned the honor twice this season, having previously won the award for the week of May 26th through June 1st.

Early continues to open eyes within the Red Sox system as he’s skyrocketed through their system. The Virginia native has positioned himself for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester and could log meaningful innings against better offensive talent. He’s added more velocity to his fastball, which now sits comfortably at 92-94 mph and has seen it flash higher this season. Early focused on adding more velocity this offseason, which has helped him with his pitch mix.

Both Sandlin and Early are legitimate candidates to see a promotion to Triple-A Worcester this summer. Sandlin could take a similar path as former Sox pitcher Zach Penrod and slide out of the rotation and begin to pitch out of the bullpen to make his way to Boston. The righty boasts one of the system’s best fastballs, topping out at 100 mph.

MAYER BACK WITH THE SOX

The Red Sox optioned Nick Sogard back to Triple-A Worcester to make room for Marcelo Mayer, who had been on the bereavement list.

Sogard started all three games this past weekend against the Blue Jays. He was 3-for-10 with two doubles, two runs, and three strikeouts. While with the Red Sox this season, Sogard is hitting .254 with five doubles and three RBI (17 games). He’s hitting just .234 for the WooSox with three homers and 16 RBI, and owns a .696 OPS.

Boston gets back Mayer to begin a three-game series with the Reds on Monday night at Fenway Park. Mayer has played in 27 games this season for the Red Sox, batting .208 (16-for-77) with three doubles, one triple, and four home runs while making 20 starts at third base and two at second base.

OTHER RED SOX MiLB TIDBITS

- Trennor O’Donnell will miss the rest of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, according to Beyond the Monster’s Andrew Parker.

- Tanner Houck struggled to miss bats during his rehab outing with the WooSox on Sunday. He managed just five whiffs in 3 2/3 innings.

- Right-handed pitcher Bryan Mata could be worth a look in the Red Sox bullpen after a strong month with the WooSox. Mata pitched in nine games, striking out 16 batters to seven walks. He held opponents to a .167 batting average while recording one save. At some point, Boston needs to see what Mata can do at the big league level or move on from the hard-thrower.

- Masataka Yoshida is reportedly set to begin a rehab stint with the WooSox beginning on Tuesday. Boston had been preparing Yoshida to play the outfield, but that doesn’t seem to be a clear need with Rafael Devers in San Francisco, and the Sox can utilize the left-handed hitter as their DH.

- Luis Guerrero was placed on the IL over the weekend with a right elbow strain. He allowed four runs on four hits and three walks in his last two appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen.

- Former Red Sox reliever Luis García was designated for assignment by the Dodgers to make room for former Red Sox minor league pitcher Noah Davis. The Red Sox traded Davis on WooSox' media day. García was acquired from the Angels at last season’s trade deadline for four players. While with the Red Sox, he recorded an 8.22 ERA in 15 outings and saw time on the IL.