The struggling Red Sox are about to get a spark.
Jarren Duran will join the big league club this weekend for their series against the White Sox, according to Alex Speier of the Globe. The red-hot outfielder is slashing .397/.478/.638 in Triple-A Worcester with two home runs — including one Thursday — eight extra-base hits and seven steals. With Kiké Hernandez battling flu-like symptoms, Duran could see time in center field.
“He’s a man possessed right now. He’s trying to prove the doubters wrong. That’s his competitive nature. It’s wonderful,” Worcester hitting coach Rich Gedman told Speier.
Duran struggled in his time with the Red Sox last season, hitting .215/.241/.336 with a 35.7 percent strikeout rate. But he’s bounced back this year. Duran is currently the fourth-ranked prospect in the Red Sox history, per MLB.com.
The Red Sox could use a boost any way they can. They’ve been horrible offensively, posting a .626 team OPS, which is the fifth-worst in the majors. The bottom of the lineup has been especially wretched. Jackie Bradley Jr., who started in center Thursday, is hitting .200 in 25 games.
It won’t take much for Duran to be an improvement, even for just a weekend.
