NEW YORK (AP) — Desperate to spark a stagnant lineup, the New York Mets are calling up outfield prospect A.J. Ewing after just 12 games with Triple-A Syracuse, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Monday night.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the move.
The 21-year-old Ewing will be added to the roster before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field. He was batting .326 with three doubles, a triple and four RBIs in 51 plate appearances at Syracuse. He had drawn five walks, stolen five bases and scored nine runs.
The speedy center fielder is New York’s second-ranked minor league prospect behind pitcher Jonah Tong,
Luis Robert Jr., the team’s opening-day center fielder, is on the injured list with a lumbar spine disk herniation. Also missing star shortstop Francisco Lindor and first baseman Jorge Polanco because of injuries, the Mets (15-25) entered Monday with the worst record in the majors and an offense that lags near the bottom in many significant statistical categories.
Ewing also has experience at second base and both corner outfield spots. He reached Double-A Binghamton last year, hitting .339 in 28 games, and batted .349 with a 1.053 OPS and 12 steals in 18 games at that level this season before getting promoted to Syracuse.
The 5-foot-10, 160-pound Ewing, a left-handed hitter, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Mets in 2023 out of Springboro High School in Ohio. The club will need to open a 40-man roster spot for him Tuesday.
The organization’s decision to bring Ewing to the big leagues was first reported by The Athletic.
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