Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Rays recalled top prospect Junior Caminero from Double-A Montgomery on Friday.
Caminero, who plays shortstop and third base, is the No. 1 prospect in Tampa Bay’s organization and the No. 6 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He was originally projected to join the big-league club in 2024.
After starting the season at Class-A Bowling Green, Caminero was promoted to Double-A on May 30. He hit .309 with 20 home runs in 62 RBIs in 81 games at Montgomery.
In 117 games between the two levels, Caminero had a .324 batting average with 31 homers and 94 RBIs.
Caminero, 20, becomes the youngest active player in the majors. He was acquired in a 2021 trade with the Cleveland Guardians.
Tampa Bay (94-60) has already clinched a postseason berth and still has a chance to win the American League East. The Rays sat 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles entering Friday, and although he wasn’t with the team by Sept. 1, Caminero can still be part of Tampa Bay’s postseason roster since he was already in the organization.
The Rays open a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Friday.
–Field Level Media