Ryan Lavarnway’s huge numbers in the minors this season have been well documented. He hit .293/.372/.559 with 30 home runs between double and triple-A this season. Now, he’s on his way to the show.
The Boston Globe broke the news of Lavarnway’s promotion, which comes as a reaction to Kevin Youkilis going on the DL. David Ortiz is also out of action currently, his foot being in a boot and all. With Ortiz out, Lavarnway should see some time at DH. However, his playing-time should be limited once Ortiz returns, which could be in about a week.
ESPN’s Jason Grey passed along his thoughts on Lavarnway in an article today (insider required). Grey lightly compares Lavarnway to Mike Napoli, but suggests that Lavarnway has more holes in his swing and can be beat inside by good fastballs due to his lengthy 6-foot-4 frame. That might be a bigger issue at the big league level, since he’s likely to see many more good fastballs in the big leagues than at double and triple-A. In other words, temper expectations.
Once Ortiz returns, expect Lavarnway to be relegated to pinch hitting with a chance to spot-start at catcher every now and then in September.