Lowell Spinners update: Corey Littrell, Forrestt Allday, Carlos Asuaje

Time to talk about the Lowell Spinners.

Corey Littrell, LHP

Littrell is new to the updates, if only because he wasn't assigned the last time this particular trio came up. The fifth-round pick from Boston's 2013 draft inked for $300,000, though, and is now pitching for short-season Lowell, where he's made a pair of starts to kick off his professional debut. While he's a fifth-round pick, and one who signed below slot expectations, he still projects as a start according to Baseball America.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder usually operates at 89-90 mph with his fastball and maxes out at 92, locating it to both sides of the plate. Some scouts say his changeup is his best pitch, while others point to his newly added cutter, which is tough on lefties. He also can spin a curveball for early-count strikes.

Things have started off well enough, with Littrell not missing a ton of bats, but inducing grounders to make up for it while keeping walks to a minimum. Considering his secondary stuff is already coming along, and he can locate his fastball to both sides of the plate, he might not see much of a challenge in short-season ball. We'll see just how good that command is soon enough, though.

*****

Forrestt Allday, OF

Allday has only played in three games, or, one more than the last time we looked in on his season, as he was out with an undisclosed leg strain from June 20 until this past weekend. Obviously, nothing has changed with him since then: he's still expected to draw lots of walks, and the focus and concern will be all about whether he can put the ball in play, and if so, how effectively, against pro pitchers.

*****

Carlos Asuaje, 2B

Asuaje's season as a whole looks pretty eh, but he's actually done well of late, with a .310/.459/.414 showing over his last 10 contests, a stretch that contains within it his entire July. More of that, rather than his poor June, in which he posted a 361 OPS, will see him earn a promotion before the year is out.

Power is not going to be part of his game, so if Asuaje is hitting for average, drawing walks, and avoiding strikeouts, he's essentially figured out a level. What he's done the last 10 games is the kind of thing that you should be on the lookout for, but, of course, over a stretch that's larger than 10 games. As a 21-year-old college product, however, his time in short-season ball could still be short, especially with Mookie Betts now at High-A Salem, leaving a vacancy at the keystone in Greenville.

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