59.14 Blazers Call Up AA Prospect to Play Shortstop

[Bob Breum]

After Gold Glove shortstop Qutuz Mahdi was placed on the injured list for an expected month's duration, Montreal called up AA prospect Bill Atkinson to take his place on the big league roster. Only 22 years old, Atkinson can play second, third, and shortstop, giving the Blazers additional flexibility as they wait for Mahdi to return.

Bill Atkinson
No one expected Atkinson to be promoted to the BBA this season, least of all Atkinson himself. He spent last season in Single-A, where he hit .344/.410/445, earning him a promotion to AA to begin the 2059 season. At AA Mississauga, he was hitting a modest .284/.367/.335 when he got the summons to Montreal.

The fact that the Blazers' 34-year-old AAA shortstop was hitting .214/.239/.281 explains why Atkinson was called up from AA, skipping AAA. It was anticipated to be a temporary gig until Mahdi was ready to return.

Fast forward a month later, and Mahdi has been assigned to AAA New Jersey for some rehab work before rejoining the Blazers. Meanwhile, his temporary replacement, Atkinson, has hit .328/.397/.398 (127 OPS+) in his absence. Mahdi's job is safe; he was hitting .285/.351/.431 (120 OPS+) to go with his stellar defense before he was injured. The Blazers will have a decision to make when Mahdi returns.