83 Bobby Dalbec 3B

The Red Sox reassigned Dalbec to their minor-league camp Monday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

One of Boston's top position prospects, Dalbec didn't make much of a mark during Grapefruit League play, going 6-for-30 with no home runs and nine strikeouts. Despite the lack of long balls this spring, Dalbec remains a high-end power hitter and is coming off a huge season split between Double-A Portland and High-A Salem in which he racked up 70 extra-base hits, including 32 home runs. He'll either head back to Portland or move up to Triple-A Pawtucket to begin the season.

Dalbec hit a home run in the second inning of Friday's 6-0 spring victory over Northeastern University.

The Red Sox kicked off spring competition Friday with their traditional game against a Boston-area college. Dalbec slammed the first pitch he saw over the fence in center field. The 23-year-old is Boston's highest-placed power prospect after launching 32 big flies last year between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. He's expected to open the season at Portland.

Dalbec was invited to major-league spring training Thursday.

The 23-year-old broke out in the power department last year, bashing 32 home runs and 35 doubles in 543 plate appearances between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. He'll now get a chance to strut his stuff in big-league camp during spring training, though it's unlikely he'll break camp with Boston. He only has 124 plate appearances at Double-A to his name and could use some more seasoning against upper-level pitching in order to cut down on the 32.4 percent strikeout rate he posted last season.

The Red Sox announced Dalbec as the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year in their minor-league system, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Dalbec's risen the organization's prospect ranks after the Red Sox traded away their more elite prospects and is known for his power. He swatted 32 home runs and added 35 doubles, three triples and 109 RBI over 129 games between High-A Salem (100 games) and Double-A Portland (29).

Dalbec went 3-for-5 with two solo home runs Thursday in Double-A Portland's 10-9 win over Erie.

Dalbec has made just six appearances at the Double-A level, but he already has a pair of two-homer games to his name. After slugging 26 long balls for High-A Salem earlier in the campaign, Dalbec became the second player in the minors to reach the 30-homer plateau this season. The third baseman shouldn't have much trouble delivering ample power production in the upper minors, but his swing-and-miss tendencies could prevent him from emerging as a viable everyday player in the big leagues. The 23-year-old has struck out in 31.3 percent of his plate appearances between the two levels in 2018.

Dalbec was called up to Double-A Portland on Friday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Dalbec was mashing the ball with High-A Salem this year, slashing .256/.372/.573 with 26 home runs and 85 RBI across 100 games. He will get his first opportunity at the Double-A level following this promotion and will need to cut down on a 31 percent strikeout rate that plagued him during his time in Salem.

Dalbec went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and five RBI for High-A Salem in its 8-4 win over Winston-Salem on Tuesday.

Dalbec has exploded for six home runs over his last eight games, giving him a Carolina League-high 21 long balls for the campaign. The 23-year-old has proven himself as a premium power source in each of his four stops in the minors, but his swing-and-miss tendencies cast doubt on his ability to find consistent success against higher-caliber pitching. He has struck out in 30.2 percent of his plate appearances this season, which actually represents a seven-point improvement from his strikeout rate at Low-A Greenville last season.

Dalbec slashed .297/.407/.576 with seven home runs and 22 RBI over the final 31 games of the 2017 season for Low-A Greenville.

Dalbec made a splash after being a fourth-round draft pick in 2016, resembling Babe Ruth in the short-season NY/Penn League with a 1.101 OPS over 34 games. That had us anticipating his 2017 season with great interest, but it took some time for the 22-year-old to regain his timing following a broken hamate bone suffered in mid-May. The Red Sox hope Dalbec can build off that final month. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is the real deal in terms of power, but there will be significant swing-and-miss in his game (37.4 K percentage at Greenville). The question is whether he can maintain a high enough average.

Dalbec (wrist) has been activated and played the last two games for Low-A Greenville. He went 1-for-8 with a double over the two games.

Dalbec had been sidelined since May 10 with a broken hamate bone. Those wrist injuries can sap a hitter's power, which is an important piece of Dalbec's game. The 2016 fourth-round pick slugged .674 over 132 at-bats at short-season Lowell last season.

Dalbec was placed on the 7-day DL at Low-A Greenville with hand and wrist soreness, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

The move is retroactive to May 11. Dalbec was off to an underwhelming start in his first taste of the Southern League, hitting .264/.358/.358 with two home runs and two steals (on four attempts) in 106 at-bats prior to the injury.