Rays promote Myers from Triple-A

Wil Myers is going from the "Blue Monster" to the "Green Monster."

The Rays ended speculation that began in Spring Training by promoting their top prospect from Triple-A Durham on Sunday.

"It's something that we've been deliberating for a while, and his recent hot streak certainly accelerated the conversations," Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told MLB.com.

Myers is leading the International League with 57 RBIs and was hitting .339 (19-for-56) with five homers and 14 RBIs in 14 games this month. He was pulled after one at-bat in Durham, whose 32-foot wall has been dubbed the "Blue Monster," and is expected to make his big league debut Tuesday at Fenway Park in the shadow of the "Green Monster."

"I want him to play. I want him to be a Ray," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon told MLB.com. "I want him to run hard to first base. I want him to try to do the right things on the field, continue to work on his defense, try to improve his baserunning.

"We try to grow a complete ballplayer around here, and I think that's what he's turning out to be."

While Myers' recent tear at the plate hastened his callup, Friedman said he's been impressed by the way the 22-year-old outfielder has improved other aspects of his game.

"He made some real adjustments in the last six weeks," Friedman said. "That really stood out to us and that was something that we were really monitoring very closely."

Myers started the season as MLB.com's No. 4 overall prospect after the Rays made him the centerpiece of last December's trade that sent pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis and infielder Elliot Johnson to Kansas City. After hitting .286 in Spring Training, Myers returned to Triple-A in his native North Carolina and batted .286 with 29 extra-base hits in 64 games with the Bulls.

On Saturday, he drilled a two-run homer in the eighth inning to send Durham past Indianapolis, 4-2. He doubled and scored a run Sunday, then left to join the Rays in Boston.

"I think the biggest thing is to just bring him up, let him fit in, be one of nine," Friedman said. "The fact that we have been scoring runs is good. To be able to add him into that and just be a piece of the puzzle here is something that's critical. I don't know that we would've done this if we were struggling. It's hard to answer. But we felt like now was the right time."