Max Burt healing from surgery
New York Yankees prospect Max Burt, of North Andover, recently broke the hamate bone in his left hand and had surgery to have the bone chip removed.
Burt’s Double-A Somerset (N.J.) Patriots team is currently fighting for a playoff spot in the Eastern League, needing to finish in second place to clinch.
Burt has been playing second and third base primarily with spot duty at shortstop. He is currently hitting .214 having committed only four errors with 11 stolen bases in 12 attempts.
He is expected to return within two weeks for the late season push and possible playoffs.
In other news from the Eastern League, Andover’s Sean Sullivan was dominant until being put on the seven-day injured list with the Hartford Yard Goats in the Colorado Rockies system. Sullivan was 9-4 in 14 starts with a 2.34 ERA, striking out 85 in 80.2 innings of work.
Golf Talk
Congrats to Brogan Rourke and Blake Shaheen, each of whom dropped in holes-in-one Saturday at Central Catholic’s tryout on the Atkinson Country Club Par 3 course, according to the Raider Athletics’ Twitter/X account: @ccraider_sports.
That’s one way for a young gun to garner some attention. Making the Raiders this fall has to be a tough task, though.
The Merrimack Valley Conference reigning champs return a solid core led by senior Harry Garland, who was the Player of the Year in the league a year ago.
Garland has had a strong summer, advancing to match-play at the New Hampshire Amateur, qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur and most recently taking 22nd overall at the New England Junior Amateur 74-78-79 – 231 (+15) at Crumpin-Fox in Bernardston.
Rooting for AP, Merrimack
If I had one wish for the fall in college football, it’s for QB Ayden Pereira to lead Merrimack College football back into prominence this season.
The Central Catholic product, who transferred to the Warriors after two years at UMaine, was the part-time Merrimack starter last year.
If you caught any of those games, you saw that Pereira spent a major chunk of his time under siege. Having watched him through his career at Central, if Pereira can be protected at least a little bit, he’s going to do some serious damage.
Word out of Merrimack is that he has shown impressive leadership heading into the year.
“It’s less about myself now, and more about bringing other guys along,” Pereira told the New England Football Journal. “It’s my favorite part of it all.”
Merrimack opens at Kent State on August 30.
Why, why, why?
The Boston Red Sox announced before this weekend series with the Yankees that David Hamilton will be called back to the big club from Worcester.
I just ask, why?
Hamilton has done nothing but bungle games for this team, failing to lay bunts down multiple times in extra innings. He’s batting .174. There is no legitimate reason for Hamilton to be on a club in the big leagues that is contending for a playoff spot.
None.