Versatility gives Rays callup Querecuto an edge

ST. PETERSBURG — Juniel Querecuto was groggy-eyed when his dad walked into his room at 8:30 a.m. to tell him the news he’d waited his whole life to hear. The Rays had called Querecuto’s home in Venezuela to bring him up to Major Leagues weeks after his season with Double-A Montgomery finished.

“He took my sheet from me and said, ‘Hey, wake up. We’ve got to go. You’ve got to go to The Show now. You’ve got to find your bag and get out of here and go to Tropicana Field,’ Querecuto recalled of his Wednesday morning. “I was so tired. I was sleeping.”

When Querecuto realized his mom was crying tears of joy, the third baseman started to gather that it was real. The 24-year-old has been with the organization since he signed as a 16-year-old. This year, he split time between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham and hit .241 with three home runs and 38 RBIs in 96 games.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Rays placed Steven Souza Jr. on the 60-day disabled list. Souza underwent left hip surgery on Wednesday and is expected to be ready by Spring Training. Querecuto found himself in the starting lineup against the Yankees on Thursday, batting seventh and playing third base.

Two days ago, @JunielQuerecuto was home in Venezuela, ready to prepare for winter ball. He makes his @MLB debut tonight at 3B wearing No. 9. pic.twitter.com/kJILyVj0P2

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 22, …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com