This Week in Roster Moves: NL East Hottie Debuts

MLB debut, Ladies debut -- big week for Fernando.

Almost a full two months into the 2009 season, injuries to key players are forcing GMs across the league to scour their AAA clubs for players capable of filling the sudden gaps in their rosters.  It’s a chance for these young players to show what they can do on the major league level, gain some valuable experience, and, most importantly, catch the eye of the “talent” scouts here at Ladies …

Today I’d like to introduce you to two such players, who made their debuts for their rival NL East clubs last Saturday and Tuesday, respectively.

Fernando Martinez, OF, NY Mets

A friend’s Facebook status Tuesday night tipped me off to Fernando’s debut and gave me enough of a head start to call dibs on his first Ladies post (sorry, Maggie!).  The youngest Mets rookie since Jose Reyes (he’s not yet 21), Martinez had an RBI in his first game, but has yet to record his first major league hit.  As the everyday replacement for the injured Ryan Church, however, that’s unlikely to remain the case for long.

I love the knock-kneed batting stance.

John Mayberry, Jr., OF, Philadelphia Phillies

You may have heard a little bit about Mayberry’s Saturday debut, thanks to Fox misidentifying his dad, former Royal John Mayberry, in the Yankee Stadium stands.  A bit older (25) and a lot taller (6′ 6″ !) than Martinez, John Jr. also had a more auspicious debut, going 2-3 with a double and a three run homer in the Phillies loss.  However, Mayberry, brought in originally to provide an extra bat during interleague play, is remaining with the Phillies as a bench player, and has not been in a game since the weekend.

Now that's how to get your first major league hit.

Congratulations, boys!  Keep it up and you could have your very own Hump Day Hottie post one day!