June 29 (UPI) -- Outfielder Dustin Fowler will make the move from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to the New York Yankees.
N.J. Advance Media and the New York Daily News confirmed the promotion.
The 18th round 2013 June Amateur Draft pick was hitting .291 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI in 69 games this season for the RailRiders. He hit .281 with 12 home runs and 88 RBI in 132 games last season for the Double-A Trenton Thunder.
"I've just always been a guy who is going to work hard," Fowler said in a YouTube video from the Yankees last August. "I practice hard everyday. I play the game as hard as I can and it's just paying off right now."
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The Yankees battle the Chicago White Sox at 7:10 p.m. Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.
New York has called up several prospects this week in the wake of injuries to its big-league lineup. The Yankees brought up third baseman Miguel Andujar on Wednesday and promoted shortstop Tyler Wade on Tuesday.
"It means a lot is going right for the Yankees," Double-A Trenton manager Bobby Mitchell told N.J. Advance Media. "It really makes the people underneath the scouting, the player development people, feel like they are a part of it. It is not like you are developing players for other organizations, like they had been in the past. They are developing players right now for the Yankees."
Tyler Austin's hamstring issues prompted the Fowler move. Austin is due for an MRI on his right hamstring Thursday, according to the Daily News. He could soon land on the disabled list.
"Fowler makes repeated hard contact with a short, quick left-handed stroke," his MLB.com scouting report says. "His bat speed, strength and plus speed give him 20-20 upside, though he's still learning to be an efficient base stealer. To reach his offensive ceiling, he'll need to get more selective at the plate because he walks infrequently and puts too many early-count pitches in play rather than waiting for one to drive.
"Fowler has made tremendous defensive improvement since turning pro. He has worked diligently with outfield instructor Reggie Willits to refine his reads and routes, going from spending the majority of his time on the corners in his first two season to being a quality center fielder. He also has bolstered his arm strength to at least average."
Fowler is the Yankees' No. 8 prospect, according to MLB.com. He was drafted out of high school and snubbed a scholarship to Georgia Southern to don the pinstripes. Fowler can play all three outfield positions.
The Yankees have yet to announce a corresponding move.
