After being part of a trade package for one of the best players in baseball a year ago, Jeter Downs entered the Red Sox organization with a lot to prove.
However, he didn’t get that chance in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down spring training just weeks after it started, and with the delayed start and eventual shortened MLB season, minor league teams were left with zero games to play. Instead, minor league players took part in camps at their organization’s minor league facilities.
So, when Downs entered Red Sox camp for the 2021 season, it marked the first time in roughly a year that fans would get to see him play.