Unforgettable season for WooSox' Jeter Downs ends in frustration following ankle injury

WORCESTER — It was a season to remember for Red Sox prospect Jeter Downs.

In many ways it was unforgettable. However, it ends in frustration. The 24-year-old shortstop suffered what proved to be a season-ending ankle injury Aug. 18. He’s been rehabbing in an attempt to return to game action, but he simply ran out of time.

“Definitely not ideal,” he said. “It’s super annoying.”

When the injury occurred Downs said it felt pretty bad, but admitted it felt better than expected the next day, which was a good sign. However, those good vibes didn’t last long, and his ankle felt worse in the days following the injury.

“It’s been annoying trying to get back,” he said. “Obviously it didn’t work out, but just need to keep moving forward.”

He doesn’t know whether or not he’ll play winter ball at this point because his focus remains on getting healthy. Despite not being able to play, he’s been participating in baseball activities as the season comes to an end.

Downs does have an interesting way of describing his 2022 season.

“Weird,” he said. “A lot of ups and downs. Honestly, just weird. I can’t explain it other than weird.”

Downs made his major league debut with the Red Sox in June and played 14 games for the parent club. It served as a motivational factor for the young infielder, and he also achieved a lifelong goal of reaching the big leagues.

“Anytime you make your major league debut, it’s going to be a great year to remember. I’ll never forget it,” he said. “The things that happened and all the emotions you go through. I’ll take it for what it is and keep going. I can look back and think about where I started, and where I got to is cool.”

When he returned to Worcester, it was evident Downs was motivated by his experience, and the field staff noticed it as well. He was producing on both sides of the ball until he suffered the injury.

“I wasn’t expecting (the promotion) and everything caught me by surprise,” Downs said. “It was a shock. So experiencing that and then coming back down, it was about having fun and enjoying everything and things worked out well.”

Downs has shown the ability to hit for power, while playing big-league caliber defense. It helps that he’s sound on the base paths and possesses speed. He’s shown flashes of being big-league ready, but he still needs to develop on a consistent basis.

“There’s still a pretty good skill set there,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said. “It stinks that he missed the last month of the season, but there were a lot of good things, and a lot of things to work on going into next year.”

—Contact Joe McDonald at JMcDonald2@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeyMacHockey.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Unforgettable season for WooSox' Jeter Downs ends in frustration