Steve Dillard wrote:

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http://www.eagletribune.com/pusports/local_story_169033105.html?keyword=secondarystory

Finally back to 100 percent, he was cleared for game action in June and assigned to Lowell. He expects to be the designated hitter for two weeks, then will be allowed to play the outfield.

I've been dying to see what Westy can do also, ever since he was drafted. The small glimmers we've seen of his hitting since the draft (spectacular 2008 summer before signing showing both power and average (over .500) plus his few weeks in the DR where he tore it up) make one optimisitic on that front in particular, and he's got amazing speed. One thing folks should keep in mind about him, however, is that he's likely to be very raw in the outfield once he starts to play there. He pitched for his HS team, playing first base quite a bit of the time when he wasn't pitching. The RS saw his speed and arm as key tools needed for excellent OF defense and, given their high evaluation of his hitting prowess and discipline (not to mention power potential), drafted him as an outfielder (which I gather he was totally fine with). My only point is that he's played very little in the outfield and his shoulder injury and rehab have kept him from making up for that lack of experience in the year since he was drafted. He's a very intelligent player and I expect he'll do very well in the OF longterm, but we shouldn't overreact if we see some struggles at first. The biggest thing will be to see how his shoulder has recovered, which again may be a work in progress. Can't wait to see him in action!