Who is Osleivis Basabe? Everything you need to know about Rays infield prospect reportedly set to make MLB debut

The Tampa Bay Rays called up infield prospect Osleivis Basabe before Sunday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. He is already listed on the team's 40-man roster, and it will be the 22-year-old's MLB debut.

Basabe is having a solid season in Triple-A with the Durham Bulls. In 384 at-bats, he is hitting .297 with four home runs, 58 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. He is considered a speedy infielder who has elite contact skills.

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Basabe was originally signed by the Texas Rangers during the 2017-2018 international signing period. He would spend a few seasons with Texas before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020 for Nathaniel Lowe.

One knock on his game is that he does not have much power at the plate. You will not see Basabe launching no-doubt home runs, but you will see him getting on base at an impressive clip.

Osleivis Basabe could replace Curtis Mead on the roster

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Many insiders believe Osleivis Basabe will replace Curtis Mead. Mead has struggled since his debut, hitting .214/.083/.289 with seven strikeouts in five games. The Tampa Bay Rays could option Mead and give him more time in the minors to build his confidence.

It will be interesting to see where Basabe plays and how much action he will see. The Rays have a solid infield, with Isaac Paredes, Wander Franco, Brandon Lowe, and Yandy Diaz being mainstays in the lineup.

Basabe will likely have a short leash. The Rays are in a tough battle to take control of the American League East. They are 1.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles, who lead the division.

The Rays will look to complete the series sweep over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday and inch closer to the division lead.