Prospect Ryan Westmoreland Making Steady Recovery From Brain Injury

Ryan Westmoreland wants nothing more than to just play baseball again.

The highly-touted Red Sox prospect, who had surgery to repair a malformation on his brain in March, sounded optimistic in a media conference call Wednesday.

"I feel a lot better," Westmoreland said. "I’ve heard from a bunch of doctors and the progress has been remarkable. I'm just excited to keep it going."

For Westmoreland, the Red Sox fifth-round pick in the 2008 draft, getting back to the baseball diamond isn’t just an addendum to his recovery. It’s part of the program for the Rhode Island native.

"The mindset is I'm going to get back on the field and play again," Westmoreland said, "and that's the ultimate goal. Doing things like going to see Portland play or Pawtucket play or the big league team play, it just gives you that extra motivation you need to want to get to that point."

"You never imagine one of your players having to go through something like this," said Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein. "But every step of the way, he's showed really incredible maturity and bravery."

And while there is no timetable for Westmoreland’s full recovery, the 20-year-old slugger keeps his mind centered on a return to baseball.

"I’m just really focused on the next day ahead and just trying to get better every day," Westmoreland said.