ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Junior Caminero, the majors' No. 2 prospect, was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday by the Tampa Bay Rays and had an infield hit and struck out three times in a 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros.
"I felt very good," Caminero said through an interpreter. "I tried to keep my focus. I think that was the main important part."
Caminero, who appeared in seven games with Tampa Bay last season, made a couple of strong defensive plays at third base.
Caminero, 21, hit .276 with 13 homers and 34 RBIs in 53 games for Durham. He has been sidelined twice this season with quadriceps injuries.
In ESPN's Top 100 prospects list, coming out of spring training, Caminero ranked No. 3 overall after a minor league season in which he hit .324 with 31 home runs. Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers and Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles -- both currently in the majors -- were the only two players ahead of him.
Curtis Mead was optioned to Durham to make room on the Rays' roster. The infielder was batting .238 with one homer and seven RBIs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.