Former Nashua Silver Knight and Merrimack standout Mickey Gasper was at first base for the Worcester in the season opener at Polar Park on Friday. (Worcester Red Sox photo)

Former Nashua Silver Knight and Merrimack High standout Mickey Gasper made his 2026 season debut on Friday.

It probably wasn’t where he wanted to be — he opened the season in the Majors a year ago with the Minnesota Twins — but he was productive nonetheless after being sent down to the minors after spending all of spring training with the Red Sox in Major League camp, hitting over .300.

Gasper scored the only run for the Worcester Red Sox, Boston’s Triple A affiliate, in a 3-1 loss to Syracuse before an Opening Day crowd of 8,147 at Worcester’s Polar Park.

Gasper, who was in the starting lineup at first base, went 1 or 3 and walked twice to reach base three times. He singled to left in the sixth, and walked in the eighth, moving to third on a single and scoring on Tsung-Che-Cheng ground out.

It was Gasper’s first time back in a Worcester uniform since September of 2024. He was called up by the Red Sox that August after tearing up the International League, sent back down at the end of that month then recalled to finish the season in the Majors with the Sox.

He was traded to the Twins on Christmas Eve of 2024, and split time with the Twins in the Majors and their Triple A affiliate last year, but was designated for assignment by the Twins in mid-January. The Washington Nationals picked him up but then the Red Sox claimed him off of waivers in early February.

Worcester is home vs. Syracuse today and Sunday before hitting the road to play one of his former teams, the Saint Paul Saints, Minnesota’s Triple A affiliate, for six games.