Tuesday Notebook

A few quick notes today:

- First off, I will be on "Minor League Magazine" tonight for a segment on STO's weekly minor league wrapup show. The show airs at 6pm tonight, though is re-aired several times throughout the week. I am actually going down for the taping at 12:45pm today. I'll be on for a segment, which usually goes 6-8 minutes and we'll likely talk about some of my travels, the White signing, and some surprises/disappointments this year.

- As noted earlier today, left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz is back in action tonight for his first official rehab outing with the Arizona League Indians out in Goodyear, AZ. This is good to see as he had been expected to return for awhile since he has been throwing and rehabbing at the new complex. No official word on what his pitch count is tonight, but I believe it will be 2-3 innings and 40-50 pitches max as they look to ramp him back up to 85 pitches. It looks very much like he could join really any of Kinston, Lake County, or Mahoning Valley for a start or two before the end of the season - though nothing is certain - and then return to Goodyear to go to Instructional League. If there are no setbacks, I'd also put it as very likely he pitches fall/winter ball somewhere.

- Right-hander Rob Bryson is still on the comeback trail. He made a few outings in late July as expected for the AZL Indians, but has not pitched since. Just to make it clear, his shoulder is great and there was no setback with it. He has a tender elbow from throwing, which is expected when not throwing for so long, and was backed off some from his throwing. He just recently started throwing again and there is a possibility he may join Mahoning Valley for the final week of the season and potentially the playoffs before returning to Goodyear to take part in Instructional League. He is another who could be in line for fall/winter ball action to make up some innings.

- High-A Kinston right-hander Paolo Espino is the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week. The Panama native went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two starts last week, gave up just eight hits and one unearned run in 12 innings of work, and struck out eleven and walked just two batters. He is now 2-0 in August with a 0.47 ERA in three starts and went 2-1 in the month of July with a 1.93 ERA, the third lowest in the Carolina League for the month. On the season he is now 5-6 with a 2.70 ERA, the second lowest in the Carolina League.

Posted in: Kelvin De La Cruz,Paolo Espino,Rob Bryson