Minor Happenings: Pomeranz's days numbered in Kinston

Drew Pomeranz (Photo: MiLB.com)

"Minor Happenings" is a weekly column which recaps the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. While most of the information in this report is from my own research and through interviews I have conducted with organizational personnel, some information in this report is collected and summarized from the various news outlets that cover each team.

Okay, time for take three of Minor Happenings this week. Be sure to check take one which was a catchup version posted on Wednesday and then take two yesterday which was the first half of this week's normal posting.  There are lots of updates in both pieces, so be to check out all three parts of this week's Happenings trilogy.

Things should get back to normal next week with one installment of Minor Happenings now that the draft is over and a lot of the early signing news has sub-sided. More players should be signed in the coming days, which I will continue to update and post in the 2011 Draft Signing posting.  You can also go to the 2011 Draft listing which is also linked to the right of the page to keep track of all the 2011 Draft picks signing status and view their individual capsules.

Onto the Happenings....

Pomeranz likely on the move

Drew Pomeranz

With the first half coming to a close on Sunday for the Single-A teams, do not be surprised if this coming week that High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz is promoted to Double-A Akron. Last night in Kinston he made what was probably his final start for the K-Tribe where he put up his longest and arguably best outing of the year going 7.0 innings and allowing 1 run on 5 hits, 1 walk and had 7 strikeouts. In 12 starts this year he is 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA, and in 60.2 innings has allowed 44 hits, 23 walks, and has 77 strikeouts.

Pomeranz, 22, has come back well after being shut down for around two weeks because of a lingering hamstring issue and tweaking his mechanics and working on polishing his curveball and changeup in bullpen sessions while he was temporarily shut down. He has a lot of confidence in his fastball and is his go to pitch, but his secondary stuff at times - particularly his changeup - have been inconsistent.

The performance both subjectively and objectively for Pomeranz so far this year has been outstanding. The challenges the organization has made for him to improve his changeup and control the running game have been met, now it is time to see what he can do at the next level. Getting him to Akron where he likely will finish out the season would be a good way to test him for half of a season and force him to use his offspeed pitches more and continue developing his changeup.

Miller continues to pitch well

Adam Miller

It’s been a few weeks, so time for another obligatory Adam Miller update. Sometimes no news is good news, and that is exactly the case for the Texan right-hander these days. He has been pitching in games now since March and has had no setbacks of any kind with his finger, and since being promoted to Double-A Akron a few weeks back is 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA in 6 appearances with Akron. Overall this season in 14 combined appearances between High-A Kinston and Akron he is 1-2 with a 4.66 ERA (19.1 IP, 16 H, 9 BB, 19 K). As the peripheral numbers show he has been much better than the ERA suggests, which is ballooned as of the result of one or two bad outings.

The magnitude of Miller’s miraculous comeback is not only being appreciated and praised by Indians fans, but by everyone in the organization as well as the players. When Kinston manager Aaron Holbert announced to the team that he was being called up to Akron a few weeks back his Kinston teammates lined up at his locker while he packed to each individually congratulate him on reaching the next step in his quest to make it to the big leagues.

Miller is still working on the consistency of his stuff as most of the time it is there, but every so often it can disappear an outing here and there. The velocity has probably peaked at 95 MPH, which is still very good, and the slider is coming along although it still has a ways to go with him becoming comfortable with the deeper grip in his hand. He just needs more reps to build up arm strength since he has barely pitched in three years. He also needs to continue to work on getting more consistent with the slider and will eventually need to prove he is durable enough to pitch every other night and then on back-to-back nights.

There have been absolutely no setbacks, not even minor pain with the finger, and as a result Miller rarely even thinks about it anymore. Since he is on an expedited track there is a good chance he could soon move up to Triple-A Columbus, and while he may not be a big league option this year in Cleveland, do not be surprised if he is healthy and performing well that he is a September callup when rosters expand from 25 players to 40 players. It would be a perfect time to add him back to the big league roster as an option for 2012, but to also put the finishing touches on a great comeback and to reach the big leagues this year. What a payoff, and amazing night that would be if it happens.

Forward Head-ing?

Jerad Head

One of the better developments this season has been the continued good play of do-everything player Jerad Head at Triple-A Columbus. He can play any position on the field and has over his career, but has only played outfield in Columbus this year. He has always proven his worth as an organizational player and for an undrafted player he has already achieved more than anyone ever thought he would. All that having been said, he is continually improving at the plate and it may eventually pay off for him with a cup of coffee in the big leagues some day.

Head, 28, is not really considered much of a prospect in the industry because of his age, but as players in the past like Casey Blake have shown, sometimes players get better with age and blossom in the twilight of their prospect years. In 53 games this year for Columbus he is hitting .309 with 8 HR, 29 RBI, and a .875 OPS, which is coming off a very good season last year where he hit .299 with 17 HR, 66 RBI and a .906 OPS in 86 combined games between Double-A Akron and Columbus.

Head has never been a priority player for the Indians and may still not be, but that doesn’t seem to bother him as he just keeps going out and producing all while being unsure what position he may play on any given night. He is a hard working player who is an overachiever and gives everything he has night in and night out, and those kinds of players have value to an organization even if they are not considered big time prospects.

This was put on display earlier in the year on May 6th against Lehigh Valley when Head ran into the outfield wall in left field to try and catch the ball and ended up popping out his shoulder. He simply got up, popped it back in, and stayed in the game and collected two hits and a sacrifice fly the rest of the way. That’s a guy fans will have no problem rallying behind and learning to love if he ever gets a chance to play in Cleveland.

Forgotten Man

Matt McBride

Double-A Akron first baseman and outfielder Matt McBride has been sort of struck in neutral this year. He is playing well as in 67 games he is hitting .273 with 12 HR, 40 RBI and a .838 OPS, but he is playing down a level at Akron when he should probably be at Triple-A Columbus. This is not because of some personal vendetta that the organization has against him; it is just because there is nowhere to play him in Columbus because of a deep mix of outfielders and first basemen there.

McBride, 26, should see time at Columbus this year, the only question is when. With Nick Johnson and Jared Goedert getting most of the time at first base and designated hitter, and then Jerad Head and Chad Huffman getting the time in left and right field as well as Nick Weglarz likely to be in the mix there soon, there just is no spot for him. This will likely change in the next two to three weeks as the Indians make roster decisions which could involve promoting any or all of Goedert, Huffman, Head and Johnson. When and if that happens, then McBride’s opportunity in Columbus should arrive.

Through it all McBride has remained positive and been the consummate professional even though if he were in almost any other organization he would probably at least be playing at the Triple-A level. He has continued to work on his swing, and after a slow start in April where he hit .237 with 1 HR, 4 RBI and a .662 OPS, he has bounced back where since May 1st he is hitting .290 with 11 HR, 36 RBI and a .917 OPS in 44 games.

Popham ready for another challenge

Marty Popham

I think it is safe to say that High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Marty Popham needs a better challenge at the Double-A level. He has been up to Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus for a handful of spot starts, but has yet to settle in at either level. Meanwhile, in 9 appearances this year (3 starts) at Kinston he is 1-0 with a 2.59 ERA. The impressive part for him are the peripherals as in 31.1 innings he has allowed just 22 hits and no walks while striking out 30 batters.

The problem for Popham and so many other pitchers in the system is that the Indians are deep with pitching, so while in past years Popham would surely already be in Akron, that is not the case for him and his pitching brethren this year as many are stuck at a level lower than they should be at. The Indians made a lot of moves in the system yesterday, and with the first half coming to a close this weekend for Kinston and Low-A Lake County along with short season leagues starting up, some pitching moves will surely still be made in the coming days.

Popham, 23, has a Major League quality fastball-changeup combination. He has good velocity and gets swing and miss with the fastball because it has a lot of life in the zone, and the changeup is a solid-average pitch. Also, with his 6’6” size he really leverages the ball well. But the key to him separating himself and becoming a true big league option will be the development of his slider, which is something the organization has challenged him this year to improve.

Iron Man

Roberto Perez

There is a super hero on the loose at High-A Kinston and his name is Roberto Perez. The K-Tribe defensive stalwart behind the plate showed off some incredible durability and strength this week where he caught an unheard of 46 innings in three days from Saturday through Monday. On Sunday and Monday he caught all 37 innings alone because of the 23-inning marathon on Sunday and the double-header on Monday.

Had Perez been an animal, some animal rights activist would surely have called PETA for cruel and unusual punishment, but Perez was up to the challenge. The Kinston coaching staff left it up to Perez if he felt good enough to play in the second game of the double-header on Monday and he said he felt strong and good to go so they let him play both games. He has been swinging a hot bat of late, and with the team making a late push for the first half division title felt he was not being exposed to any risk of injury.

Perez has been red hot at the plate in June hitting .390 with 1 HR, 5 RBI, and a 1.148 OPS in 12 games, which has raised his batting average on the season from .177 to .257 since the start of play on May 30th. In 47 games this year he is hitting .257 with 1 HR, 15 RBI, and a .774 OPS.

Reichenbach to the rescue

J.D. Reichenbach

What an impressive performance by High-A Kinston left-handed pitcher J.D. Reichenbach on Tuesday. Called up on Monday from Low-A Lake County to fill in for a taxed pitching staff he actually pitched a third of an inning of relief in game two of Kinston’s doubleheader on Monday night. Then, the very next day on Tuesday he went out and made a spot start and pitched 5.2 innings of no-hit ball in his first career professional start. Wow.

The Indians were hoping Reichenbach would give them three, maybe four innings because he was on a 50 pitch count, but he was so efficient that he ended up giving them 5.2 innings while still making only the mandated 50 pitches. He did not allow a hit, and even though he walked two batters and hit another he still ended up facing the minimum over his 5.2 innings before he walked the last batter he faced thanks to three double plays. He threw first pitch strikes to 13 of 18 batters, and 13 of the batters saw three pitches or less. He was aided by a five-pitch third, seven-pitch fourth, and a seven-pitch fifth, a total of just 19 pitches to get nine outs in those three innings. That was just what the doctor ordered for the K-Tribe pitching staff which had pitched 37 innings the two previous days.

Reichenbach doesn’t throw hard, but he mixes up his three pitch mix of a fastball, changeup and slider well. He worked to his strength which is pitching to contact and keeping the ball down in the zone. His call to Kinston was only temporary as a few days later he was sent back to Lake County. In 18 combined appearances between Lake County and Kinston he is 4-1 with a 2.85 ERA (47.1 IP, 39 H, 13 BB, 36 ).

Remember us?

Jordan Brown

There are lots of former Tribe minor league players sprinkled all around the minors hanging onto the dream and playing for several other organizations or in independent ball. Here is a quick listing of some notable former Indians’ prospects with where they are and how they are doing:

First baseman Jordan Brown is in the Brewers organization and playing for their Triple-A Nashville affiliate, and in 34 games he is hitting .259 with 1 HR, 13 RBI and a .637 OPS. His once promising career as a hitter seems to be evaporating this year as injuries and other limitations may have caught up with him.

Left-handed pitcher Chuck Lofgren is pitching in the Giants organization for their Triple-A San Jose affiliate, and in 12 games is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA and in 14.2 innings has allowed 11 hits, 10 walks, and has 14 strikeouts. He missed all of April with an injury.

Outfielder Brad Snyder is in the Cubs organization and playing for their Triple-A Iowa affiliate, and in 38 games is hitting .342 with 7 HR, 29 RBI and a .943 OPS. He has also played in eight games in the big leagues this year going 1-for-9 at the plate. Last year he had an incredible year at Iowa hitting .308 with 25 HR, 108 RBI and a .949 OPS in 132 games, and made his Major League debut in September hitting .185 with 0 HR, 5 RBI and a .437 OPS in 12 games.

Stephen Head

Right-handed pitcher J.D. Martin is in the Nationals organization and playing for their Triple-A Syracuse affiliate, and in 14 games (6 starts) he is 1-4 with a 5.09 ERA and in 46.0 innings has allowed 48 hits, 9 walks, and has 27 strikeouts. He made his Major League debut for the Nationals last year making nine starts and going 1-5 with a 4.13 ERA (48.0 IP, 56 H, 11 BB, 31 K).

Former first baseman and outfielder Stephen Head is with the Rockies organization and apparently is making a comeback as a pitcher where they will start the experiment with their short season Single-A Tri-City team. For those that remember when the Indians selected Head in the 2nd round of the 2005 Draft, he was a highly touted pitcher and first baseman for Ole Miss, so it appears he is giving baseball one last try as a pitcher.

In the independent Atlantic League the league is littered with former prospects who were in the organization at some point in the past half decade. Right-handed pitcher Jake Dittler is on the disabled list and in 7 starts this year is 1-5 with a 8.70 ERA (30.0 IP, 44 H, 14 BB, 23 K). Right-handed pitcher Brian Slocum in 3 starts is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA (17.0 IP, 13 H, 4 BB, 15 K). Right-handed pitcher Jim Ed Warden in 17 appearances is 0-0 with a 0.53 ERA with 13 saves (17.0 IP, 5 H, 6 BB, 15 K). Infielder Brandon Pinckney is hitting .287 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 40 games. Outfielder Brian Barton is hitting .318 with 0 HR and 2 RBI in 7 games. Right-handed pitcher Bubbie Buzachero in 16 appearances is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 8 saves (16.0 IP, 15 H, 3 BB, 11 K). First baseman Ryan Mulhern is hitting .348 with 10 HR and 34 RBI in 29 games.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).

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IPI Inbox: McAllister Adds More Pitching Depth

It's time to clear out the inbox again with some answers to some questions surrounding the Cleveland Indians big league team and farm system.  As a reminder, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have regarding the Indians.

Onto the Inbox...

Phil wrote: Which names you are hearing for the PTBNL from the Yanks? I know we won't be getting Montero as well as probably McAllister or Nova. So that makes the list a little shorter.

Well, turns out in the end it was right-handed pitcher Zach McAllister (good call by the way, you should be happy). McAllister is an interesting arm whose stock has dropped a little this year after an inconsistent season pitching for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre going 8-10 with a 5.09 ERA in 24 starts (132.2 IP, 165 H, 38 BB, 88 K). Indians GM Mark Shapiro was in Columbus the last week since Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had been playing Columbus from Tuesday through Friday and caught his start against Columbus on Tuesday (5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R/ER, 2 BB, 4K). He’s a command/control specialist with a two-seam fastball that sits 87-91 MPH though has touched as high as 93 MPH. He complements the fastball with a slider, curveball, and changeup, with the slider being his best pitch and an above average offering. He projects as back of the rotation arm, and in a lot of ways is similar to Josh Tomlin with his approach and stuff.

McAllister, 22, looks like yet more pitching inventory the Indians are adding to their roster. With so much uncertainty with the rotation for next year, they are stock piling arms in what looks like will be a year long evaluation process to fill two to three slots in the rotation. The only certainties for next year are Fausto Carmona and Mitch Talbot, and really how much of a certainty are those guys given Carmona’s rocky up-and-down career and this being Talbot’s first year pitching in the big leagues?

With McAllister in tow, along with right-hander Corey Kluber who they obtained in the Jake Westbrook deal, they appear to have two more backend rotation options at their disposal in addition to the likes of David Huff, Jeanmar Gomez, Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco, Hector Rondon, Alex White and others who will be options next year as well.

Stephen P. wrote: What in the world happened with Wes Hodges??? He went from top prospect at 3rd, to a position change to 1B. Then a he had a great spring and was doing OK in Columbus. Next thing he gets designated for assignment and dropped off the 40 man, picked up by Colorado, then cut again and back to the Tribe in Columbus. Has he fallen that far off the radar with the Tribe (and other organizations) that they consider him another Ryan Mulhern?

Yes, unfortunately for Hodges he is now pretty much viewed as a 4A player now. He will play in the Major Leagues someday, but it looks like it will be as a bit player and a constant shuttle from the big to Triple-A. When he was initially drafted by the Indians in the 2nd round in 2006 out of Georgia Teach he came highly regarded with his bat and was a solid defender, but injuries have taken their toll and he never was able to develop and improve enough to be viewed as at least an average Major League defender. In addition to that, while he has been solid offensively, his bat has never really progressed as well.

As a third baseman Hodge’s bat would have been just fine, but now that he has been moved to first base it is below average. You don’t see many first baseman with a .732 OPS like he has this year or .704 like he had last year, both numbers at the Triple-A level. His value was at third base, and now at first base he is swallowed up by a lack of big offense at a position which demands it. He just doesn't have an interesting enough bat at first base to be nothing more than a marginal part time player. This is why other teams passed on him and he had the adventures on the waiver wire. The Indians still value him, and like the depth he provides for them at a position of need at first base, which is why they claimed him back when the Rockies put him on the waiver wire. At this point, he is good depth to keep around, and I guess you never know about a guy what may happen down the road...but his prospect star has faded immensely.

Nate W. wrote: What do you make of the recent major league success of Jeanmar Gomez? I remember on many occasions you just weren't that impressed with his stuff, but he's consistently 91-94 MPH on his fastball with a lot of movement. He seems like he could develop into a pretty productive BOR or even MOR guy if he ever gets a consistent breaking ball.

Hey Nate, yeah, gotta say I am pleasantly surprised with Gomez so far. He is pitching well beyond what was expected of him, and definitely for me. Kudos for an outstanding job by him so far. One caveat though is it is only a handful of starts, and his true test will come once the league adjusts to him and how he handles that. He is still very young, and really has a lot more ceiling, so at this point the sky is the limit with him. But just like I don’t hold right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco’s poor performance last year in September against him, I also don’t take too much stock in a handful of good starts. Encouraging, yes, and what you want to see, but we need more games and data points to get a true read on Gomez and a lot of these other guys.

It is funny though how with the Latin Trifecta that included Gomez, right-handed pitcher Hector Rondon, and left-handed pitcher Kelvin De la Cruz, that the one guy I was least excited ended up making the big leagues first and is impressing! Good for him, and I am happy to be wrong. I never felt he was not good, I just felt that there were other better pitching prospects out there in the system and really those other guys still are better prospects. The difference is he has stayed healthy while guys like Rondon, De La Cruz and others have not. When opportunity knocks, sometimes players just answer the door!

Phil wrote: With Barret Loux being granted free agency on Sept 1 after not signing with the D-Backs due to the bone chips in his elbow, any chance the Indians would be in the mix for him?

From what I understand, the Indians have moderate interest in Loux. They like other teams are kicking the tires on him in gathering lots of medical information on him. Before anyone offers him a contract, it really comes down to what an organization’s people think of the medical information that is available for review. Teams may also require a second physical or additional tests, something I don’t believe he has to do, but considering his situation where he has little leverage, he just may have to so teams can get a better idea what they are dealing with in his elbow. The Indians actually had him rated as a second round talent at best going into the draft, but if they believe the risk is worth it I would not be surprised if the Indians end up being in the mix to sign him.

Dave wrote: Tony, Looking at today's Lake County box score, I was wondering whatever happened with the Greg Folgia to catcher experiment? Seems like it was abandoned pretty quickly?

Folgia is just another in a long line of guys (Jerad Head, Nate Recknagel, Adam Davis etc) in the last few years who go to Instructs or Spring Training to catch and then don't end up playing there. A lot of times it is just experimental purposes for these guys, and to also create some versatility for down the road. The deciding factor, though, is playing time at the position has to be available. Back in 2005 when Chris Gimenez made the switch to catcher there was time available to play him there in Lake County. The same was not the case this year in Lake County as the Indians had both Roberto Perez and Chun Chen open the season there, and both of those guys are priority catching prospects in the system. As a result, Folgia has not caught this year, but from what I understand he did well in Instructional League last year and showed some athleticism and a howitzer for an arm, so it is something that could be revisited in the future.

Raul wrote: Why don't the Indians put Jose Constanza in the 40 man roster? He's leading the league in stolen bases and is hitting over .300.

Constanza is in an unfortunate situation where the Indians just have so many outfield options as they already have center fielders Grady Sizemore, Michael Brantley, Ezequiel Carrera, and Trevor Crowe on the 40-man roster. That's a lot as it is on a 40-man where space is so limited. I think he has opened more eyes this year, and considering how well he has played I think he has created some value where the Indians can’t let him just walk away as a minor league free agent and instead end up putting him on the 40-man roster this offseason. I personally I would rather have him on the roster than Carrera or Crowe, so we will see. In fact, I would not be surprised to see Crowe traded or given the wazoo this offseason and his spot going to Constanza’s. Crowe has had almost an entire year in Cleveland, and has underwhelmed both offensively and especially defensively.

Erik J. wrote: In your opinion as of right now who would be the top 5 prospects in the system heading into the 2011 season.

This is a process that takes a lot of time and research with reviewing lots of subjective and objective information, so I am not one of those people who just throw out off the cuff rankings. I do think though, without much thought or analysis the top five guys in the system (in no particular order) would be third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, second baseman Jason Kipnis, right-handed pitcher Jason Knapp, outfielder Nick Weglarz, and right-handed pitcher Alex White. Do note though, this list is fluid until the end of the fall/winter leagues, and there are a handful of other guys who could still factor in there.

Joel K. wrote: Just wondering has there been any news on international signings?

There is nothing really to report at this time on the International front for the Indians. They have keep a tight lip these days and don’t talk much about their International dealings until the signing period is over, mostly so as to not affect any signings that are still being worked on. That said, they have made it a point to mention they don’t really just go by the signing period from July 2 to August 31, as they actually sign guys all year. This is actually true as they actually sign more guys outside of the International Signing Period than during it. Like last September, I hope to have a piece on their International process and some of their picks this year in a piece sometime in September.

Stephen P. wrote: Where in the world is Stephen Head?

Head was released in spring training. After all the injuries and inconsistent performance, the Indians ultimately decided to move on. Had there been a spot at first base or in the outfield for him they may have kept him, but first base and outfield was bursting at the seams with options at the start of the season. He signed on with an independent team, I believe in the Golden Baseball League if I am not mistaken, and is continuing his dream of eventually making the Major Leagues.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI.  His new book the 2010 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is also available for purchase on Amazon.com or his site.

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Goodyear Notebook: 3/17

Smith A Man On A Mission

Indians right-handed reliever Carlton Smith had a nice year last season pitching in the bullpen at Double-A Akron where he went 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 37 appearances.  He piggybacked his successful year with a trip to the Arizona Fall League (5.14 ERA, 12 G) and then to the Indians’ Winter Development Program this past January which was held in Cleveland and Goodyear.  It made for a crazy offseason, but even with the lack of any extended time off he is back at it this spring and is as focused as ever to make an impression.

“I didn’t even have [an offseason] really,” said Smith after practice on Monday.  “I went to the Fall League, got back from that and a few weeks after that went to Winter Development, and a few weeks after that I am back.  [The fall league] was a lot different from Double-A.  The league out there was a good hitter 1 through 9 so you had to come out with your best stuff.  I didn’t do as well as I thought I would, though I was only bad in one game which is what messed me up."

Probably the one thing from his offseason which sticks with him the most is the experience he had participating in the Winter Development Program.

“It was something I could definitely get used to seeing every day,” said Smith.  “I use that as a type of motivation where I could be there one day.  Everything just came together there.  Everything just clicked where I realized I am doing everything on the baseball side, but I also have to do it on the mental side too.  It was cool getting to meet everybody and getting to see different things.  It was a nice experience."

Last year was Smith’s first time pitching in the bullpen as he had been a starter for his entire professional career.  He had a few bullpen appearances under his belt, but he had never pitched in the role on a full time basis.  Over the course of the season he learned to adapt from a starting role to a bullpen role, and also with how to prepare himself and develop a routine.

“I took it just like I was going to be starting,” said Smith about his transition from starter to reliever.  “I just went out there and when it was my time I went out there and battled and competed.  I did what I knew I could do and did the best I could to help the team win and it paid off for us.”

Smith gets his sinking fastball up into the mid-90s, but even with how hard he throws and all the movement he gets on his pitches he has never racked up a lot of strikeouts (career 5.5 K/9).  His bread and butter has always been his ability to pitch to contact in lieu of strikeouts, and so far that plan of attack has worked out well for him.

“I will not rack up the strikeouts,” said Smith.  “I have tried as I have gotten it up to 95-96 MPH, but when it is sinking they hit it and they hit it right into the ground.  Growing up my dad always told me strikeouts raise your pitch count, and it makes sense as if you throw a lot of pitches you will be out of the game quick.  So I use that to my advantage and understand I am a sinkerballer and I am going to go right after somebody.  After the first three pitches I want them out of the box, and that is my mentality and it pays off.”

Even with all of the success he had last year, Smith is still working hard to make himself better.  He continues to refine his mechanics, and has started throwing a new cutter.

“The whole winter I worked on my mechanics,” said Smith.  “I am working on a new cutter now.  Cleveland told me in the fall league they wanted me to do that, so I have been working on that the whole offseason and am still working on it now.  It is slowly coming around.”

With the new cutter now a part of his repertoire, Smith now uses a four pitch mix which is different from the two to three pitches most relievers use.

“I am throwing everything, and I think that can pay off for me,” said Smith.  “They say as a reliever you only need two pitches, but I have four with a sinker, slider, cutter and splitter.  I was playing catch with my brother in the offseason and he was like ‘man, it is going to be hard for guys to face you because nothing you throw is straight’.”

Speaking of his brother, Smith should be seeing a lot more of his brother Corey this spring.  Corey is a former Indians top prospect and first round draft pick who signed with the Dodgers in the offseason.  The Dodgers and Indians both train in the Phoenix area for spring training, so as a result the two brothers will likely see a lot of each other in the spring since the Dodgers and Indians farm teams play several times.  While all in good fun, the younger Smith (Carlton) is looking forward to the opportunity to take it to his older brother (Corey).

“He is with the Dodgers, so I will be seeing him out here probably every other day now because that is who we play mostly,” said Smith.  “If I get a chance I am going to go after him (laughs).  I told him I am going to dot him up, but I think it would be better if I got him out after he picked on me all through my younger years.  That is an out I want, and the one time I get a strikeout I want it to be right there (laughs).”

Smith just wants to lighten things up this year and have fun, but by the same token he is as focused as ever to get to where every minor leaguer wants to be: the big leagues.

“I just want to stay healthy, keep playing the way I have been playing, and break through that door in Cleveland,” said Smith.  “I am a man on a mission.”

McBride Focuses On Defense

After a strong 2009 regular season (.287 AVG, .829 OPS) and a very good showing in the Arizona Fall League last year (.378 AVG, 1.159 OPS), Matt McBride hopes to carry that momentum and success into the 2010 season and beyond.  But while he went out to the fall league and played catcher, it looks like he is going to spend the 2010 season mostly at first base and the outfield rather than behind the plate.

“Right now I am working on first base and outfield,” said McBride after Tuesday’s practice.  “I am really just trying to work on both of those.  I think catching could still be an option, but right now we are mainly focusing on the outfield and first base.  Last fall it was good to get back catching again for the experience and to get back into it and prove that I could handle it if I needed to.  I wouldn’t rule it out.”

Considering the Indians’ need at Double-A Akron for an everyday catching option, it is somewhat disappointing that McBride will not be catching there this year since it makes him more valuable if he is behind the plate.  But, he will also turn 25 years old in two months, and the Indians need to create value for him in the short term and that may be as a versatile player who primarily plays first base and left field who can also catch from time to time.

One thing is certain, the decision to not play him at catcher at the moment apparently has nothing to do with his shoulder.  His arm is as strong as ever, and would not be a problem behind the plate.

“Knock on wood, but [my arm] feels good,” said McBride.  “My shoulder feels great and I haven’t had any issues with it.”

Right now the focus is on getting him more acquainted with first base and the outfield, two positions that he got a crash course on last spring and the offseason before it.  There is still a lot to learn, and he will use the time available these last few weeks of spring training to help him improve and become a better defender at both positions.

“I am primarily working on my defense in the outfield and first base,” said McBride.  “Last year was really my first year really working on that and I think I have a lot more to learn.  I think mainly the more experience I have at each position the more comfortable I will eventually feel.  In the outfield I am trying to get a good first step and read on line drives.  The biggest thing is just being out there in a game and getting used to it, just the experience factor.  The more you are out there helps, be it in the outfield or first base taking hot shots at you, moving around, or your footwork around the bag.  I think the work here is helping, but I think the games and playing and experience is what in time helps you out.”

There is not much at the moment that McBride is concentrating on improving at the plate.  His focus there is mainly just being more consistent and using his success from last season as a building block for this season.
“Hitting-wise, I am really just trying to build off my fall,” said McBride.  “I think the biggest thing there is I was really selective and I didn’t go out of the zone which really just helped my overall hitting.  So I am just trying to keep working on that and go from there.”

McBride had a heck of a month in the Arizona Fall League last year, and he surely opened a few eyes with his performance.  As this season gets ready to officially start in about three weeks, he would like to draw off of some of that success but also have an even better year in 2010.

“Last year was a great year,” said McBride.  “I had a little thing with the knee and that was fine, and my shoulder feels great, so I am just trying to stay healthy.  It’s just about hitting the ball and working on the outfield and first base and trying not to worry about anything else and just go from there.  Whatever happens, happens.”

Working Rosters

Here are the working rosters for the first week of full squad workouts in minor league camp.  Please note that since a lot of players who will be on the Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron rosters are still in big league camp, several players are temporarily filling in at those levels in the short term.

Columbus:

Pitchers: Scott Barnes, Eric Berger, Gary Campfield, Dallas Cawiezell, Ryan Edell, Connor Graham, Scott Lewis, Tom Mastny, Adam Miller, Vinnie Pestano, Carlton Smith, Erik Stiller, Josh Tomlin, Neil Wagner, Steven Wright.

Catchers: Alex Castillo, Doug Pickens, Miguel Perez

Infielders: Stephen Head, Matt McBride, Cristo Arnal, Jared Goedert, Jerad Head, Josh Rodriguez, Mark Thompson

Outfielders: Matt Brown, Jose Constanza, John Drennen, Tim Fedroff, Brian Horwitz, Lucas Montero

Akron:

Pitchers: Rob Bryson, Paolo Espino, Santo Frias, Nick Hagadone, Jonathan Holt, Kyle Landis, Matt Langwell, Chen Lee, Mike McGuire, Ryan Miller, Ryan Morris, Bryan Price, Dave Roberts, Steve Smith, Bryce Stowell, Heath Taylor, Sung-Wei Tseng, Travis Turek

Catchers: Dwight Childs, Richard Martinez, Roberto Perez

Infielders: Chris Nash, Kyle Bellows, Adam Davis, Cord Phelps, Ron Rivas, Karexon Sanchez

Outfielders: John Allman, Jordan Henry, Roman Pena, Donnie Webb, Adam White

Kinston:

Pitchers: Cory Burns, Eddie Burns, Guido Fonseca, Joe Gardner, Brian Grening, Preston Guilmet, Trey Haley, T.J. House, Francisco Jimenez, Chris Jones, Jason Knapp, Joey Mahalic, T.J. McFarland, Vidal Nuno, Matt Packer, Alexander Perez, Mike Pontius, Marty Popham, Danny Salazar

Catchers: Juan Aponte, Chun Chen, Moises Montero

Infielders: Nate Recknagel, Adam Abraham, Casey Frawley, Jason Kipnis, Kyle Smith, Jeremie Tice, Matt Willard

Outfielders: Abner Abreu, Ryan Blair, Delvi Cid, Bo Greenwell, Tim Palincsar, Jason Smit

Lake County:

Pitchers: Austin Adams, Elvis Araujo, Brett Brach, Jose Campos, Joseph Colon, Clayton Cook, Joseph Dickerson, Jose Flores, J.D. Goryl, Antwonie Hubbard, Daniel Jimenez, Jeremy Johnson, Nick Kirk, Alexander Morales, Mike Rayl, Nick Sarianides, Kyle C. Smith, Tyler Sturdevant, Takafumi Nakamura, Michael Valadez, Francisco Valera, Kirk Wetmore

Catchers: Greg Folgia, Alex Monsalve, Rolando Petit

Infielders: Ben Carlson, Chris Kersten, Lurvin Basabe, Jose Camargo, Kevin Fontanez, Argenis Martinez, Giovanni Urshela, Rafael Vera

Outfielders: Trent Baker, Carlos Moncrief, Darling Read, Kevin Rucker, Joel Torres

Notebook

Indians Pick Up Aguilar:  Yesterday the Indians completed a trade sending 24-year old left-handed pitcher Chuck Lofgren to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for 25-year old right-handed pitcher Omar Aguilar.  Lofgren was a Rule 5 pick that the Brewers had recently decided that they were not going to keep him on the big league roster, so after clearing waivers they worked out a deal with the Indians to retain his full rights so they can option him to the minors.  With the trade, Lofgren is now 100% the property of the Brewers.  Aguilar is a short and stocky righty (5’11” 220 pounds) who throws his fastball consistently in the mid-90s and complements it with a mid-80s slider.  He has plus arm strength (10.4 career K/9) and was once one of the Brewers more highly thought of pitching prospects (much like Lofgren with the Indians), but command issues (5.0 career BB/9) last year dropped his stock with the Brewers considerably.  He was on the Brewers 40-man roster last year, but was taken off this past offseason, so he is only under the Indians control through this season as he can be a minor league free agent after the season.  He likely will open the season in the bullpen at Triple-A Columbus.

Mirabelli on Aguilar:  The Indians were sad to see Lofgren go, but like what they got in Aguilar and think he could help the big league team out at some point this season.  Assistant GM John Mirabelli had this to say about Aguilar:  “We’ve liked Omar since he was a freshman at Merced Junior College.  He brings versatility and a big arm [where] we have seen his fastball up to 96 MPH along with a power slider.  He is not that far removed from being on a 40-man roster, [and] we think he can get back to that level with upside for more.  He adds to our inventory and depth of power arms. We like his future.”

Goodbye to Lofgren:  With the trade of Lofgren to the Brewers yesterday, it puts an end to his once promising career with the Indians.  Three years ago at this time going into the 2007 season after his sensational 2006 season at High-A Kinston he looked to have a great chance to crack the Indians big league rotation sometime in the near future, but it just never worked out for various reasons.  From a personal standpoint it is bittersweet to see him leave for good, but I can’t be any happier for him professionally as he looks to have a much better opportunity at the moment with the Brewers to achieve his big league dream.  He is one of the most classy guys I have ever had the pleasure to talk to and get to know, and I wish the Big Swede tons of success with the Brew Crew.

No Brown Out:  Outfielder Matt Brown is feeling a lot better these days.  Last year he hurt his knee in the early part of the season and it affected his play for almost two months before he eventually was sidelined for most of the rest of the year.  In the fall the knee was still bothering him during Instructional League and he was noticeably upset with the status of the knee and was contemplating surgery.  As it turns out, he passed on the surgery and the best medicine was some extended time off in the offseason as he shut things down for about two to three months after Instructional League and now his knee feels as good as ever.

Position Change:  2008 14^th round draft pick Carlos Moncrief initially signed with the Indians as a pitcher, a position he played the last two years.  He was raw, but had huge upside because of his plus arm strength and high-90s fastball.  However, when he was drafted he was also a highly regarded outfielder with a great arm and powerful bat, and apparently the Indians may have decided to move on from his development path as a pitcher to a new path in the outfield.  While not confirmed as of this writing if he is indeed now a full time outfielder, he is listed as an outfielder on their roster sheet.

Ring Ceremony:  Before the game on Tuesday at Goodyear Ballpark between the Indians and Giants, members of the 2009 Eastern League Champion Akron Aeros received their championship rings.  It may just be the minor leagues, but the ring these guys received is pretty sweet (Brian Grening’s ring is pictured to the right).

Double Duty:  Adam Abraham has been working a lot in the early part of camp catching bullpens because of all the arms, but he is also starting to get some regular work in at third base.  He is expected to split time this year at catcher and third base to get him regular at bats, and should open the year at High-A Kinston.

Armed & Ready:  Right-hander Rob Bryson had a long season last year as he endured a year long rehab from shoulder surgery.  The hard work seems to have paid off as he is supposedly pain free and ready to get rolling this year with few if any restrictions.  He should open the 2010 season at High-A Kinston, though could move quickly to Double-A Akron depending on how he performs.

Head First:  First baseman and outfielder Stephen Head’s knee is feeling a lot better this spring than it did at the end of the season last year.  He has been working out a lot at first base, and may see more time there this year at Triple-A Columbus.

Spring Training Videos:  I have started to upload and post some of the videos I have shot out in spring training.  There will be a TON of videos after this spring where I hope to have a good percentage of players recorded to video and posted throughout the next several weeks.  Here are the first batch of videos, and as always thanks to Michael Taylor for the great editing job: Brett Brach, Austin Adams, Brian Bixler, Brian Grening, Carlos Carrasco, Carlos Rivero, and Michael Brantley.

Follow me on Twitter @tlastoria

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Forward Heading

With the 2009 baseball season officially over with the conclusion of the World Series on Wednesday night many fans, players, and the organizations themselves are already getting primed and ready for the 2010 season which starts up in five months.

For Cleveland Indians first base and outfield prospect Stephen Head, the end to what was a very torturous 2009 season where he was saddled with several injuries, setbacks and disappointments is very welcomed. He now has his sights set on doing everything he can to come back strong and healthy in 2010.

Head, 25, had an injury to his right knee which lingered and affected him all season and forced him in and out of the lineup. The injury and lack of consistent time in the lineup negatively impacted the 6'3" 220-pounder's performance as he only hit .247 with 7 HR, 34 RBI and a .668 OPS in 76 combined games at short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley and Triple-A Columbus.

Rolling the tape all the way back to the beginning, the knee issue cropped up in the early part of spring training. He hurt his knee in the second game of spring training sliding into the hard outfield wall. He ended up having to sit out and miss most of the rest of spring training as he rehabbed his knee, though he still opened the season with Columbus.

"I got hurt in spring training and I battled through it all year," said Head in a recent interview. "It is an issue to this day. It is one of those things where it just needs rest. Offensively and defensively it [took] my game backwards a little bit with the way that I can play. Obviously I was looking forward to [2009], and now I have to kind of take it and look forward to next year which I think I still have a very good opportunity. It was disappointing for me obviously because I wanted to get up [to the big leagues] this year, and out of camp I felt like I had a good chance of doing that. It just kind of lingered and never went away and got worse. It happens, but I am disappointed with it obviously."

Injuries quite often in professional sports have a big effect on how long a player plays and how successful he is, and just as often a promising career is sidetracked by a significant injury. There is no greater equalizer in professional sports.

From the start of the season until the end, Head was in and out of the lineup and just never could get the knee right. Considering the trouble he was having with the knee, it may have been wiser to just sit him for a couple of months or even for most of the rest of the season in order to help facilitate a better recovery, but he and the Indians training staff felt like it would get better as the season wore on.

"We were under the impression it was going to get better if I could continue to play," recalled Head. "We didn't misdiagnose it or anything; we just kind of misjudged it. It just didn't get better. Playing on it didn't help it as every time I would slide it would knock me back a week."

There is no specific name for his injury other than it being broadly considered a right knee injury, but to be more specific the problem area was in the back of the knee. He strained his posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), but there was also a small muscle in the back of the knee that he ruptured which was the main source for the pain in his knee. The back of his knee always felt like it was compressed and it would not bend easily. It was just constant discomfort and he always feel like there was something in it, which affected his ability to play on it.

"My best way to describe it is compression from the inside," said Head. "It was discomfort all the time."

So far, the plan for Head this offseason has been to shut down his baseball activities and just rest the knee and undergo some therapy to help knock it out so the injury does not carry into next season. He had hoped to play winter ball somewhere to make up about 100 at bats he lost over the course of the 2009 season while he was out, but instead he is completely focused on getting healthy and to be ready for the start of spring training in late February. He is not rehabbing at the Indians new Player Development complex in Goodyear, Arizona, but instead at his new home in Anna, Illinois.

"I have always worked out hard [in the offseason]," said Head. "I wasn't able to do any workouts this season because of my legs, and they lost all their strength. I was having quad problems because I had no strength in my legs. Strength for me is one of the stronger parts of my game being able to hit balls hard and far. I just lost all of my strength this year. It wasn't because I was out of shape, I just had to shutdown all of my workouts for my legs to get better. From the ground up is your strength and I was basically from the waist up, so I am really looking forward to getting that aspect back."

At full strength, Head has some definite appeal to a big league roster. He is versatile to where he can play both first base and the outfield well, and not just getting by but as an impact defender at both positions. He also has a potent left-handed bat that has some good pop.

Many consider him the best defensive first baseman in the Indians organization by far, but while he is an accomplished defensive first baseman he takes a lot of pride having been able to move to the outfield. He has shown very good potential as a right fielder even though the knee injury affected his play out there this past season.

"I take a lot of pride that I was able to move to the outfield, but the injury really took away from some of the things I am able to do in the outfield," said Head. "Because I depend on quick jumps, that was the main thing I didn't have as with the knee issue those quick bursts were not there. Once I got going I could run, but it was those first few steps I was laboring badly. That's huge in the outfield and I felt like that is where it affected me a lot defensively."

As mentioned, Head is rehabbing this offseason in Anna, Illinois, which is also the hometown of his fiancé Ashley Hatfield whom he will marry later this month. The two met in college when they were at the University of Mississippi as part of a date setup by Ashley's sorority sisters in what they refer to as something like an "arrange-a-date". The date happened in their sophomore year, the sparks flew, and they have been together ever since.

Also, if the name of Head's fiancé happens to ring a bell, you are not mistaken or hearing things. That is because Ashley was Miss Illinois in 2007, and was also in the Miss America pageant in 2007. Head considers himself to be a pretty average guy, and while he is a professional athlete and has a contagious charm about him, he knows he swung for the fences and ht a grand slam.

"Yeah, I threw up the Hail Mary and nailed it," laughed Head. "She is actually more popular than I am."

With things starting to settle and prosper on the personal side, Head is committed to doing what it takes to more firmly establish the professional side of his life. A healthy knee this spring will be a good start.

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Minor Happenings: White In The Fold

"Minor Happenings" covers the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. While most of the information in this report is from my own research and through interviews I have conducted with organizational personnel, some information in this report is collected and summarized from the various news outlets that cover each team.

I'm out in Wilmington, DE at the moment to see Indians High-A affiliate Kinston in action. Upon returning, I should have all sorts of nuggets to share on some of the Kinston players as the season wraps up. I have to say, having now been to almost every ballpark in the Carolina League that Wilmington's ballpark and surroundings is clearly the best. The field is top notch for a Single-A ballpark and the area around it has so much to see and do. I'll definitely be back here next year. The best part is Atlantic City is only a little over an hour away.;)

Anyway, I wrote a few player pieced this past week on Ryan Morris, Russell Young and Jason Knapp. Also, Paul Cousineau and I hosted our weekly radio program Smoke Signals this past Thursday and recapped all the July trades and how all those players are doing to date.

Onto the Happenings...

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for games from August 13 through August 19)

Eric Berger (Left-handed Pitcher - Akron)
1-0, 2 games, 1.50 ERA, 12.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 11 K

After a rough Double-A debut on August 7^th where Berger went 5.2 innings but gave up 13 hits and five earned runs, he has since settled in has put forth two of his best outings in his professional career to date. On August 13^th in 6.0 innings of work he allowed two hits, two runs, three walks and four hits. But his last outing on Wednesday night was fantastic as he flirted with a no-hitter through 5.2 innings before eventually allowing a hit. The infield single he allowed in the sixth not only ended the no-hitter but also broke a string of 11.2 consecutive hitless innings. He has now allowed just one hit to the last 42 batters he has faced. In all he went six innings and finished by allowing just one hit, no runs, two walks and had seven strikeouts, and on the season in 24 combined starts with High-A Kinston and Akron is 8-9 with a 2.60 ERA.

The Indians also got a couple of other very notable performances in the system this past week from Low-A Lake County outfielder Donnie Webb and left-handed starter T.J. McFarland. Webb has proven to be streaky this year, but when he gets on a tear he has shown an ability to stuff a stat sheet. His recent surge this week has him now hitting .276 with 7 HR, 51 RBI, 34 stolen bases and a .747 OPS in 111 games for Lake County. McFarland has been steady all year and is now 7-4 with a 3.64 ERA in 22 games (20 starts).

Honorable Mentions:

Stephen Head (OF - Columbus): .345 AVG (10-29), 6 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 0 BB, 3 K
Lou Marson (C - Columbus): .412 AVG (7-17), 4 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
Tim Fedroff (OF - Kinston): .333 AVG (9-27), 5 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 5 BB, 7K
T.J. McFarland (LHP - Lake County): 1-0, 2 games, 0.77 ERA, 11.2 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Nate Recknagel (1B - Lake County): .471 AVG (8-17), 5 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 7 BB, 2 K
Donnie Webb (OF - Lake County): .571 AVG (12-21), 4 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 0 BB, 3 K
Brett Brach (RHP - Mahoning Valley): 1-0, 2 games, 0.87 ERA, 10.1 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K

Previous Winners:

08/06 to 08/12: Clayton Cook (RHP - Mahoning Valley)
07/30 to 08/05: Tim Fedroff (OF - Kinston)
07/23 to 07/29: Carlos Santana (C - Akron)
07/16 to 07/22: Nate Recknagel (1B - Lake County)
07/09 to 07/15: Matt McBride (OF - Akron)
07/02 to 07/08: Marty Popham (RHP - Mahoning Valley)
06/25 to 07/01: Andy Marte (3B - Columbus)
06/18 to 06/24: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
06/11 to 06/17: Trey Haley (RHP - (Lake County)
06/04 to 06/10: Michael Brantley (OF - Columbus)
05/28 to 06/03: Donnie Webb (OF - Lake County)
05/21 to 05/27: Jordan Brown (1B/OF - Columbus)
05/14 to 05/20: Paolo Espino (RHP - Kinston)
05/07 to 05/13: Lonnie Chisenhall (3B - Kinston)
04/30 to 05/06: Nick Weglarz (OF - Akron)
04/23 to 04/29: Matt McBride (1B - Kinston)
04/16 to 04/22: Eric Berger (LHP - Kinston)
04/08 to 04/15: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Kinston)

Director's Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins chimes in this week on how they view this time of the year with the season wrapping up and playoff races in full gear. With playoff races keeping most his players occupied, he talks about how they value the playoff atmosphere at the minor league level:

On the importance of the playoffs: "There is no question that all year we focus on the individual and their development. I work hard to keep our managers focused on that. It is their instinct to drive to win. It is their instinct to think about the team as we were all raised that way and to believe it is all about the team. So it is my job to keep them focused on individuals and what is best for them and their progress. And now at this point in the season we can start to let them focus a little bit more on the winning aspect of things and have some fun with it. The teams have worked hard and the managers worked hard to keep their guys focused, and now that they look up at the end of the year and because they have focused on the right things their team has played well and executed well and they are in the mix. That is very rewarding for the managers and the players there to create some excitement and energy around every game, which at this point in the year is very valuable."

On players maintaining their focus: "It is exceptionally valuable. It is amazing how much the focus of a player changes at this point of the season. He is thinking about his offseason, am I going to be a September callup, or the younger player is thinking 'my gosh I have never played this much in my life I have already played 125 games consecutively and I have another 20 or 30 to go'. So now they are thinking about what I am doing this offseason and what are my plans for the future and they are not as focused on that 94 MPH sinker or the 82 MPH slider. We have to work hard to keep our guys focused. And a playoff run has value when each game has significance and there is a little bit more energy in the clubhouse and a little bit more pep to their step when they are physically in the dog days of August, 125-130 games in, and it is 90 degrees outside. It's a challenge. Our managers do an incredible job of keeping guys focused."

On whether a view can be changed on a player these last few weeks: "Absolutely. It is not so much in how they would change our perception and instead would be where do we need to further help this individual. If they start to lose their focus, if they start to lose that drive, if that routine starts to change, and if we start to see them take small steps in the wrong direction. We factor that in, we address it immediately and remind them. Joel Skinner said it all the time in my minor league days that if you got one foot on the plane you my as well put both on them. He is referring to that plane ride home and in the minor leagues we don't have plane rides. So it is an important time for us to keep guys focused and yes absolutely we are watching to see how tough guys are."

White In The Fold

The Indians went down to the last possible second to ink a deal with 2009 1st round pick right-hander Alex White out of North Carolina. The signing deadline for White and every other player eligible to return to school was August 17th at midnight, and the Indians like nine other teams with unsigned first round picks taken in the Top 15 literally took it down to the last possible minute. He was actually in Cleveland two weeks ago to have a physical, so it allowed the Indians and his agent to talk deal right down to the wire. In the end, Indians Assistant GM Chris Antonetti and White's agent Keith Grunewald agreed on a deal that would pay White a $2.25 million bonus with just a few minutes to spare.

White's signing bonus was above slot for what the Commissioner's Office recommended at the #15 spot in the first round ($1.55 million), though that was expected to happen all along. In fact, while the drama was unfolding as the minutes ticked off the clock to the signing deadline, there was never any doubt he would be an Indian. Both sides pretty much wanted to get a deal done, just all that was going on was typical agent-team drama where the agent tried to get more and the Indians tried to sign him for less. Eventually, as expected, when the midnight hour came calling the Indians bumped their offer and the two sides came to an agreement. It may have looked like the Indians got him in just the nick of time based on when he signed, but it wasn't as close a shave as it looks.

White should be on a noticeably fast development track with the Indians. He will not pitch this year because he signed so late, and part of the reason he signed so late is because the Indians had no interest in getting him in here sooner because he would not have pitched anyway with all the innings he logged at North Carolina this year. He has joined up with Double-A Akron and is on a return to throw program to build his arm strength back up so he can go to Instructional League to get acquainted with the organization and begin his first exposure to pro ball. There is even the possibility he could play some fall/winter ball somewhere this offseason. When next spring rolls around and the 2010 season gets underway, he will be in big league camp during spring training before going to minor league camp about halfway through, and is expected to be in the High-A Kinston starting rotation at the outset of the season.

At North Carolina this past season in 16 starts White went 8-4 with a 3.87 ERA piling up 121 strikeouts and walking 44 in 107 innings. He is very versatile as he has experience as a starter or reliever, and even though many in the Indians organization view him down the road as a late inning major league reliever, for the time being they will put him in the starting rotation in order to keep that option open for him. By starting him he would get regular work in games and in side sessions, and have more opportunities to be exposed to various game situations and to use all and develop all of his pitches regularly in an outing.

White has unbelievable makeup and composure, which to go along with his mid-90s fastball, devastating splitter, and wipeout slider is why the Indians feel he has a chance to be so successful as a reliever down the road. Still, with three pitches of that quality, you have to start him and that is what the Indians are going to do. A move to the bullpen at this point will only be as a fallback option.

The addition of White to the Indians farm system adds yet another high level power-armed pitching prospect that they did not have three months ago. With the infusion of so much talent via trades in July and now first-rounder White, the Indians upper level pitching landscape has changed dramatically in just a short amount of time. The Indians needed arms, be it starters or relievers, left-handers or right-handers. If he performs as expected, the 2010 season could be one where he flies through the system and finishes at Double-A Akron or even potentially Triple-A Columbus. There is no rush on White at this time and no reason to push him to the big leagues next year unless the Indians were somehow contending and White was progressing very well, so his ETA in Cleveland should be sometime in 2011 if all goes well.

Coaches Corner: Mike Sarbaugh

I recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Double-A Akron Manager Mike Sarbaugh about a few of his players, and this is what he had to say:

On Beau Mills: "I think at the start of the year Beau was putting a lot of pressure on himself with the year he had last year in Kinston, getting to Double-A, and being closer to Cleveland. We had some other guys who did that too. I think for him he just tried to do a little bit too much and it took him a little while to settle in. He has been pretty consistent all year long. The one thing is he has been using the whole field of late and that is why his numbers are starting to pick up. He is looking to have more power numbers and got into a little bit of a pull mode. His strength is definitely using the whole field as he can leave the ballpark anywhere. So I think he has kind of settled in and is swinging the bat better for us."

On Carlos Santana: "I think he has really gotten better since the start of the season. I have been very happy with his defense behind the plate. You knew coming in he had the plus arm, but just the way his receiving has really improved and the way he is blocking balls. He has been real good handling a staff and calling a game, so I really like where he is defensively right now."

On Jeanmar Gomez: "His fastball command is real good. The one thing when he was going through his stretch when he had the perfect game and even the start before when he went eight innings in a shutout is his slider was really good. He had hard depth on it. The one thing about Jeanmar is some nights when he does not have his best stuff it is usually that one inning where he will give up three or four runs but he still gets you six innings. I told him sometimes when you don't have your best stuff and you can go out and compete and go late into the ballgame that means something. He has done a real good job with that."

On Vinnie Pestano: "The one thing is having him in the backend of the bullpen you always feel good when he comes into the game. He had a stretch at the beginning of the season where he was lights out. Then one night he came in after giving up a couple runs and was down, and I remember telling him 'hey Vinnie, you are human'. The one thing about Vinnie is he throws strikes and late in the ballgame that is important. It's just the command of his fastball and mixing in his breaking ball. Never having seen him before, I saw him in spring training but sometimes when you see guys in spring training it is tough to judge guys in that atmosphere and environment. He has done exactly what I saw in spring training, and he really impressed myself."

On Carlton Smith: "Yeah, he has [looked as good as his stats show]. Carlton has been very consistent. He has had it where he has gone out there for three innings for us. He is pretty durable. The one thing I like about him is he has such good life and movement on his fastball and has a good mentality and goes right after hitters. Especially coming being a guy who was starting and the first time in the bullpen, you are not real sure about the adjustment period but he has really taken to it. He has been very consistent. I thought it was great and very deserving getting that opportunity going to the All Star game with what he has done this year. I think he has a good future ahead of him."

On Steven Wright: "He is a consistent strike-thrower, has good command of his fastball, and just knows how to pitch. He has been a real important part of our bullpen."

On Matt Meyer: "I think he has more of an idea of what he wants to do on the mound and how to attack hitters. I remember back in Kinston [ in 2007] he would come in against a left-hander or whatever the situation was and I didn't think he really knew how he wanted to attack the guy. Now since he has been here I see a difference in his mentality and how he wants to attack hitters and I think that is the biggest difference from a couple years ago. He has done a good job since he has been here. He is still developing, and I think with him being a left-hander and an ability to attack left-handers, I definitely see more of a plan out there from him. The big thing for Matt is to just be sure he stays in the zone because he has good life on his fastball."

Carrasco Dominates

Triple-A Columbus right-handed starter Carlos Carrasco seems to have taken it to heart when people kind of overlooked him as the biggest prize in the Cliff Lee deal a few weeks back. At least that is how it is looking based on his performance since joining the Indians organization.

In five starts, Carrasco is now 4-1 with a 3.57 ERA for Columbus. He has pitched into the seventh inning in each of his last four starts, and into the eighth inning in three of his starts. In his 35.1 innings with Columbus he has allowed 27 hits, six walks, and has 33 strikeouts. Prior to joining the Indians, in 20 starts for the Phillies affiliate Lehigh Valley he did not pitch into the eighth inning in a single outing, yet in three of his five starts with Columbus he has done so. He is seemingly getting stronger and better with each outing, and his confidence may be at an all time high. With his performance to date, the Indians and fans right now are seeing exactly what made him a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball coming into this year.

We also may have seen Carrasco evolve in the short amount of time he has been with the Indians. When the Indians acquired him, he came with a bad wrap as a pitcher who often had one inning meltdowns where he lost his focus and was "soft" and unable to battle and get himself out of jams. He lived up to this billing in his second start on August 6^th when he had allowed just one run and two hits through seven innings, but proceeded to blow up in the eighth and allow four runs. However, in his two follow up starts after that he went into the eighth inning and cruised before having to be lifted due to pitch count and not because he ran into trouble.

Carrasco has had outstanding command of his fastball since joining the Indians and his secondary stuff has been very effective. He has shown no sign of wear in the late innings as his fastball has consistently been hitting 95 MPH in the eighth inning. With the announcement that the Indians will be backing off left-hander David Huff's innings and not letting him exceed 160-170 innings, it looks like it is not only a way to lessen Huff's exposure to a high inning workload this year but also a way to get a guy like Carrasco into the rotation for a start or two in September. Either way, he is expected to be a callup sometime in September and could make a handful of starts in Cleveland.

Infirmary Report

- Right-hander Adam Miller is recovering well from the recent second surgery on his right middle (long) finger. Assuming all goes well, the recovery process is expected to take about 8 to 12 weeks before he can start any kind of throwing program and throw a baseball for the first time since this past spring. At this point it is way too early to determine if he will ever pitch again, and more on that front won't really be known until he starts to throw for the first time this winter, likely sometime in late-November. Right now he is doing strengthening exercises on the finger to help with the buildup of scar tissue and also relearning the motor skills in the muscles in the finger, such as making a fist and holding it or picking up small delicate objects. The hope is he will be ready to go in the spring, but even if that is the case he likely won't factor into the big league equation and will probably start the year on the disabled list as he continues his rehab.

- Left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz is on the comeback trail from a left elbow strain. He is on a rehab assignment and made his first official appearance in a game earlier this week for the Arizona League Indians going one inning and allowing three hits, two runs, two walks, and had one strikeout. This is good to see as he had been expected to return for awhile since he has been throwing and rehabbing at the Indians new player development complex. He will continue to be ramped up, and if things go well he could join really any of Kinston, Lake County, or Mahoning Valley for a start or two before the end of the season. He will likely return to Goodyear to participate in Instructional League. If he is healthy and has no setbacks after Instructional League, he could possibly pitch somewhere in fall/winter ball.

- Right-hander Rob Bryson is another guy 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, but he has a tender elbow from the throwing he has done after such a long shutdown. This is expected when not throwing for so long, and so he was backed off some from his throwing. He just recently started throwing again and he was actually supposed to make his full season debut this weekend in Wilmington with High-A Kinston, but he suffered another setback with his arm. He will participate in Instructional League this offseason and could be in line for fall/winter ball action to make up some innings.

- Triple-A Columbus infielder Jason Donald continues to be sidelined by a back strain and was officially placed on the disabled list on Thursday. He has been out of the lineup since August 13th, and there is no idea at this point in time how much longer he may be out because his back is still tight. In ten games with Columbus he is hitting .257 with 1 HR, 1 RBI and a .750 OPS.

- Triple-A Columbus first baseman and outfielder Jordan Brown should be activated soon. He has been on the disabled list since August 8th with a shoulder injury and it is feeling much better, and just took live batting practice on Friday. In 97 games with Columbus he is hitting .331 with 12 HR, 58 RBI and a .902 OPS.

- Triple-A Columbus outfielder Michael Brantley has not played since August 13th because of a right ankle sprain suffered from sliding into third base. He had an MRI a few days ago, though was only a precautionary measure to determine the true extent of the injury. The results showed no structural damage, and he is good to go and expected back in the lineup possibly today (Saturday). In 107 games for Columbus he is hitting .260 with 5 HR, 32 RBI and a .685 OPS.

- Double-A Akron outfielder Nick Weglarz was put on the disabled list earlier this week with shin splints. The shin splints came about a month back when he was dealing with a sore back. No question he has not been healthy the past month, and it showed in his performance hitting .217 in July and .100 in August. He is expected to be out for about two weeks and could return in time for the Eastern League playoffs which begin on Wednesday September 9th. In 105 games for Akron he is hitting .227 with 16 HR, 65 RBI and a .808 OPS.

- High-A Kinston right-handed pitcher Alexander Perez is set to return to the starting rotation tonight (Saturday) after a three week shutdown because of a sore shoulder. He is scheduled to throw only three innings and then right-hander Bryce Stowell will piggyback him. In 20 combined starts between Kinston and Low-A Lake County he is 6-6 with a 3.04 ERA (106.2 IP, 94 H, 30 BB, 96 K).

Wondrous Wagner

Power armed right-handed reliever Neil Wagner has had a very dominant stretch of baseball for Double-A Akron in the second half of the season. At the All Star break, his numbers in 29 games were solid as he was 0-2 with a 4.30 ERA and in 37.2 innings had allowed 36 hits, 24 walks and had 35 strikeouts. Putting up a strikeout an inning was a good sign, but the 24 walks in just 37.2 innings (5.7 BB/9) was something to be concerned about.

Since the All Star break Wagner has been cruising and dominant where in 11 games he is 0-1 with a 0.61 ERA and gone 15.0 innings allowing seven hits, seven walks, and piling up 20 strikeouts. The numbers look awesome, but the walks are still there as he has seven in 15.0 innings (4.2 BB/9). Still it is a significant improvement in his walk percentage compared to the first half, and it also shows how dominant he could be if he were to ever improve his fastball command and throw more consistent strikes.

Wagner, 25, was a 21st round pick by the Indians in the 2005 Draft out of North Dakota State. It all boils down to confidence for him and being able to command his fastball. If he can throw strikes with his fastball, his slider and split-changeup play up and are much more effective. Even on their own his secondary stuff is solid as both pitches have seen some improvement in the past year. He has been groomed as a reliever from the get go, being developed to handle virtually any role in the bullpen, and has taken a good step to potentially starting next season in Triple-A Columbus or being picked up by another team this offseason in the Rule 5 Draft.

Lewis On The Mend...Again

It's been a long season for left-hander Scott Lewis. When the 2009 season began he had visions of earning a spot on the Indians opening day roster. As spring training carried on he was effective early, won a spot on the team, but as soon as that announcement was made his performance dropped considerably in his last few spring outings.

Lewis was the starting pitcher for the Indians home opener, but was ineffective in what to date has proved to be his lone start at the big league level this year. Shortly after that game he was placed on the disabled list and has missed almost the entire season with a sore left forearm. Since then it has been a season full of visits to the trainer's room for treatment and long days of rehab out in Goodyear, AZ. A few times this year he looked to be ready to come back, but when he went out to begin a throwing program or pitch in a rehab outing he had a setback.

With the season winding down and about six weeks from wrapping up, if Lewis has any visions of pitching this season or keeping his name in the hopper as a starting pitching option in 2010, he knows he is at the point he is more or less going to have to learn to pitch with pain. He reportedly is still not 100% as there is still pain in the forearm, but it is at the point with him that he may need to throw through it and see if it helps strengthen his arm, or if he ultimately needs to be shutdown.

The injury supposedly is not in the elbow - the same elbow he had Tommy John surgery performed in 2003 while at Ohio State - and is instead further up in his arm toward his bicep. It has been frustrating for Lewis since when he has been healthy he has proven to be a very productive pitcher the past few years, and this latest injury robbed him of a spot in the Indians starting rotation. If he can't pitch through the pain he will just have to shut it down and go into the offseason with a plan to come back 100% and ready to go in the spring.

A Forgettable Year For Rodriguez, Head

When it comes to injuries, several players in the Indians system have had a season to forget. Two players most affected by injuries in the higher levels of the Indians farm system are Triple-A Columbus outfielder Stephen Head and Double-A Akron infielder Josh Rodriguez.

Rodriguez recently rejoined Akron this past week after recovering from a severe right hamstring injury that robbed him of 101 games this year. Earlier in the season he was off to a good start through 18 games with Akron hitting .314 and was leading the Eastern League with a .478 on-base percentage. When he strained the hamstring on April 29^th running the bases no one thought it would be almost four months until he returned, but that is exactly what happened. He was scheduled to come back a few times, but each time he tried to come back he had a setback, and instead ended up spending a good chunk of the season out in Goodyear rehabbing. Now back with Akron, he is being ramped back up for regular game duty playing a few innings a night, and should be cleared to play without restrictions after this weekend. He is hitless in eight at bats with five strikeouts since rejoining Akron.

For Head it has been a year where he has literally awoke every morning with a stiff and painful right knee that he has learned to cope with. The knee was originally hurt at the outset of Cactus League play in spring training when he banged it into the outfield wall. It initially led to him being sidelined for most of the rest of spring training and missing large chunks of the first half of the season. He has some strained tendons in the knee, but being so close to a potential major league opportunity he knows he needs to play in order to stay relevant with the Indians or another team who may be interested in him this offseason. By playing on the injured knee it has not allowed the inflammation to subside, but that is just something he is dealing with as we come down the home stretch and the final two weeks of the season. He's actually been hitting well of late despite the knee issue, and to date is hitting .244 with 7 HR, 27 RBI and a .667 OPS in 60 games this year.

Rebounding Rivero

Double-A Akron shortstop Carlos Rivero is having a solid finish to his 2009 season. After a largely forgettable first 64 games to the season where through June 25^th he was hitting .196 with 1 HR and 22 RBI, he has since come on and is hitting .291 with 6 HR and 24 RBI in 50 games since that date. Overall on the season in 114 games he is hitting .236 with 7 HR, 47 RBI and a .654 OPS. His improved hitting in the last two months is mostly the result from a lot of work in the cages with Akron Hitting Coach Lee May Jr. The work has paid off as his bat path has been much more consistent and he is attacking pitches much better in not letting them go too deep in the zone.

His second half surge should be of no surprise, as this is exactly what he did last year at High-A Kinston when he hit .263 with 1 HR, 25 RBI and a .653 OPS in the first half, and then in the second half hit .300 with 7 HR, 39 RBI and a .845 OPS. Even though he has had a season of two distinct halves offensively, he still continues to play consistent, excellent defense at shortstop. His .970 fielding percentage leads the Eastern League at his position. He is still only 21 years old, so the projection is still there. Even still, he likely will repeat at Double-A to start the season next year, and even though he is a very valued prospect his stock has taken a little bit of a hit this year.

Affiliate Notebook

Columbus Notes (51-74, 4^th place, 21.5 GB): Former Indians farmhand and Columbus first baseman Michael Aubrey was called up on Tuesday to Baltimore. In two games he is 2-for-6 with a double. ... Left-handed pitcher Bobby Livingston went home to Missouri this past week for the birth of his first child. He has since returned to Columbus, but will remain on the inactive list until a spot on roster opens up for a pitcher. ... When outfielder Matt LaPorta was called up on Wednesday to Cleveland, the Indians sent High-A Kinston outfielder Ryan Blair to replace his spot on the roster. ... On Monday catcher Lou Marson raised his average up over .300 for the first time since July 23^rd with a 2-for-4 effort on Monday. He is hitting .340 (18-for-53) with five multi-hit games since joining Columbus. He has raised his average 101 points to .303 since June 4^th, hitting .359 (61-for-170) with 18 multi-hit games over that stretch with Lehigh Valley and Columbus. ... The Clippers broke the franchise record for regular season attendance on Thursday night (584,010, 1990), as a crowd of 9,002 upped the season total to 588,559. Columbus currently leads all of minor league baseball with an average of 9,493 fans per game. Keeping up the current pace over the last eight games, Huntington Park will see over 664,000 fans in its first year as the home of the Clippers,

Akron Notes (77-47, 1^st place, 9.5 GU): Akron is all but in the playoffs as their magic number to clinch the division is now down to ten. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is seven. ... Right-hander Josh Tomlin continues to put forth quality outing after quality outing. In 23 starts this year he is now 12-8 with a 4.10 ERA (129.2 IP, 137 H, 22 BB, 106 K). ... On Friday night right-hander Connor Graham had his best outing as an Indian going seven innings allowing just one run on five hits, no walks, and had six strikeouts. In fives outings with Akron so far he is 1-2 with a 4.07 ERA (24.1 IP, 20 H, 13 BB, 25 K). ... Left-handed starter Scott Barnes has been solid in his first two Double-A outings going 1-0 with a 4.35 ERA. ... Right-handed reliever Erik Stiller has had a very good year in the Akron pen, and in 36 appearances on the year he is 7-3 with a 3.19 ERA. Those overall include an awful outing as a starter which greatly inflate his numbers, as in 31 appearances as a reliever he is 7-0 with a 2.05 ERA (48.1 IP, 34 H, 20 BB, 50 K). ... Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall is hitting .190 with 2 HR, 7 RBI and a .644 OPS in 11 games with Akron.

Kinston Notes (26-28, 2^nd place, 1.0 GB): Kinston may be a game out of first place, but they lead the wildcard race by two games over both Salem and Myrtle Beach. With 16 games left in their season and no games left against the two playoff challengers below them this is a race that is bound to go down to the wire. ... On Tuesday outfielder Tim Fedroff went 0-for-4 in the first game of a double-header with Myrtle Beach to end his 35-game on-base streak and 16-game hitting streak. In 83 games he is hitting .286 with 4 HR, 37 RBI, and a .782 OPS. ... Tight-hander Paolo Espino was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week this past week as he was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two starts the previous week. He 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 3-0 in August with a 0.36 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 6-6 with a 2.55 ERA in 19 starts for Kinston, the second lowest in the Carolina League. ... Right-handed reliever Chen Lee is 4-5 with a 3.54 ERA in 39 relief appearances. In 76.1 innings he has allowed 60 hits, 28 walks, and has 86 strikeouts. ... Catcher Doug Pickens has been hitting the ball well of late, and in 36 games with Kinston is now hitting .281 with 4 HR, 18 RBI and a .735 OPS.

Lake County Notes (30-23, 3^rd place, 5.0 GB): While Lake County has not been mathematically eliminated, their chances of getting into the playoffs are very slim. Since they do not play the two teams above them the rest of the season they need to rely on the help of other teams to knock the two teams above them off, and to date that has not happened. With only 17 games left, they would have to win an almost improbably 14 of those games to have any shot of catching 1^st place Kannapolis. If Lake County were to go 14-3 over that stretch, they could catch Kannapolis if they went 9-8 or worse. ... First baseman Nate Recknagel is having a fine season in Lake County, and in 80 games is hitting .282 with 12 HR, 61 RBI and an .861 OPS. ... Outfielder John Allman has had a productive year even though he has bounced around between three different affiliates. In 91 combined games between Kinston, Lake County, and Mahoning Valley he is hitting .285 with 7 HR, 48 RBI and an .804 OPS. ... Left-hander T.J. House is now 5-9 with a 2.89 ERA in 23 starts this year. In 118.1 innings he has allowed 107 hits, 44 walks, and has 94 strikeouts. ... Right-handed closer Steve Smith is now 2-3 with 22 saves and a 2.55 ERA in 42 appearances. In 49.1 innings he has allowed 41 hits, 11 walks, and has 56 strikeouts.

Mahoning Valley Notes (38-22, 1^st place, 5.0 GU): With 16 games to play and a five game lead, the Scrappers magic number to clinch the NY-Penn League Pinckney Division is down to 12. ... On Tuesday night in the NY-Penn League All Star Game, right-handed closer Cory Burns picked up the save. Right-hander Marty Popham threw a scoreless inning, right-hander Clayton Cook walks two and gave up an unearned run in his one inning, and outfielder Jordan Henry grounded out in his only plate appearance. ... Right-handed reliever Austin Adams has been on a little bit of a role late, helped mostly because of a boost in his confidence and velocity in some recent solid outings. In 13 appearances he is 0-1 with a 4.94 ERA going 27.1 innings and allowing 27 hits, 13 walks, and has 19 strikeouts. ... Infielder Jesus Brito has hit safely in eight of nine games since joining Mahoning Valley. He is hitting .419 (13-31) with 4 2B, 6 RBI, 9 BB and 7 runs scored. ... In his first 12 games outfielder Jason Kipnis is hitting .326 (15-46) with 4 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 5 BB, and 9 runs scored. ... Right-hander Cory Burns has received a decision in eight straight outings going 1-1 with six saves going 14.0 innings and allowing six hits, two runs, and 15 strikeouts.

Arizona League Indians (8-13, 4^th place, 6.5 GB) & Dominican Summer League Indians (32-39, 8^th place, 15.5 GB): The Arizona Indians only have seven games remaining, though their playoff fate is still up in the air as they are only one game back in the wildcard hunt. ... Arizona infielder Giovanny Urshela has a nine-game hitting streak batting .344 (11-32) with 5 RBI. ... Arizona outfielder Kevin Rucker has hit safely in 10-of-12 games hitting .341 (15-44) with 3 2B, 1 3B, and 5 RBI. ... Infielder Chris Kersten is hitting .469 (15-32) vs. lefties and .303 (44-145) against righties, and his 20 2B are the most in the Arizona League and his 33 RBI are good for 8^th in the league. ... Left-hander Mike Rayl has allowed one or no earned runs in seven of his last eight games (29.1 IP, 25 H, 8 ER, 37 K). ... Right-hander Gregorio Rosario has gone scoreless in six of his seven outings and allowing just one hit in his last six outings. ... The Dominican League Indians season ended on Friday night, and some of their top performers on the season were: outfielder Doris Robles (.310, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 21 SB, .862 OPS); first baseman Jesus Aguilar (.305, 5 HR, 46 RBI, .872 OPS); right-hander Rolando Cariel (2-3, 1.65 ERA, 43.2 IP, 31 H, 18 BB, 48 K); right-hander Oswell Munoz (6-1, 2.20 ERA, 61.1 IP, 48 H, 7 BB, 52 K).

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