Steve Lein

Not just a "day off" I guess: Update from user wavedog in the Brent Rooker thread.

Just a day off. A little early for that bump that we know is coming yet. There are a lot of players on the roster so they all need time (37 players are active as of today).

There were five games played in the minors on Tuesday and although they went 2-3 on the day there was plenty of action. One affiliate delivered a walk-off win, The Rock kept collecting multiple hits at AAA (It’s only me calling him that, it’s okay to be confused), and their top draft pick delivered an encore performance perhaps even more impressive than homering in his first professional at-bat. To find out who did what in the minors on Tuesday night, keep reading!TRANSACTIONS Before we get to the games, there were some transactions leading into them on today. In Rochester, Yohan Pino was placed on the disabled list with a right-shoulder strain, Nick Tepesch was assigned for a rehab stint in the Gulf Coast League, Dillon Gee was optioned from the Twins, and Alex Wimmers cleared waivers and was outrighted. In the lower levels of the system, Fort Myers released Bradley Strong and the GCL Twins assigned first baseman Mariano Calcano to the Dominican Summer league. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Buffalo 2 Box Score Nik Turley made his first start with the Red Wings since being sent down after a deserved cameo with the Minnesota Twins, and went the first five innings. He allowed a solo home run in the second and an unearned run in the third and left the game with the score tied 2-2. In his five innings, he allowed three hits and walked two while striking out six. His ERA at AAA sits at 3.24 on the season. On the offensive side, if I were to ask you which Red Wings batter was responsible for their first run of the game in this one, who would you guess? Given these reports that you’ve been following for the last few weeks, if you didn’t think of Zack Granite I might ask what is wrong with you. His single in the second inning scored one and if not for a strong throw home would have scored another. He drove in another runner with single in the fourth and finished this one 3-5, raising his batting average to .371. D.J. Baxendale relieved Turley and went two scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and struck out two. Rochester took the lead 3-2 in the top of seventh when Granite led off the inning with a single, but it wasn’t he who scored the run because he got himself thrown out at home on a wild-pitch, trying to score from second on the wild pitch. A two-out single from Byungho Park scored Mitch Garver to put the Red Wings out front. Michael Tonkin finished the final two innings for the Red Wings to pick up his third save on the season. He made it a bit interesting in the ninth, hitting the first two batters of the frame and causing hitting coach Chad Allen to be ejected in the process, but proceeded to strike the next three hitters out. Of his six outs, five came on K’s. Garver (3-5, R), Park (2-5, R, RBI), and Leonardo Reginatto (2-4, R) joined Granite with multiple hits on the game. Despite collecting 14 hits, all singles, and going 5-12 with runners in scoring position on the game, the three runs scored were enough in this one as Rochester pitchers allowed just four hits and two walks. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Scheduled Day Off. The Lookouts enjoyed a day off for travel on Tuesday and get back to action Wednesday night on the road against the Mississippi Braves. Stephen Gonsalves takes the hill in game one of the six-game series. MIRACLE MATTERS Clearwater 2, Fort Myers 3 Box Score With Cody Stashak on the mound for the Miracle, this one was a pitcher’s duel throughout. He went 7.1 innings, allowing just two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out eight. With the score 2-1 in the eighth, he was removed after allowing consecutive singles that put a man on third. Sam Clay came on and that runner scored on a squeeze play to tie the game at two. Fort Myers took the 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh after the Threshers starter was removed from the game. Tanner English singled and stole second base, his seventh of the season, before scoring on a double from Sean Miller. The next batter, Max Murphy, brought him in with an RBI single. Clay stayed in the game and pitched a scoreless ninth inning to give his lineup a chance at some dramatics. They delivered. Miller doubled with one out to put the winning run in scoring position, and after moving to third on a Murphy single, Shane Kennedy brought him in with a walk-off single. Miller (2-4, 2 R’s, 2 2B’s, RBI), Murphy (2-5, RBI), and Kennedy (2-5, RBI) provided all the RBIs for the Miracle out of the nine-one-two spots in the order. Mitchell Kranson added a double. KERNELS NUGGETS Burlington 6, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Cedar Rapids starter Colton Davis got tagged early and often in this one and the home team was unable to mount a comeback. Davis went the first three innings, and allowed at least one run in each. He finished with four runs allowed on six hits, including two home runs. He struck out two. Ryan Mason went the next three innings and allowed one run on one hit and a walk while striking out two. Alex Robinson pitched two perfect innings, including one strikeout. Evan Sanders finished the game for the Kernels and allowed one insurance run on two hits and a walk, but struck out two. The Kernels offense got one hit from every hitter in their lineup except Caleb Hamilton, but that wasn’t enough to crawl out of the hole they found themselves in early. Travis Blankenhorn clubbed his seventh triple of the season and drew a walk, and Aaron Whitefield blasted his eighth home run along with a walk to lead the offense. As a team the Kernels were 2-7 with runners in scoring position, left eight men on base, and had five hitters with multiple K’s. E-TWINS E-NOTES Pulaski 6, Elizabethton 4 Box Score 2017 fourth-round draft pick Charlie Barnes made his first professional start for the Twins in this one. He went the first 2.1 innings as he ran up his pitch count with three walks. He left with two runners on base in the third, and both came around to score later in the inning. He allowed just one hit and struck out one in his debut. Elizabethton scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning, when Rainis Silva led off with a double and scored on a single from T.J. Dixon. They added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings thanks to RBI singles from Jordan Gore and J.J. Robinson but were outpaced by the Yankees along the way. Twenty-second-round pick Christian Broussard came on in relief of Barnes for his debut and went the next 2.2 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits and a walk with one K. Nick Brown was the next pitcher to make his pro debut, and went two innings. He allowed two runs on two hits and three walks, striking out three. Taylor Clemensia finished the game with two scoreless innings, walking two and striking out two. The Twins closed the Yankees lead to two runs in the eighth inning on a groundout from Andre Jernigan, but were unable to string together enough hits to close the gap. Robinson (2-4, R, RBI) and Gore (3-4, RBI) had multiple hits to lead the offense. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 8, GCL Orioles 13 Box Score The Twins scored first in this one, but their lead was short-lived and if not for a ninth inning rally, would have been on the receiving end of a much worse blowout. Akil Baddoo led off the game with a triple to center field and was promptly driven in by a single from Royce Lewis. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, a throwing error on a double play ball led to two more runs and a 3-0 lead. The rehabbing Nick Tepesch started the game for the Twins, and didn’t do well. He recorded just two outs while allowing five runs on four hits, a walk and a hit-batter. Jordan Balazovic relieved him and stabilized the game for the next three innings, keeping the Orioles off the scoreboard through the fourth inning. Jean Carlos Arias closed the gap to 5-4 in the third with an RBI single, but that’s as close as the Twins would get the rest of the way. Balazovic had retired nine in a row after getting the first out of the fifth inning, but that’s when trouble finally struck. The next five batters reached base leading to three runs before he finally got out of the inning with the score 8-4. Overall, he pitched 4.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out three. Matz Schutte finished the final three innings, but gave up at least one run in each of those frames. His final line included five earned runs on four hits and two walks, thought he did pick up three strikeouts. In the top of the ninth inning, four consecutive walks scored one and kept the bases loaded for Lewis, who cleared them with a double for the final score of 13-8. He finished 2-5 with four RBI on the game. Colton Burns was 3-5 and scored two runs while Alex Robles added a double and two walks to the offensive effort for the Twins. Arias stole second and third base in the first inning for his first two stolen bases of the season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cody Stashak, Fort Myers Miracle (7.1IP, 2 ER’s, 6 H’s, BB, 8 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Royce Lewis, GCL Twins (2-5, 2B, 4 RBI) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05PM CST) – RHP Dillon Gee (0-0, -.-- ERA) Chattanooga @ Mississippi (7:00PM CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves (3-3, 2.85 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:05PM CST) – LHP Lachlan Wells (3-9, 4.28 ERA) Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (12:05PM CST) – RHP Eduardo Del Rosario (7-3, 4.74 ERA) Elizabethton @ Kingsport (5:30PM CST) – RHP Edwar Colina (0-0, 8.31 ERA) GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

On those lists, only 6 players appear on both. This doesn't say anything about who may or may not hit .300 in the future.

I wouldn't be so quick to make that determination. I'd put money on him hitting over .300 in the majors for several seasons. He's a really good "hitter." We're past the point of underestimating his bat. Get on the bandwagon.

Fair enough, but he obviously hasn't hit the "complete implosion" point of the Twins, yet.

I don't know, the mental lapses are one thing, but Eddie is one of the teams best hitters right now. I don't think you send him out for Granite and would venture he's been earning a longer leash lately with his bat. It's going to take an outfield injury or complete implosion from Buxton as a hitter to get Zack up here the way they are going.

Here's the right link

Though only two of the Minnesota Twins affiliates were in action on Tuesday, there was plenty of excitement in the minor leagues as two of their leagues' All-Star Games were scheduled. Too bad for you and me only one of them was played due to some pesky weather. In the one that was played however, a Twins player had a big hit to put his team in the lead. In the two regular-season games that were played, one pitcher made his AAA debut while another made his first start since being drafted. Read on to find out how all of your favorite prospects who did play fared on Tuesday night!RED WINGS REPORT Buffalo 3, Rochester 4 Box Score The Red Wings scored early and held off the Bisons to win their fourth game in a row and move above .500 at 34-33 on the season. In the bottom of the first inning, RBI doubles from Mitch Garver and Byungho Park were followed by a sacrifice fly from John Ryan Murphy to jump out front 3-0. Starter Aaron Slegers kept Rochester out front through five innings before he ran into enough trouble to chase him after recording the first two outs of the sixth. In his 5.2 innings, he allowed three runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out six. With runners on first and second, Jake Reed was summoned from the bullpen for the first time at AAA, and struck out the final hitter of the sixth to keep Slegers in line for win. The offense had added the needed insurance run for their starter thanks to the speed of shortstop Engelb Vielma in the fourth inning. He reached base on a bunt single, stole second base and advanced to third on the errant throw before trotting home on a Matt Hague single. It was Vielma’s first stolen base at AAA. Reed also pitched the seventh inning, allowing a single but picking off the runner before also notching his second strikeout in a scoreless Red Wings debut. Ryan Pressly picked up the two inning save, his third with the Red Wings with two scoreless innings to finish the game. He walked one and struck out two. J.B. Shuck (2-5, R), Park (2-4, R, 2 2B’s, RBI, BB), and Niko Goodrum (2-4) each had multiple hits to pace the offense. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Southern League All-Star Break North All-Stars @ South All-Stars Unfortunately for the Southern League and host Pensacola, the All-Star Game scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled on account of Tropical Storm Cindy pounding the region with rain. As a consolation prize, I recommend you read about the “toxic” road that was taken by the Blue Wahoos franchise to reach the point of hosting the game. The Lookouts were represented on the North Division squad by pitchers Fernando Romero, Mason Melotakis (though he was promoted to Rochester this week), and John Curtiss; and position players Nick Gordon, Edgar Corcino, and LaMonte Wade. Chattanooga kicks off the second-half of the season at home on Thursday against the Blue Wahoos. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Jupiter 2 Box Score Left-hander Anthony McIver made his first professional start on Tuesday night after his first 64 career appearances came as a reliever. You could say it went well, so maybe it will stick for a bit longer? He went the first 3.2 innings, allowing no runs on just one hit while striking out four. The lone hit allowed came in the fourth inning and he was removed immediately as he had likely reached his pitch limit, at 60. Tom Hackimer came on for the final out and then went two more scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and one walk, and struck out one in his 2.1 innings. Unfortunately for those two pitchers, the Miracle offense was nowhere to be found in this one, as the first eleven hitters of the game were retired by HammerHead starter Scott Squier. As a team they struck out four times and managed just three hits and one walk against him in his 6.2 innings of shutout baseball. Fort Myers did threaten in the eighth inning as they had runners on second and third with one out, but strikeouts of Max Murphy and Zander Wiel closed the door on the opportunity. David Fischer was tagged with the loss as he gave up single runs in both of the seventh and eighth innings in finishing the game for the Miracle. Those runs scored on four hits and a walk in his two innings. Fort Myers finished the game 0-2 with runners in scoring position and left only six men on base as a team. They look to pick up their first second-half win of the season on Wednesday after dropping the first two games of their three game series versus Jupiter. KERNELS NUGGETS Midwest League All-Star Break West All-Stars 5, East All-Stars 2 Box Score The Midwest League All-Star Game in Midland, Michigan (home of the Great Lakes Loons, affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers) was able to be played on Tuesday night and all six of the Kernels representatives played, with their four position players also starting the game. Jermaine Palacios was the shortstop, batted second in the Western division lineup, and was 1-2 with a single before being lifted in the mass substitutions in the fifth inning. Lewin Diaz batted clean-up and manned first base, and put his squad out front 2-1 in the fourth inning with a two-run home run. If not for a two-home run game from one of his all-star team mates, he might have been player of the game (he’ll have to settle for the Twins “Daily” MiLB Award) Travis Blankenhorn was at third base and batted sixth in the lineup. He flew out in both his plate appearances. Mitchell Kranson started the game as the designated hitter, but also finished the game at first base. He doubled in the fifth inning and was 1-4 on the game. Pitchers Sean Poppen and Clark Beeker both gave scoreless appearances. Poppen struck out one in a one-two-three second inning, and Beeker gave up a double in the sixth and was replaced with two outs. The Cedar Rapids Kernels get back to action on Thursday on the road against the Quad Cities River Bandits, whom the Kernels edged out for the second Western Division playoff-spot in the first half. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Anthony McIver, Fort Myers Miracle (3.2 IP, 2 H’s, 4 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Lewin Diaz, Cedar Rapids Kernels (1-2, HR, 2 RBI in MWL All-Star Game) WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (12:35PM CST) – LHP Hector Santiago (first rehab start) Chattanooga – No game. Southern League All-Star break. Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30PM CST) – RHP Cody Stashak (2-3, 4.02 ERA) Cedar Rapids – No game. Midwest League All-Star break. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

Palka and Jorge wouldn't crack my top 10 I don't think, but Jorge for sure would be in the next group. I'd have Rooker and Enlow in near the back end.

I don't really disagree with any of your thoughts, and I understand them in a lot of players cases. But not in Rooker's. He was in the SEC and really, really good against the best that conference had to offer (which included Wright, Lange, Faedo, and Houck just from this draft's first round. I'm sure he's faced Clark Schmidt before too along with a bunch of other guys who will probably go early in the next few drafts). What I don't want to see again, is a case like Adam Brett Walker. A lot of people got so excited about him because he mashed in the Appy and Midwest Leagues. I never understood it because my thought process was "Well yeah, he should have given where he came from." Keith Law even answered such a question from me once in a chat, saying basically "he shouldn't be at that level anyway, so of course he put up those numbers there." (I know he was "young" in comparison, but it doesn't change the competition he had already been playing against). It could be moot though if your process happens, as I think most would hope he's starting at AA next year, so maybe it doesn't matter how he gets there. But I don't want him becoming complacent against competition that is beneath him. I think that is a detriment to players development because what does he learn that he doesn't already know? (he can do a lot of the secondary to games things you mention no matter where he's at)

I really, really, really hope this is not the M-O of the new guys... I absolutely hated that they would send college hitters there. They have already faced better competition.

That's fair and I understand the thought process with it. It just doesn't take it that far for me (yet) and I don't think he'll be disappearing from many other lists yet, either.

This is my biggest concern with him. He makes a ton of awesome catches, we all know that. But his landings...leave a lot to be desired.

Then he went and tore up the Arizona Fall League, too...

I don't disagree. But paying over $1.2MIL to spend $700K extra is nothing to scoff at for a lot of teams.

I'm a really big fan of Rooker... I'd put him in the group you're thinking of along with Enlow. Twins may have had Leach there too. He had a lot of helium going into draft.

I think guys like Bechtold and De La Torre will eat up any of what you're thinking is left. And even though they can go $700K over their pool (I would let them if I was running the team) without losing a pick if they wanted, not everybody does that and I think the Twins are in that group. Only about half of all pools in the draft pool era have been exceeded.

Just spitballing this quick after the draft, but we basically agree: 1. Nick Gordon 2. Royce Lewis 3. Fernando Romero 4. Stephen Gonsalves 5. Alex Kirilloff 6. Wander Javier 7. Tyler Jay 8. Blayne Enlow 9. Lewin Diaz 10. Brent Rooker There's also a lot of talent after those names...

You can see some run on his fastball in those videos as well. He's got an idea of the "sinker" type 2-seamer already, too.

Yeah, probably not a big deal. Fielding as a pitcher I think you end up having to try and rush a lot more plays than anywhere else (relative to the volume you see). I'd want to know more about the actual plays before I made any conclusion (did he have to field a ball down the 3B-line, did he deflect one away from him a little, etc...).

Have to make sure you click the date (ex.: Apr 18) or time (13m) link by the user name of said tweet. Copy the link it then puts in your browser.

Melville was pretty good, but a lot to be desired from Heston and Chapman. But those are the types of guys you find on the waiver wire, so I'm not knocking him for it.