From the bottom of the developmental ranks to the upper levels here’s all the latest this week…
At the Class A level for the Lakewood BlueClaws, as I reported on Twitter on Thursday, infielder Tim Zier is out for the year after undergoing season-ending left knee surgery on Monday. The San Diego State product was injured during pre-game fundamentals/infield work recently. Zier, last year’s 21st round draft pick, was batting .264 with two RBI in 15 games with the BlueClaws this year.
Reliever Matt Hockenberry, a Temple product, returned from the disabled list on Thursday, after a stint on the disabled list with a right arm strain. In 11 appearances this season, the 23-year-old sports a 1-0 record with six saves, a 1.06 ERA and a .148 batting average against.
Outfielder Jiandido Tromp return to action this week as well, after being on the disabled list with a hamstring strain. The 21-year-old Aruba native is batting .183 with three doubles, three triples and eight RBI in 35 games this year.
With the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, catcher Jose Mayorga was added to the roster on Thursday after a short period with Lakewood and after a paperwork move to transition him to the extended spring training roster, in the meantime, just a few days earlier. I asked Lakewood manager Shawn Williams if that sort of movement, which Mayorga was subjected to last season as well, can be disruptive or discouraging to a player. Williams said the following:
“I don’t think it is (discouraging), because, the reason is I was one of those guys and for me it’s a compliment. You know, it’s something for- it’s a great kid, it’s a great individual, who is very reliable, he’s very good defensively. He’ll step right in and get you a hit or two in the first game he plays. For me, he’s a very reliable player that does an outstanding job. He works extremely hard. He’s always there. He’s always ready. For me it’s a compliment, because I was the same kind of guy.”
Also, lefty pitcher Matt Imhof is continuing his rehab from bicep tendinitis. He is slated to throw five innings with the extended spring team on Saturday and expects to be nearing a return to the active Threshers roster. The 21-year-old, who was the Phillies’ second round pick last year, had a 1-1 record along with a 1.80 ERA through two starts prior to being sidelined in April.
For the AA Reading Fightins, catcher Logan Moore returned to the team after a stint up one level with Lehigh Valley. Moore, who was a 9th round pick in 2011, batted .205 in 12 games with the IronPigs.
Outfielder Kelly Dugan is on target to return soon after being sidelined with a broken foot. He’s been playing this week with the Phils’ extended spring training team. The 24-year-old lefty batter has been out of action since spring training, but batted .296 with five homers and 34 RBI in 76 games with Reading last year.
For AAA Lehigh Valley, they added catcher Gabriel Lino from Reading, when they demoted Moore. The 22-year-old Venezuelan was acquired from Baltimore in the Jim Thome trade. This year with Reading, the righty bating Lino sported a .267 average with three homers, 14 RBI in 34 games. Additionally, Lino, who has highly touted defense, threw out 15 of 31 runners attempting to steal with the Fightins as well.
The IronPigs also added left reliever Jake Diekman, as he was optioned by the Phillies on Thursday night. The 28-year-old tallied a 0-1 record with a 6.75 ERA and a .292 batting average against in 25 games at the big league level this season.
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