Flores continues to rake in Trenton win

April 22, 2013 by Mike Axisa 23 Comments

Got some news, including a few tidbits courtesy of Chad Jennings:

RHP Nick Goody had Tommy John surgery and will obviously miss the rest of the this season, probably the start of next season as well. He also missed some time in camp after hurting his ankle in a car accident. I ranked Goody as the team’s 21st best prospect before the season because he had the potential to be a quick-moving power reliever. So much for that idea.
UTIL Ronnie Mustelier is back playing in games after suffering what was apparently a nasty bruise at the very end of Spring Training. He played three innings in an Extended Spring Training game and probably needs another week or so before rejoining Triple-A Scranton.
LHP Vidal Nuno and 1B Kyle Roller were named the Triple-A International League Pitcher of the Week and the Double-A Eastern League Offensive Player of the Week, respectively. At some point this summer the Yankees are going to have to give Nuno a shot in the big leagues just to see what he can do. It’s not like they don’t need the pitching this year or going forward.

Triple-A Scranton (8-1 win over Syracuse)

2B Corban Joseph: 0-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K
RF Thomas Neal: 2-3, 3 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 HBP — threw a runner out at third … would he be worse than Ben Francisco?
LF Zoilo Almonte: 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
C Austin Romine: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K — very quietly has ten hits in his last 24 at-bats (.417)
CF Melky Mesa: 2-4, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB
RHP Chris Bootcheck: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 4/6 GB/FB — 60 of 91 pitches were strikes (66%) … first run he’s allowed all year

Double-A Trenton (13-8 win over Akron)

LF Ramon Flores: 2-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K — 15 hits in his last 32 at-bats (.469)
2B Jose Pirela: 3-5, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 E (throwing)
RF Tyler Austin: 2-5, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K — ten walks in his last five games
C J.R. Murphy: 0-3, 3 BB, 1 K
CF Slade Heathcott: 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB — threw runners out at second and third, plus he got picked off first
3B Rob Segedin: 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 E (missed catch) — 15 hits in his last 39 at-bats (.385) with seven doubles
LHP Francisco Rondon: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 Balk, 1 HB, 8/3 GB/FB, 1 E (interference) — 60 of 98 pitches were strikes (61%) … what is this accomplishing, exactly?
RHP Graham Stoneburner: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 WP, 5/1 GB/FB — 37 of 48 pitches were strikes (77%)

High-A Tampa (12-1 win over Brevard County)

CF Mason Williams: 1-4, 3 R, 1 BB
2B Rob Refsnyder: 1-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
3B Anderson Feliz: 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
RHP Shane Greene: 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 6/1 GB/FB — 25/4 K/BB in 23.1 innings

Low-A Charleston had a scheduled off-day.

Andy in Sunny Daytona

The Yankees probably see Rondon as more than a LOOGY, so the best way for him to face RHers and LHers is to have him start. Just my take.
- Rick
  
  Interesting take, but why start then? Why not just have him go multiple innings every couple of nights?
fabricio

when ronnier is healthy call him up and get rid of ben fransico he’s terrible
- Leg-End
  
  He’s done nothing but hit since he got here, can play the outfield and third and Francisco stinks. The only issue here I think is Ronnier’s lack of AB’s since spring and the return of Curtis, I can’t see Ronnier making it up before then thus he will be blocked again barring injuries.
Robinson Tilapia

Sucks about Goody. Thought he was headed down the DRob pipeline for sure.
Robinson Tilapia

I also wouldn’t mind Neal getting a tryout at all.
Preston

33 runs today! Could of used some of that for the big club tonight.
Cool Lester Smooth

I’d say that it’s getting Rondon lots and lots of extra reps to get polished up before they stick him in the bullpen.

Seeing as how he’s not taking these innings from anyone more important, I don’t know what there is to complain about.
trr

I’d asked about Musty earlier, now I’ve got my answer
YankeeGrunt

Dan Fiorito played short for Tampa. I know he’s probably just an injury replacement, but is there anything there?
emac2

“what is this accomplishing, exactly?”

I think it serves several purposes. Besides the baseball side it gives you a cut and paste comment every time he pitches and restores the elastic in your panties.
- Travis L.
  
  I’d love to hear those purposes. Quit looking at Mike’s panties you perv.
KCSwiss

What are the prospects of Fu-Lin Kuo?
- Phil
  
  Judging by his stats, I would not expect much.
Bo Knows

Could Rondon simply be a place holder for Ramirez when he comes back?
forensic

Neal has hit .315/.386/.412 against lefties since 2011 in the minors.
http://b-rar.tumblr.com Brendan

Whenever Ben Francisco or Jayson Nix gets a big-league AB I wonder how Girardi and Cash think Mesa, Mustelier, Neal, Almonte, or Joseph could suck worse.
- Nat King Kong
  
  You do realize that Nix is a utility infielder, and his main job is not to hit but to be able to field several positions well at any given time, right? I understand the frustration with Francisco, but Nix is solid at his job (he even hit a huge HR off Verlander earlier in the year).
Dan

Could part of the reason they don’t call up Neal be that they know Granderson isn’t going to be that far off and the plan now is probably to release Francisco when Granderson is ready? If they already release Francisco to call up Neal for just a couple games, then what do you do when Granderson comes back? It seems like they are already going to have some decisions to make with roster spots when some of their injured players are coming back, why ruin the little outfield depth that they have. That being said, I think Girardi needs to stop playing players like they are platoon positions. Ichiro might be bad against lefties, but Francisco is bad against everyone. Also, against tough left handed pitchers Francisco isn’t going to stand a chance either so you might as well go with a hitter that has been hitting recently.
- forensic
  
  Granderson just did tee and toss for the first time today. He’s gotta be at least 2-3 weeks, likely still a good month, away from joining the team.
  
  That’s FAR more than just a couple of games that Neal (or any replacement) would play in that time.
  
  And either way, I don’t even count Francisco as depth, he’s just useless, especially in the roles they’re going to put him. When Grandy gets back, then if you want to keep a righty up, you option Boesch down, the same as they would if they insisted on keeping Francisco instead.
  - Laz
    
    Career vs lhp
    Boesch: .285/.345/.418
    Francisco: .247/.325/.402
- Tim
  
  They DFA Francisco and put Neal/Musty/Adams on the 40. When Granderson comes back (probably late May) you send them back to the minors. There is not a roster issue.
greg

I think mike was asking about nuno and the aaa box score. i have minor league tv and ive watch him pitch and the best way i can describe him is hes like a lefty Freddy Garcia (2011 version). The guy throws every pitch in any count but gives up a ton of hard hit foul balls, walks absolutely no one (i think he has one so far). you keep expecting him to get hit and then all the sudden hes pitching a shutout in the 6th.