Katoh, Severino & Torrens have strong debuts in GCL openers

The Yankees added Mike Zagurski, Yoshinori Tateyama, and Brent Lillibridge to their Triple-A squad today, now here are a bunch more roster moves and notes:

• The Yankees also signed OF Corey Patterson to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Scranton. As with Lillibridge and OF Fernando Martinez, it’s a move meant to help out an call-up and injury depleted team. That’s all.
• RHP Chris Bootcheck cleared waivers and has re-signed to a new minor league deal, reports Chris Cotillo. He can opt out on August 15th if he’s not in the big leagues. Bootcheck appeared in one game for the Yankees last weekend before being designated for assignment.
• Triple-A Scranton: Sent both RHP Jose Ramirez and RHP Caleb Cotham to Double-A Trenton. They are just temporary paper moves, apparently. Both RHP Mark Montgomery and IF Josh Bell have been placed on the DL for unknown reasons. Montgomery recently missed about a week with a tired shoulder.
• Double-A Trenton: Sent both RHP Zach Nuding and LHP Fred Lewis to Triple-A Scranton. They needed the extra pitchers to manipulate their rotation so RHP Ivan Nova, who was scheduled to start tonight, could be pushed back so he could start for the big league team on Sunday. The Yankees need a starter after Tuesday’s rainout threw the rotation off schedule.
• Low-A Charleston: C Peter O’Brien and RHP Alex Smith have been promoted to High-A Tampa. Josh Norris hears O’Brien will play third base in Tampa, which is … uh … interesting. Pretty good indication a C Gary Sanchez promotion is not coming anytime soon.

Triple-A Scranton (5-4 loss to Norfolk)

• LF Corey Patterson & CF Cody Grice: both 2-5 — Patterson scored one run … Grice stole a base, scored twice, and struck out once
• RF Fernando Martinez: 2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI
• 1B Dan Johnson: 1-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI
• RHP Zach Nuding: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 7/1 GB/FB — 61 of 98 pitches were strikes (62%)
• LHP Mike Zagurski: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GB/FB — 13 of 20 pitches were strikes

Double-A Trenton (9-2 win over Portland)

• LF Ramon Flores: 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
• CF Slade Heathcott: 1-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 K — five hits in his last 15 at-bats with two doubles and the triple
• RF Tyler Austin: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
• DH Andrew Clark: 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI — organizational debut for the former indy baller
• 2B Jose Pirela: 3-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 E (throwing) — six hits in his last ten at-bats with two doubles and two homers
• RHP Scottie Allen: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 8/5 GB/FB — 60 of 101 pitches were strikes … not bad for his Double-A debut

High-A Tampa (7-5 loss to Brevard County)

• CF Mason Williams: 3-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI — 5-for-7 over the last two games
• 2B Rob Refsnyder: 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
• LF Ben Gamel: 1-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI — 14 hits in his last 38 at-bats (.368) with two doubles, two triples, and three homers
• C Gary Sanchez: 0-4, 1 K, 1 PB — six hits in his last 34 at-bats (.176)
• DH Peter O’Brien: 1-4, 2 K
• LHP Dietrich Enns: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 2/2 GB/FB — hopefully they’re giving them a chance to start, he’s earned it
• RHP Diego Moreno: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1 HB, 1/1 GB/FB
• RHP Branden Pinder: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GB/FB

Low-A Charleston (5-1 win over Rome)

• CF Jake Cave: 1-3, 2 R, 1 3B, 2 BB — 12 hits in his last 31 at-bats (.387) with five doubles, a triple, a homer, seven walks, and six strikeouts
• SS Cito Culver: 1-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K
• 1B Greg Bird: 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB — 12 hits in his last 20 at-bats with five doubles
• 3B Dante Bichette Jr.: 1-4, 1 K, 1 HBP
• RHP Jose Campos: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 3/1 GB/FB, 1 E (pickoff) — 13/1 K/BB in his last 15.2 innings

Short Season Staten Island (5-3 loss to Hudson Valley)

• CF Michael O’Brien: 1-4, 1 K — 6-for-17 (.353), but five strikeouts and no walks
• DH Brandon Thomas: 0-4
• RF Yeicok Calderon: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI — Yeicokshot!
• LF Daniel Aldrich: 2-3, 1 R, 1 K — signed for at least $150k as an undrafted free agent last summer
• 1B Bubba Jones: 2-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI
• RHP David Palladino: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/3 GB/FB — signed for almost $100k over-slot, so the Yankees really like him
• RHP Cale Coshow: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 4/0 GB/FB

Rookie GCL Yanks1 (6-4 win over GCL Pirates) first game of the season, so full lineups as per tradition

• CF Adonis Garcia: 1-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K — he broke his wrist in Spring Training and is just coming back now
• CF Jordan Barnes: 0-0, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SB, 1 CS — replaced Garcia, who only played three innings in the field in his first rehab game
• SS Tyler Wade: 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB, 3 E (fielding, two throwing) — nice debut for this year’s fourth rounder, at least at the plate
• RF Austin Aune: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 3 K — well, he’s a lot less interesting now that he’s no longer a shortstop
• 1B Chris Breen: 0-4, 1 RBI, 3 K
• C Eduardo de Oleo: 0-4, 1 K
• 2B Gosuke Katoh: 1-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI — trying to shake that “too skinny, not strong enough” tag by hitting a homer in his second pro at-bat
• PF-2B Ty Afenir: 0-1, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 SB — replaced Katoh, who played five innings by design … he just signed a few days ago and hadn’t played in a few weeks, so they’re breaking him in slow
• LF Sandy Brito: 0-4, 1 K
• DH Jimmy Falla: 1-3, 1 R, 1 K
• 3B Kevin Cornelius: 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
• RHP Luis Severino: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 HB, 4/1 GB/FB — signed for $225k back in 2011 and is one of the best sleepers in the system … the 19-year-old runs his fastball in the low-to-mid-90s with a good slider, though he needs to figure out a changeup
• RHP Taylor Morton: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2/0 GB/FB
• RHP Chaz Hebert: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 3/1 GB/FB — had a 30/4 K/BB in 25 innings here last year
• RHP Victor Beriguete: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 1 Balk, 1/0 GB/FB

Rookie GCL Yanks2 (4-3 loss to GCL Tigers) two GCL affiliates this year, so another Opening Day

• DH Bryan Cuevas: 2-4, 1 R, 1 K — got picked off third
• C Luis Torrens: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K — nice debut for last year’s big international signing, who signed for $1.2M
• C Alvaro Noriega: 1-1 — replaced Torrens, who played eight innings in his first pro game
• 3B Renzo Martini: 0-4, 2 K — 80 name tool
• LF Nathan Mikolas: 0-4, 1 K — struck out 35 times in 105 plate appearances at this level last year (33.3%)
• 1B Dalton Smith: 1-4, 1 K, 1 E (pickoff)
• CF Kendall Coleman: 1-3, 1 R
• 2B Jake Anderson: 1-3 — third year at this level
• 2B Jose Javier: 0-0, 1 CS — replaced Anderson, who was taken out after flying out in the seventh
• SS Thairo Estrada: 1-2, 1 RBI, 1 CS — another 80 name tool
• RF Jose Figueroa: 1-3, 1 R
• RHP Joey Maher: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 4/1 GB/FB
• RHP Jose Pena: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HB, 1/3 GB/FB
• LHP Yoely Bello: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HB, 1 Balk, 2/0 GB/FB