Got a bunch of notes:
- A non-update on RHP James Kaprielian: he is still shut down as he deals with elbow inflammation, per Anthony Rieber. Kaprielian has been shut down a little short of three weeks now. Seems longer, doesn’t it? He was placed on the High-A DL on April 25th.
- SS Jorge Mateo has been working out at second base, Brian Cashman told George King. He’ll play some games there before being moved up to Double-A Trenton. Sure seems like they’ll have Mateo and SS Tyler Wade split time on the middle infield with the Thunder. I thought they would slide Wade over to second in deference to Mateo, but Wade’s a legit shortstop prospect himself, so it makes sense to split time. Nothing wrong with letting Mateo try out another position.
- Mateo was included in this month’s Prospect Heat Check, so check that out. “He’s still got 80 speed, but he can’t just get away with it anymore,” said a scout. I’m not quite sure what that means. I think the scout is trying to say Mateo is still a burner, though he needs to improve his reads and instincts as he climbs the ladder?
- LHP Ian Clarkin’s ten strikeout game last night earned him a spot in today’s Prospect Report. The report says he’s working with a lower arm slot than in the past, but his stuff is back to where it was before last year’s elbow injury, and that’s most important. Clarkin has always had a high arm slot anyway (2014 video), so a little drop should be no big deal.
- The new-ish site 20-80 Baseball recently wrote up scouting reports on LHP Jordan Montgomery and RHP Matt Wotherspoon. Here are the links: Montgomery and Wotherspoon. Check ’em out.
Triple-A Scranton (4-2 win over Indianapolis)
- CF Ben Gamel: 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
- LF Jake Cave: 1-4, 1 R, 2 RBI
- RF Rob Refsnyder: 0-4, 1 K — the hitting streak ends at 16 games
- DH Nick Swisher: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K
- RHP Luis Cessa: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 6/2 GB/FB — 64 of 100 pitches were strikes … with Luis Severino hurt, there’s a pretty good chance Cessa’s next start will in the big leagues
- RHP Diego Moreno: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1/1 GB/FB — 19 of 28 pitches were strikes (68%)
- LHP James Pazos: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GB/FB — 16 of 24 pitches were strikes (67%)
- RHP Mark Montgomery: 0.2 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 1/0 GB/FB — nine pitches, six strikes