Thursday, July 17, 2014

Notes: Lefties Tomorrow, Marte Back, Decker Down, MiLB News...



  • It will be a battle of lefties looking for their mojo tomorrow night when Farncisco Liraino tales on the D-Backs' Jorge De La Rosa at PNC Park. 
  • Starling Marte is back from his bereavement leave and Jaff Decker is back an Indy..
  • Gerrit Cole isn't expected back in the rotation until at least August. After rushing his last DL stint for dead arm, the Pirates will be sure to error on caution's side this time.
  • Keith Law of ESPN has his Top 50 List out; the Bucs have four players on it - RHPs Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon, along with OFs Josh Bell and Austin Meadows.
  • Indy Indians LHP Andy Oliver (1-1, 2.08 ERA) and RHP Casey Sadler (8-1, 2.10), DH Matt Hague (12 homers, 56 RBIs) and OF Chris Dickerson (.315 average, 6 homers) were named to the International League All-Star team. Sadler tossed a scoreless frame, Oliver gave up a run in 2/3 IP, Hague got in the HR Derby but not the game because of his Pirate call-up and Dickerson was traded to the Indians. The EL beat the PCL 7-6.
  • Six Altoona Curve were named to the Eastern League All-Star game: RHP Adrian Sampson (who was replaced by Kenn Kasparek), reliever Ryan Beckman, C Elias Diaz, OF Willy Garcia, SS Alen Hanson and IF/OF Drew Maggi. It was the first career All-Star nod for Beckman, Diaz, Garcia, Maggi and Sampson while it was the third for Hanson. Beckman got the win and Kasparek the save with Garcia adding a hit as the West won 3-1. All the Curve players got in the game.
  • West Virginia Power SS JaCoby Jones owns a 17 game hitting streak. He's batting .300 with 15 HR and 49 RBI, pretty good offensive numbers for a middle infielder - and so far, it looks like he'll be able to stick at short, which isn't a given for the Bucs' top infield prospect Alen Hansen. Jones will be a guy to watch as he moves up the ladder.
  • Careful what you wish for: RHP Mark Appel, who shot down the Bucs in 2012 to become the Astro's top pick the next year and banking $6,350,000 isn't exactly setting the world afire. In 2013, he was 1-3 with a 3.79 ERA; this year he's 1-5 with a 10.80 ERA. The Bucs used his comp pick to draft OF Austin Meadows in 2013, and that's looking like a good deal about now.
  • Ex-Bucs: RHP Bronson Arroyo, 37, had posted nine consecutive seasons of 199 innings or more from 2005-13. It ends this year; he just had TJ surgery. We imagine the D-Backs aren't very thrilled about his two-year, $23.M deal right about now. Also, C John Buck was released by Seattle.

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