Mitch Hilligoss had waited until his final at-bat on Tuesday and needed a bunt single to extend his streak on Wednesday. But on Thursday he made sure that no one had time to get nervous. [...] Continue Reading »

This week’s installment considers all transactions reported between May 19-25.

Last week’s transactions available here.

Arizona Diamondback
Outrighted off 40-man roster: SS Donnie Sadler

Atlanta Braves
Signed: LHP Eric Barrett (2006 D/F, 31st round)
Placed on restricted list: 2B Brandon Monk
Recalled: RHP Joey Devine, 2B Martin Prado
Placed on minor league disabled list: RHP Phil Stockman
Reinstated from disabled list: 3B Eric Campbell, OF Jon Mark Owings
Placed on temporarily inactive list: RHP Moises Hernandez
Reinstated from inactive list: RHP Moises Hernandez
Rehabilitation assignment: RHP Lance Cormier (Double-A Mississippi)

Monk is out for 50 games after failing a test for performance-enhancing substances. Devine rebounded from an injury-plagued 2006 season to go 2-2, 1.54 with 11 saves and 29-11 strikeouts-walks in 23 1/3 innings for Double-A Mississippi. Prado, who hit .301/.370/.390 for Triple-A Richmond, was filling in at third base for Chipper Jones. Campbell was recovering from an injured left thumb. [...] Continue Reading »

The minor leagues’ longest hitting streak in 18 season reached 36 games when Mitch Hilligoss laid down a bunt for a single in the seventh inning. Gio Gonzalez racked up more strikeouts and Chance Douglass continued to turn around his season on Wednesday night.

Triple-A

Josh Hamilton seems to be proving he’s ready to return to the majors. In the second game of his rehab stint in Louisville Hamilton hit two more home runs–his second and third with the Bats. Jeff Keppinger, Chris Dickerson and Mark Bellhorn also homered for Louisville. [...] Continue Reading »

Mitch Hilligoss didn’t have to wait until his final at-bat to extend his hitting streak to a South Atlantic League record 36 games, but he did wait long enough to provide some drama for the Charleston fans.

Hilligoss laid down a bunt down the third base line for a single in the seventh for his only hit in five at-bats. That was enough to give him the South Atlantic record all by himself. His eighth-inning double on Tuesday had tied Scott Seabol’s mark set in 1999. [...] Continue Reading »

Initially, the Indians didn’t expect to put righthander Adam Miller on the disabled list, but after the 22-year-old missed two turns in the rotation with a finger injury, the 2003 supplemental first-rounder hit the DL today.

We talked to Indians assistant general manager Chris Antonetti about the injury after Miller missed his first scheduled start on May 17.

Miller is 4-1, 2.45 in 44 innings at Triple-A Buffalo this season.

Indians infielder Jared Goedert and Pirates righthander Serguey Linares both made their Carolina League debuts on Tuesday after both cruised through low Class A. [...] Continue Reading »

When Mitch Hilligoss grounded out to second base to end the sixth inning of Charleston’s Tuesday night game with Columbus, his teammates started talking about figuring out a way to get the third baseman one more chance. Thanks to their patience, Hilligoss got another opportunity and he made the most of it, doubling in the bottom of the eighth to extend his hitting streak to a South Atlantic League record-tying 35 games.

With a hit tonight against Columbus, Hilligoss would have the longest hitting streak in the minors since Joey Cora hit safely in 37 games with the Pacific Coast League’s Las Vegas club in 1989. The minor league record is held by Wichita’s Joe Wilhoit, who hit safely in 69 games in 1919. [...] Continue Reading »

Blue Jays lefthander Ricky Romero is rehabbing from a sore shoulder in extended spring training. He hasn’t appeared in a game for Double-A New Hampshire since May 3.

The sixth overall pick of the 2005 draft from Cal State Fullerton, Romero reached Double-A in his first full season, but has struggled to establish himself at the level. He went 2-3, 2.75 for the Fisher Cats in six August starts to close 2006 on an encouraging note, but he posted just one good start in four tries this year before going down with injury. [...] Continue Reading »

With very little left to prove in Triple-A, Twins righthander Kevin Slowey was called up to the majors last night to take Ramon Ortiz’ spot in the rotation. Slowey, the Twins’ second-round pick out of Winthrop in 2005, will start Friday in Oakland.

Fresh off a three-game winning streak with Rochester, the 23-year-old Slowey leaves the International League with 6-2, 1.54 numbers in 64 1/3 innings. He was the circuit’s ERA leader, and he had struck out 57 batters and walked just five, continuing to show his astonishing command of the strike zone.

Righthander Matt Garza, who was taken in the 2005 draft’s first round, had been nearly as effective as Slowey over the past few weeks—and he was already on the 40-man roster—but his candid blow up on Saturday could not have helped his case.

Mitch Hilligoss had to wait until his last at-bat, but he succeeded in extending his hitting streak to a South Atlantic League record 35 games, and Colby Rasmus had a seven RBI night a day after he hit two home runs.

Triple-A

Johnny Cueto made the jump to Triple-A Louisville for a spot start with little trouble. Cueto allowed two runs in five innings while striking out six as Louisville beat Charlotte 4-3. Josh Hamilton homered in a rehab stint and Joey Votto added a double. Cueto is on his way back to high Class A Sarasota today. [...] Continue Reading »

Whenever a hitting streak stretches past 30 games, it’s time to take notice. Charleston first baseman Mitch Hilligoss had no trouble extending his hitting streak to 34 games on Monday with a 3-for-6 night.
Triple-A

Jason Hammel has had problems with his teammates scoring runs for him. So Hammel took things into his own hands on Monday, throwing a complete-game five-hit shutout. He needed only 100 pitches to shut down Ottawa while his teammates for once gave him plenty of run support in a 8-0 win. [...] Continue Reading »

The White Sox recalled Triple-A Charlotte infielder Andy Gonzalez Monday, but the bigger news for Baseball America readers was the callup of righthanded reliever Dewon Day.

A 2002 26th-round pick by the Blue Jays, Day was stolen away by Chicago in the minor league phase of the 2005 Rule 5 draft. He was brought up from Double-A Birmingham in place of lefthander Andrew Sisco.

To get the full breakdown of day, check out the profile of him in the April 25 edition of Prospect Pulse. [...] Continue Reading »

One look at high Class A Winston-Salem outfielder Paulo Orlando’s speed from first to third made scouts in attendance do a double-take during the Warthogs’ series at Kinston this weekend.

“I’m getting 4.25 down the line,” said one scout from a National League club, “but it seems like he’s 4.25 from first to third. When he gets going, he’s one of the fastest guys I’ve seen this year.” [...] Continue Reading »

Rangers lefthander Kasey Kiker joined low Class A Clinton from extended spring camp in Surprise, Ariz., a little over a week ago and Midwest League hitters have yet to even sniff him. [...] Continue Reading »

Being in the pressure cooker is nothing new for Indians righthander Bubbie Buzachero.

A 23rd-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2002, Buzachero came over to the Tribe for lefthander Brian Tallet prior to the 2006 season.

And while Tallet has been in the big leagues the majority of this season, Buzachero recently made the jump to Triple-A Buffalo and might not be far away.

Buzachero pitched his seventh straight scoreless inning for the Bisons’ on Saturday, and is 1-1, 3.21 in 14 innings since being promoted.

Buzachero was especially impressive for Puerto Rico in this year’s Caribbean Series, working his way out of jams three times against both Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. [...] Continue Reading »

With Horacio Ramirez on the disabled list, the Mariners are likely to make a move and dip into their system. While Justin Lehr (5-0, 2.64 at Triple-A Tacoma) was Seattle’s first choice for a callup, Lehr last pitched on Friday, throwing 99 pitches over six innings and the M’s need a starter on Tuesday.

It appears as if lefthander Ryan Feierabend will make his first major league start of 2007 on Tuesday at Los Angeles. Feierabend was pulled after one inning of Tacoma’s 11-9 loss to Tucson on Saturday.

This season, the 2003 third-round pick is 2-2, 3.86 in 49 innings for the Rainiers.

Feierabend’s best pitch is his circle changeup, which he’ll set up with an 89-92 mph fastball. He has the best command in the system.

TRIPLE-A

HIGHS: Chris Carter and Jamie D’Antona led Tucson past Tacoma, 11-9 on Saturday, with the two sluggers combining to go 7-for-10 with six RBIs and five runs scored. Both homered, as did Tacoma outfielder Wladimir Balentien—his 11th blast of the season . . . Jacoby Ellsbury and Brandon Moss had a nice little combo of their own, though it wasn’t enough as Pawtucket fell to Syracuse, 10-7. The two outfielders combined for seven hits, as Moss also doubled and tripled in the losing effort . . . Pirates righthander Bryan Bullington continued to cruise, allowing an unearned run on three hits over 6 2/3 innings in Indianapolis’ 6-2 win against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre . . . Braves outfielder Gregor Blanco went 4-for-6 with a pair of doubles and four steals in Richmond’s 7-4 win against Norfolk . . . Josh Fields homered, doubled, stole a base and even played some shortstop in Charlotte’s 6-2 win against Ottawa.

LOWS: It was a tough night for Norfolk catcher J.R. House. House, who has split time at catcher and first base this season, went 1-for-5 at the plate in the Tides’ loss, but Richmond runners ran wild against him, swiping six bags in the game. House is throwing out 20 percent of runners this season (8-for-39) . . . There was nothing for real about “The Real Deal” in Ottawa’s loss to Charlotte. Righthander J.D. Durbin allowed six runs on six hits and walked five over five innings . . . Padres righthander Jared Wells allowed six runs on nine hits and walked four over just 3 1/3 innings of Portland’s 7-4 loss to Las Vegas . . . Reds lefthander Phil Dumatrait might have improved velocity, but Saturday was not his night. Dumatrait allowed six runs on six hits and walked four over five innings in Louisville’s 9-4 loss to Buffalo. [...] Continue Reading »

We wrote up lefthander Mike Zagurski as our organizational sleeper in the Phillies Top 30 in our 2007 Prospect Handbook.

Not that we expected Zagurski to jump all the way to the big leagues, but the 2005 12th-round pick made his major league debut Friday, tossing a scoreless inning against the Braves in Atlanta.

Zagurski, who went 4-4, 3.51 in his first full season at low Class A Lakewood last year, is also known as ‘Mini-Me.’

Just in case you missed it, we profiled Zagurski’s stuff and his dramatic rise through the system less than two weeks ago.

This isn’t the same Texas League Michael Madsen used to know.

After not exactly ripping through the high Class A California League last season with 6-11, 6.68 numbers in 121 innings at Stockton, the Athletics promoted the 2005 21st-round pick to Double-A Midland and there are no two ways about it—he got raked.

In two starts, the 24-year-old righthander allowed 15 earned runs on 19 hits in just seven innings.

Not a nice way to go into the offseason.

But Madsen continued to work all winter to get stronger in his lower half and improve his secondary pitches. And even though the Ohio State product’s outing Friday wasn’t indicative of this season—Madsen allowed a pair of runs on five hits in the Rock Hounds’ 3-2 win against Wichita—the work has paid off. [...] Continue Reading »

There is no question about it, low Class A Greensboro can swing it.

With hitters like outfielders John Raynor, Scott Cousins, Greg Burns and now second baseman Chris Coghlan getting in on the act, the Grasshoppers have little problem scoring runs.

“The kid can really hit,” a National League scout said of Coghlan, who batted .262 in April but turned it up to .344 this month. “He’s got a great approach and doesn’t try to do too much. There’s some leverage there. This guy’s going to hit for some power.” [...] Continue Reading »