Astros Farm Report: 6/4

Catching you up on the latest Astros MiLB news ...

Happy (First) Draft Day!! Astros County is a great source for info on the players drafted by the Astros, but Dustin and I will try to keep you informed on the important stuff like twitter and/or instagram handles.

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Hector Pérez - May 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

6/4: LHP Kent Emanuel (26)
6/4: 1B/C/OF José Álvarez (18)
6/5: OF Carlos Machado (20)
6/6: LHP Cristofer Mezquita (18)
6/6: RHP Hector Pérez (22)
6/9: 1B Yuli Gurriel (34)
6/10: RHP José Bravo (21)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

For players assigned to the Dominican Summer League which started play on Saturday, see Dustin's great post with detailed info on each player.

6/3: 2B/SS Cody Bohanek assigned to Quad Cities from Fresno
6/3: OF Derek Fisher optioned to Fresno (after being activated from the MLB DL)
6/3: OF Josh Reddick sent to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment
6/3: SS Antonio Nunez (Fresno) activated from the DL
6/1: LHP Carlos Hiraldo assigned to Corpus Christi from extended spring training
6/1: RHP Yoanys Quiala suspended for an undisclosed number of days
6/1: LHP Kit Scheetz assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
6/1: LHP Adam Bleday assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
6/1: C Gerry Castillo assigned to the GCL from the DSL
6/1: SS Yorbin Ceuta assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: 3B Sean Mendoza assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: RHP Fredy Medina assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: RHP Manny Ramirez assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: 1B Rhandall Sanchez assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: RHP Angel Macuare assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: OF Wilyer Abreu assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: 2B Jeury Castillo assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: 2B Ronaldo Urdaneta assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: SS Freudis Nova assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: SS Deury Carrasco assigned to the GCL from the DSL
6/1: 3B Yeuris Ramirez assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: C Brandon Benavente assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: RHP Luis de Paula assigned to the GCL from the DSL

6/1: C Nerio Rodriguez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
6/1: LHP Jervic Chavez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
6/1: RHP Jose Alberto Rivera assigned to the GCL from the DSL
6/1: RHP Elian Rodriguez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
5/31: RHP Ralph Garza assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
5/31: RHP Oscar Severino (DSL) released (signed out of the Dominican Republic in July 2016)
5/30: RHP Angel Ortega (DSL) released (signed out of Venezuela in July 2016 for $180,000)
5/30: RHP Asael Uribe (DSL) released (signed out of the Dominican Republic in March 2016)
5/30: OF Kendy Moya (DSL) released (signed out of the Dominican Republic in March 2016)
5/30: LHP Denilson Lugo (DSL) released (signed out of Venezuela in July 2016)
5/29: C Tim Federowicz (Fresno) called up to Houston and placed on the 40-man roster
5/29: RHP Jorge Alcala assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
5/29: RHP Tyler Ivey assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
5/29: 3B Adrian Tovalin (Quad Cities) activated from the DL (on since 5/12)
5/28: OF Derek Fisher sent to Fresno for a rehab assignment

Missed from last week:

5/24: RHP Lupe Chavez reinstated from the Voluntary Retired List
5/22: SS Hector Leon (DSL) traded to the Orioles for international bonus pool money (signed out of Venezuela in August 2017)

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

6/3: RHP Andrew Thome (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL (retroactive to 6/2)
6/1: LHP Yeremi Ceballos (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: RHP Carlos Quintero (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: RHP Dariel Aquino (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
5/29: RHP Matt Ramsey (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/27: OF Carmen Benedetti (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/26: RHP David Paulino (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL (retroactive to the 25th)
5/16: LF Yordan Alvarez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/12: RHP Akeem Bostick (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/8: RHP Kevin Hill (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/4: RHP Francis Martes (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/3+/-: RHP Gerardo Bojorquez had TJ surgery per Instagram post
5/2+/-: OF Patrick Mathis out for approx. 6 weeks per Instagram post
4/26: RHP J.B. Bukauskas (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL); according to Instagram Ryan has had surgery, but I don't know whether or not it was TJ
4/5: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Tommy John)
4/5: RHP Jose Luis Hernández (Buies Creek) placed on the 7-day DL

I will be keeping track of all the releases, retirements, trades and signings for the 2018 season here.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Bennett got to watch his daddy pitch for the first time! (Not real sure if he saw any of it 😂) #BringYourKidToWorkDay pic.twitter.com/pLDegN5j82

— Brady Rodgers (@Rodg_20) May 29, 2018

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS
Up and down arrows represent increase/decrease in win percentage over the prior week.

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

🠉1st 34-23 .596 -.-GB W2

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

🠉2nd 33-23 .589 2.0GB L1

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

🠉1st 32-24 .571 -.-GB W1

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

🠉T1st 32-25 .561 -.-GB W2

DSL ASTROS (Dominican Summer League Northwest)
🠋T5th 0-1 .000 1.0GB L1

TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League)
Season starts 6/15/18

GCL ASTROS (Gulf Coast League)
Season starts 6/18/18

ASTROS MILB STANDOUTS FOR THE WEEK

Stats are for the week of 5/28 through 6/3. (Check out the May Standouts here.)

FRESNO

OF Derek Fisher: 6 games, .545/.600/.909 (hit for the cycle 6/1)
OF Jon Kemmer: 4 games, .450/.450/1.000
IF Jack Mayfield: 5 games, .429/.409/.762
OF Kyle Tucker: 6 games, .292/.379/.750 (13 RBI!)
IF Tyler White: 6 games, .320/.379/.560

Garrett Stubbs and Eduardo de Oleo hit a combined .440/.481/.600 out of the catcher's position.

RHP Josh James: 1 start, win, 1.29 ERA/1.000 WHIP, 7 IP (1 BB:9 K)
RHP Trent Thornton: 1 start, win, 1.50 ERA/0.667 WHIP, 6 IP
RHP Rogelio Armenteros: 1 start, win, 1.50 ERA/0.833 WHIP, 6 IP
RHP Mike Hauschild: 1 start, win, 1.50 ERA/1.167 WHIP, 6.0 IP (0 BB:8 K)
RHP Cy Sneed: 1 start, 2.57 ERA/1.286 WHIP, 7 IP
RHP James Hoyt: 4 perfect bullpen appearances, 2 saves, 3.1 IP
LHP Buddy Boshers: 2 bullpen appearances; 0.00 ERA/0.375 WHIP, 2.2 IP

CORPUS CHRISTI

OF Stephen Wrenn: 6 games, .417/.481/.875
1B Taylor Jones: 6 games, .381/.500/.667
SS Alex De Goti: 6 games, .375/.444/.667
C Jamie Ritchie: 3 games, .455/.538/.455
3B Randy Cesar: 6 games, .296/.345/.630 (26-game hitting streak)

LHP Cionel Perez: 1 start, 0.00 ERA/0.800 WHIP, 5 IP (1 BB:7 K)
RHP Yoanys Quiala: 1 game, win, 0.00 ERA/0.800 WHIP, 5 IP (1 BB:6 K)
RHP Riley Ferrell: 2 perfect bullpen appearances, 1 save, 2.1 IP
LHP Kit Scheetz: 2 bullpen appearances (between Buies Creek and Corpus Christi), win, 0.00 ERA/0.692 WHIP, 4.1 IP, 0 of 3 inherited runners scored

BUIES CREEK

OF Luis Payano: 5 games, .429/.529/.500
OF Ronnie Dawson: 5 games, .368/.429/.526
OF Chas McCormick: 6 games, .333/.360/.458

LHP Brett Adcock: 1 start, 0.00 ERA/0.400 WHIP, 5 IP (0 BB:6 K)
RHP Gabriel Valdez: 2 games/1 start, win, 1.13 ERA/0.750 WHIP, 8 IP
RHP Tanner Duncan: 1 bullpen appearance, save, 0.00 ERA/0.429 WHIP, 2.1 IP, 0 of 3 inherited runners scored
RHP Colin McKee: 1 bullpen appearance, win, 0.00 ERA/1.000 WHIP, 3 IP

QUAD CITIES

1B Jake Adams: 7 games, .357/.400/.786
OF Jake Meyers: 7 games, .321/.424/.536 (3 outfield assists)
SS Jonathan Arauz: 7 games, .333/.394/.400

LHP Patrick Sandoval: 2 games/1 start, 2 wins, 0.00 ERA/1.444 WHIP, 9 IP
RHP Cristian Javier: 1 game, 2.08 ERA/0.923 WHIP, 4.1 IP, 0 of 2 inherited runners scored
RHP Willy Collado: 1 game, 2.25 ERA/1.000 WHIP, 4 IP, 0 of 2 inherited runners scored (Quad Cities debut)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Josh James - April 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Here is what I wrote about RHP Josh James coming in to the 2018 season:

I have long been a fan of James. He works hard, has a great pitcher's build and is aggressive on the mound. His 2017 season with AA Corpus Christi was a tale of two seasons. From April through July, James had a 2.81 ERA and a 1.203 WHIP in 67.1 innings and he earned a Texas League All-Star nod. Then, after missing the first two weeks of August, James only managed 8.2 innings over his final four appearances, going 0-4 with a 16.62 ERA and a 3.461 WHIP. It doesn't take a "rocket surgeon" to see that something was amiss with Mr. James at the end of the season. I don't have any recent notes regarding James's pitch repertoire, but I previously had him with a low to mid-90's fastball and a plus slider that may play up in a move to the bullpen. James, who was drafted in the 34th round in 2014 out of Western Oklahoma State College, recently turned 25 earlier this month.
Key: I honestly think that in this pitching-rich Astros organization, James's best opportunity may be a move to the bullpen. If that happens, as I think it may, he will need to embrace that opportunity.

Well, James is still in the rotation and after a successful start with AA Corpus Christi (2.49 ERA/1.246 WHIP in 6 games/4 starts), he was rewarded with a promotion to AAA Fresno in early May. In four starts at the higher level, James has a 3.38 ERA and a 1.125 WHIP with his last start being his most successful outing for Fresno thus far (7 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 9 K).

NEWS AND LINKS

Brian McTaggart gives a preview of the Astros MLB Draft.

Buies Creek RHP Tanner Duncan's great story.

A quick Q&A with Corpus Christi Hooks LHP Ryan Hartman.

And in case you missed any of these, here are my recent interviews:

OF Chas McCormick (Buies Creek)
OF J.J. Matijevic (Buies Creek)
RHP Brandon Bielak (Buies Creek)
LHP Brett Adcock (Buies Creek)
SS Alex De Goti (Corpus Christi)
1B Taylor Jones (Corpus Christi)
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)

FORMER ASTROS UPDATE

Mike Foltynewicz - March 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

RHP Mike Foltynewicz was originally drafted by the Astros in the first round (19th overall) in 2010 out of Minooka HS in Minooka, IL. After five years in the Astros system (including 16 bullpen appearances for the Astros in late 2014), Folty was traded along with 3B Rio Ruiz and Andrew Thurman to the Braves for C Evan Gattis and RHP James Hoyt in January 2015. In his first three seasons with the Braves, he was 23-24 in 69 games with a 4.85 ERA and a 1.453 WHIP. In 12 starts so far in 2018, Folty is 5-3 with a 2.22 ERA and a 1.159 WHIP. His last appearances was a complete game 2-hit shutout (1 BB:11 K). In his last five appearances, he is 3-1 with a 0.56 ERA and a 0.938 WHIP. If Folty manages to put all the pieces together consistently (as is the case so far this season), he will indeed be a force to be reckoned with.

THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL

With last week being the 75th anniversary of the AAGPBL (All-American Girls Professional Baseball League) and the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup preliminary festivities, there have been a ton of links about women in baseball recently.

The Hidden Queer History Behind "A League of Their Own"

Decades after playing pro baseball, a lefty pitcher for the Fort Wayne Daisies gets a little help from the Midwest League Fort Wayne TinCaps.

And my personal favorite for the week, "If she's playing baseball, she must be a badass."

Astros Farm Report: 5/21

Catching you up on the latest Astros MiLB news ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Garrett Stubbs - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

5/26: C Garrett Stubbs (25)
5/27: OF Leonardo González (18)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

5/20: IF J.D. Davis recalled to Houston from Fresno
5/20: IF Cody Bohanek assigned to Fresno from Quad Cities
Note: This is undoubtedly a short-term assignment to fill in at Fresno, but speaks volumes about the Astros faith in Bohanek handling himself well and providing solid defense.
5/20: RHP Juan Robles assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
5/19: C Chuckie Robinson (Buies Creek) activated from the DL
5/18: 1B Roman Garcia (Quad Cities) activated from the DL (since 4/25)
5/18: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
5/17: LHP Chris Nunn assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno
5/17: IF Nick Tanielu assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
5/17: SS Anibal Sierra assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
5/16: OF Jake Marisnick optioned to Fresno from Houston
5/16: IF/OF Tony Kemp recalled to Houston from Fresno

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

5/16: LF Yordan Alvarez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/12: RHP Akeem Bostick (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/12: 3B Adrian Tovalin (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
5/11: C Garrett Stubbs (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/9: IF Jack Mayfield (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/8: RHP Kevin Hill (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
5/4: RHP Francis Martes (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/3+/-: RHP Gerardo Bojorquez had TJ surgery per Instagram post
5/2+/-: OF Patrick Mathis out for approx. 6 weeks per Instagram post
4/26: RHP J.B. Bukauskas (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL); according to Instagram Ryan has had surgery, but I don't know whether or not it was TJ
4/5: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Tommy John)
4/5: RHP Jose Luis Hernández (Buies Creek) placed on the 7-day DL

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Teams that roast each other, win together. Very simple #RoastSessions #LongBusRide

— Ralph Garza Jr. (@_R2_G2_) May 18, 2018

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS
Up and down arrows represent increase/decrease in win percentage over the prior week.

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

🠉1st 27-17 .614 -.-GB W2

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

🠉2nd 25-18 .581 2.0GB W1

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

🠋T2nd 23-19 .548 1.5GB L4

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

🠋2nd 23-19 .548 -.-GB L2

ASTROS MILB STANDOUTS FOR THE WEEK

FRESNO

SS Antonio Nunez: 5 games, .438/.471/.500
3B J.D. Davis: 4 games, .400/.471/.800, hit for the cycle
C Tim Federowicz: 5 games, .333/.474/.800
3B Tyler White: 6 games, .333/.429/.542
OF Jon Kemmer: 6 games, .304/.385/.696
OF Kyle Tucker: 5 games, .286/.375/.571
1B A.J. Reed: 6 games, .263/.462/.737, 3 HR, 7 BB

RHP Rogelio Armenteros: 1 start, 1.59 ERA/0.882 WHIP, 5.2 IP
RHP Trent Thornton: 1 start, 0.00 ERA/0.545 WHIP, 3.2 IP
RHP Matt Ramsey: 3 bullpen appearances, win, 0.00 ERA/0.500 WHIP, 6 IP, 1 BB:11 K
LHP Reymin Guduan: 2 bullpen appearances, 0.00 ERA/0.500 WHIP, 2 IP

CORPUS CHRISTI

IF Josh Rojas: 6 games, .480/.500/.680, 3 SB
3B Randy Cesar: 6 games, .462/.481/.731, 11 RBI
OF Myles Straw: 7 games, .391/.481/.435, 6 SB
1B Taylor Jones: 7 games, .333/.400/.519

LHP Cionel Perez: 2 games (1 start), 2 wins, 1.93 ERA/0.536 WHIP, 2 BB:14 K, 9.1 IP
LHP Ryan Hartman: 1 start, win, 0.00 ERA/0.790 WHIP, 1 BB:11 K, 6.1 IP
RHP Justin Ferrell: 2 bullpen appearances, win, 0.00 ERA/0.900 WHIP, 3.1 IP

BUIES CREEK

OF/IF Osvaldo Duarte: 5 games, .389/.450/.444
IF Alfredo Angarita: 5 games, .300/.364/.350

RHP Hector Perez: 1 game, 0.00 ERA/0.250 WHIP, 4 IP
RHP Abdiel Saldana: 1 game, win, 0.00 ERA/1.000 WHIP, 4 IP
RHP Jorge Alcala: 1 start, 1.80 ERA/0.600 WHIP, 5 IP

QUAD CITIES

IF Miguelangel Sierra: 8 games, .355/.412/.516

RHP Carlos Sanabria: 3 bullpen appearances, win, save, 0.00 ERA/0.429 WHIP, 2.1 IP, 5 of 7 inherited runners stranded
LHP Parker Mushinski: 1 start, 0.00 ERA/0.600 WHIP, 5 IP
RHP Leovanny Rodrigruez: 1 game, win, 2.25 ERA/0.750 WHIP, 4 IP (Quad Cities debut)
LHP Patrick Sandoval: 1 game, win, 0.00 ERA/1.154 WHIP, 4.1 IP

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Osvaldo Duarte - May 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

OF/IF Osvaldo Duarte is another player I neglected to include in my offseason series on players beyond the top 30 that bear watching, the reason for that being Duarte had a really awful season in 2017, starting with his 28 games with High A Buies Creek and for another 47 games after being demoted to Low A Quad Cities in mid-May. Granted he did miss almost a month in the middle of the season on the DL (reportedly for a hand issue) and had his season cut short in early August as well, but a .192/.282/.308 batting line makes it hard to see a way forward for any player. Fast forward to 2018 and a healthy Duarte is getting into a groove with High A Buies Creek. After a somewhat lackluster April, Duarte is hitting .304/.347/.464 in 18 games in May. Even more importantly, Duarte is once again enjoying baseball and it shows both on and off the field. Duarte was originally signed by the Astros for $110,000 in July 2013 out of the Dominican Republic. At the time of his signing, he was cited for his speed, quick twitch athleticism, strong arm and quick simple swing.

NEWS AND LINKS

In case you were wondering, if RHP Forrest Whitley reports to Corpus Christi as expected following his 50-game suspension, that will make the game on Tuesday, May 29th (at Springfield) the first game for which Whitley will be eligible to pitch. The first home stand he will be eligible for will start June 5th.

Steve Batterson with a nice piece on Quad Cities LHP Parker Mushinski.

It was getting kinda hard to ignore just how hot J.D. Davis has been, huh, Houston?

The Grizzlies new ownership group isn't going to wait until the offseason to make park improvements.

Hooks OF Myles Straw talks base stealing.

And in case you missed any of these, here are my recent interviews (three more to come soon!):

LHP Brett Adcock (Buies Creek)
SS Alex De Goti (Corpus Christi)
1B Taylor Jones (Corpus Christi)
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi)

FORMER ASTROS UPDATE

Kevin Comer - June 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

RHP Kevin Comer, orginally drafted by the Blue Jays out of Senaca High School (NJ) in the first round in 2011, came to the Astros in August 2012 as the PTBNL in the huge 10-player July 2012 trade between the Astros and the Blue Jays and spent five years playing in the Astros system before becoming a minor league free agent in November 2017. Later that month he was signed to a minor league contract with the Tigers and given an invitation to spring training. Following spring training, Comer was assigned to the AAA Toledo Mud Hens where he has appeared in 15 games (one start), going 1-0 with three saves, a 2.21 ERA and a 1.082 WHIP and six walks to 22 strikeouts in 20.1 innings. The Mud Hens did this interview with Comer recently for Mother's Day.

#GetToKnowAMudHen, presented by @BIGS_Seeds​: Did you know Kevin Comer's mom was an Olympic athlete? 👀 pic.twitter.com/bpZeZLMlc2

— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) May 12, 2018

WE'RE COMING TO TAKE YOUR JOBS (WOMEN IN BASEBALL

Let's see that it doesn't take another 22 years for this to happen again, shall we?

She played pro baseball alongside men 20 years ago.

Astros Farm Report: 4/23

Catching you up on the latest Astros MiLB news ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

J.D. Davis - April 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

4/26: OF Franklin Pinto (17)
4/27: 3B/1B J.D. Davis (25)
4/28: IF Jonathan Matute (21)

TWEET OF THE WEEK

My uncle and cousins cheering me on back home 💕 pic.twitter.com/6ZqSZbG18I

— Joshua Rojas (@JoshRojass) April 21, 2018

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Note that some of these moves to and from the GCL and Tri-City (teams which are not yet playing) are likely moves on paper only for the purposes of roster management. In addition, several Quad Cities pitchers were moved to give the team enough fresh arms for two double-headers over the weekend.

4/23: C/1B Kelvin Perez (Dominican Summer League) released
4/22: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to the GCL from Corpus Christi
4/21: RHP Humberto Castellanos assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/22: RHP Dariel Aquino assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/21: RHP Tanner Duncan assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/21: RHP Carlos Sanabria assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/21: RHP Robert Corniel assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/21: LHP Cole Watts assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/21: LHP Patrick Sandoval assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/20: RHP J.B. Bukauskas assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
4/20: IF Alfredo Angarita assigned to Buies Creek from extended spring training
4/20: RHP Cesar Rosado assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
4/17: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
4/18: RHP James Hoyt optioned from Houston to Fresno

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

4/17: LHP Chris Nunn (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/7: C Eduardo de Oleo (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP David Paulino (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: DH Randy Vasquez (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Jose Luis Hernández (Buies Creek) placed on the 7-day DL

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

1st 13-5 .722 -.-GB L1

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

🠉T1st 10-6 .625 -.-GB W4

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

🠉1st 12-6 .667 -.-GB W1

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

🠉7th 5-9 .357 5.5GB W1

ASTROS MILB STANDOUTS FOR THE WEEK

For the week of 4/16 through 4/23, here are just a few of the players whose work has really stood out ...

FRESNO

3B/1B J.D. Davis: 7G .448/.500/.724 2-2B 2HR 8RBI 3BB:5K
RHP Mike Hauschild: 2 starts/2 wins 12.2IP 2.13 ERA/0.868 WHIP 0BB:15K
RHP Matt Ramsey: 3 games/1 win 3.1IP 0.00 ERA/0.000 WHIP 0BB:8K

Plus, the catching duo at Fresno is on 🔥🔥🔥!

C Garrett Stubbs: 4G .444/.474/.611
C Tim Federowicz: 3G .500/.538/.583

And Tony Kemp had a great week as well, collecting 9 RBI!

CORPUS CHRISTI

OF Myles Straw: 6G .520/.581/.680 2-3B 4RBI 4BB:4SO 3SB:1CS
RHP Josh James: 1 start 5.0IP 0.00 ERA/0.800 WHIP 0BB:7K
RHP Ralph Garza: 1 relief outing 4.0IP 2H 0BB:6K

Also, IF Nick Tanielu slugged 1.000 in only four games (3HR 6RBI) while 1B Taylor Jones had a .950 SLG% in his five games (4-2B 2HR 8RBI).

BUIES CREEK

SS Anibal Sierra: 7G .391/.462/.652 3-2B HR 5RBI 2BB:7K 0SB:3CS
OF Ronnie Dawson: 7G .333/.500/.583 2B 3B HR 3RBI 8BB:7K 7SB:0CS
RHP Abdiel Saldaña - 2 starts/1 win 10.2IP 0.00 ERA/0.656 WHIP 2BB:5K
RHP Ronel Blanco - 2 relief outings/1 win 4.2IP 0H 0R 1BB:6K 0-5IRS

Ronnie Dawson wasn't the only BC Astro who was scampering around the bases last week. IF Josh Rojas stole 6 bags for the week and is currently leading the system with 12 total.

QUAD CITIES

Honestly, Quad Cities has gotten off to a very slow start with the bats this season. OF J.J. Matijevic had the best week at the plate, but only played in four games. He was .417/.563/.750 in those games. And C Michael Papierski managed a .600 OBP in his four games, drawing seven walks.

And it wasn't a very good week for starting pitching either with LHP Parker Mushinski arguably having the best week of the bunch. He made one start, allowing one unearned run on one hit and three walks while striking out eight over four innings.

However, the one bright spot for the week was the relief pitching. A number of pitchers did a great job, but I was most impressed with RHP Humberto Castellanos who was pressed into service with bases loaded in his Low A Quad Cities debut. Not only did he strand all three inherited runners, he allowed only two hits (no walks and no runs) while striking out five over 5.1 innings.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jonathan Arauz - August 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I plan to feature one player each week who bears watching (we'll see how long this lasts when I get super busy with travel and interviews this season). Today's player is SS Jonathan Arauz. Here is what I wrote about Arauz in my Beyond the Top 30 series ...

Arauz is currently ranked by Baseball Prospectus at number 6 and by MLB Pipeline at number 23. After missing the first 50 games of the 2017 season on the restricted list (tested positive for a methamphetamine), Arauz was sent to Quad Cities where he hit a less than robust .220/.331/.276 in 36 games and was subsequently demoted to Tri-City for the remainder of the season. He hit .264/.341/.364 at the lower level. But keep in mind that he is a solid defender who only turned 19 toward the end of the 2017 season. Look for Arauz to start the 2018 season back with Quad Cities where he will try to catch up with full season A pitching.

The biggest key to Arauz's continued development as a top prospect is any improvement he can show with his hit tool at the higher levels. Through his first 13 games (tiny sample size alert!), he is hitting .283/.377/.326 with Quad Cities and has drawn seven walks to only six strikeouts. Although this is a very small sample size, it is a good sign for the 19-year old as he plays against players who are two to three years older than him.

NEWS AND LINKS

Some sports actually pay their lower level players a livable wage. Hmmm, imagine that.

Some of the Quad Cities staff members helped restore a famous Iowa landmark.

MiLB.com shows Corpus Christi's OF Myles Straw and 2B Ryne Birk a little love.

In case you missed this post on the Astros Cuban Contingent, I've updated it with the players stats through Saturday's games.

Checking in on the former Astros playing in Independent and International Leagues.

FORMER ASTROS UPDATE

I have had many favorite players in the Astros system over the years and OF Teoscar Hernández has been one of them since before I ever set eyes on him. His stats when he played in the Dominican Summer League screamed 5-tool upside to me. And when I first saw him in action, he did not disappoint. I found him to be a very dynamic player on the field with a somewhat shy, quiet demeanor off the field (and a somewhat shy smile as well). But I digress.

Teoscar Hernández - April 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

As you probably recall, Hernández was included (along with OF Nori Aoki) in a July 2017 trade with the Blue Jays for LHP Francisco Liriano. He played 26 games with the Blue Jays as a September callup last fall, but did not break major league camp with an assignment to the big league club out of Spring Training this season. However, it didn't take long for the Blue Jays to recall him on April 13th. Since then, Hernández has been on a tear, hitting .343/.395/.743 (3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 homeruns and 10 RBI in his first 8 games). We at WTHB are happy to see him flourishing in Toronto and wish him nothing but the best!

WE'RE COMING TO TAKE YOUR JOBS (WOMEN IN BASEBALL)

Yeah, you're not going to keep girls and women out of baseball by threatening them with physical harm.

And, yes, the Tri-City ValleyCats will be seeing a female umpire this season.

I provided links last week to some of Alyson Footer's great work covering The Trailblazer series. Here is the final installment.

Astros Farm Report: 4/16

Catching you up on the latest Astros MiLB news ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Chas McCormick - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

4/16: RHP Nivaldo Rodríguez (21)
4/19: OF Chas McCormick (23)
4/21: RHP Justin Ferrell (24)
4/21: LHP Ryan Hartman (24)
4/21: LHP Cionel Pérez (22)
4/22: RHP Bryan Abreu (21)

TWEET OF THE WEEK

But honestly.....who looks better doing the “maternity” pose? pic.twitter.com/Fvp4tZqDCn

— Brady Rodgers (@Rodg_20) April 14, 2018

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

4/14: LHP Carlos Hiraldo assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/14: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Buies Creek from Fresno
4/13: 1B Yuli Gurriel (Houston) activated from the DL (Corpus Christi rehab assignment)
4/12: RHP Luis Garcia assigned to Quad Cities from extended spring training
4/12: RHP Cesar Rosado (Quad Cities) assigned to Tri-City (probably a roster management move)
4/12: 3B/1B J.D. Davis (Houston) optioned to Fresno
4/10: RHP Brendan Feldman assigned to Fresno from extended spring training
4/10: RHP James Hoyt (Fresno) recalled to Houston

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

4/7: C Eduardo de Oleo (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP David Paulino (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: DH Randy Vasquez (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Jose Luis Hernández (Buies Creek) placed on the 7-day DL

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

1st 8-5 .727 -.-GB W5

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

3rd 5-5 .500 2.0GB W1

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

T2nd 6-5 .545 1.0GB W2

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

8th 2-5 .286 4.0 GB L1
(The River Bandits schedule has taken a hit with all the bad weather. They've already had four postponed games!)

ASTROS MILB STANDOUTS FOR THE WEEK

Through the first 11 days of the season, there have already been a few players whose work has really stood out ..

FRESNO
OF Drew Ferguson - 10G .405/,522/.595
IF Jack Mayfield - 11RBI in 10G
LHP Kent Emanuel - 0.82 ERA/0.636 WHIP in 2 starts
LHP Reymin Guduan - 0.00 ERA/0.955 WHIP in 4 appearances (7.1IP)

CORPUS CHRISTI
OF Carmen Benedetti - 8G .333/.471/.444
OF Yordan Alvarez - 10RBI in 9G
OF Myles Straw - 8SB and 10BB in 10G
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn - 1.17 ERA/1.174 WHIP in 2 games/1 start (1BB:10K)
RHP Josh James - 2.25 ERA/0.750 WHIP in 2 games/1 start (2BB:16K)

BUIES CREEK
IF Josh Rojas - 11G .289/.426/.447
RHP Carson LaRue - 0.00 ERA/0.828 WHIP in 2 starts
RHP Corbin Martin - 0.00 ERA/0.800 WHIP in 2 starts
RHP Abdiel Saldaña - 0.00 ERA/0.889 WHIP in 2 games/1 start
RHP Justin Ferrell - 0.00 ERA/0.522 WHIP in 3 appearances (7.2IP)
RHP Jesús Balaguer - 0.00 ERA/0.529 WHIP in 2 appearances (5.2IP)
LHP Kit Scheetz - 0.00 ERA/0.923 WHIP in 3 appearances (4.1IP)

QUAD CITIES (only 7 games played due to weather)
OF Bryan de la Cruz - 5G .316/.381/.421
OF J.J. Matijevic - .542 SLG in 6G
RHP Yohan Ramirez - 0.00 ERA/0.800 WHIP in 1 start

PLAYERS TO WATCH

I plan to feature one player each week who bears watching (we'll see how long this lasts when I get super busy with travel and interviews this season). Today's player is LHP Kent Emanuel.

Kent Emanuel - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I missed the boat on Emanuel when writing up my post on left-handers to watch over the offseason. I certainly hadn't given up on Emanuel, but his 2017 season was fairly lackluster (5.72 ERA/1.745 WHIP and 12.8 H/9 in 116.1 innings between AA Corpus Christi and AAA Fresno) so I didn't include him in that post. But apparently, he had a very good Spring Training which opened some eyes and has gotten off to a very good start in Fresno this season as well (0.82 ERA/0.636 WHIP in 2 starts). With an absolute dearth of lefty pitchers in Houston, it will be extremely interesting to see how Emanuel progresses and whether or not his stock continues to rise. Emanuel was drafted by the Astros in the third round in 2013 and he will be 24 in June.

NEWS AND LINKS

This Athletic ($) post on minor league pay was first published on April 4th, but I just now got a chance to read it. It is an excellent and well-dissected piece from Levi Weaver refuting Rob Manfred's stance on minor league pay and (deservedly) calling B.S. on it. Unfortunately, none of the minor league ballplayers who follow me can actually read it because they can't afford the subscription to the Athletic.

Corbin Martin is getting off to a good start.

Will Murphy, who I knew as the Lancaster JetHawks Assistant GM, is writing a great series about his journey working in minor league baseball. Here's Part I on finding his first MiLB job with the Modesto Nuts and Part II on his experiences getting ready for his first MiLB Opening Day. I can't wait for the next installment!!

And for another aspect of the MiLB life, check out this great advice for baseball WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) who are just entering the life.

FORMER ASTROS UPDATE

Nick Tropeano - May 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Checking in today with RHP Nick Tropeano. Drafted by the Astros in the 5th round in 2011 out of Stony Brook University (NY), Tropeano was ranked as high as #9 in the Astros system by Baseball America (2013) prior to being traded (along with C Carlos Perez) to the Angels for C Hank Conger in November 2014. Tropeano was working to become an established part of the Angels rotation in 2016 when he was sidelined by Tommy John surgery in August of that year. It was a long slog back for him, but Tropeano made his first appearance for the Angels since July 18, 2016 on April 12th and pitched 6.2 scoreless innings in that start. On a personal note, Nick (or "Sweet Nicky" as I called him back in the day) was one of the nicest, most genuine people I've had the pleasure to meet in my time covering the Astros minors. We at WTHB wish him all the best (except when he's pitching against the Astros).

WE'RE COMING TO TAKE YOUR JOBS (WOMEN IN BASEBALL)

Learn about the first girl to play Little League in the 1950's (podcast or transcript if you prefer).

Alyson Footer talks with former USA Women's Baseball team members as part of her coverage of the Trailblazer Series.

Fangirling with two American treasures - Shirley Burkovich and Mae Blair of the AAGPBL. ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/2Mqk8C3new

— Alyson Footer (@alysonfooter) April 14, 2018

Astros Farm Report: 4/9

Catching you up on the latest Astros MiLB news ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Jamie Ritchie - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

4/9: OF Juan Ramírez (19)
4/9: C Jamie Ritchie (25)
4/14: SS Junior Marté (18)

TWEET OF THE WEEK

This dog makes more than I do #milb https://t.co/loIAL6OtGR

— Cy Sneed (@CySneed) April 3, 2018

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

4/7: RHP James Hoyt (Houston) optioned to Fresno
4/7: C Eduardo de Oleo (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP David Paulino (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL)
4/5: C Eduardo de Oleo assigned to Fresno
4/5: RHP James Hoyt (Houston) assigned to Fresno for a rehab assignment
4/5: 1B Yuli Gurriel (Houston) assigned to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment
4/5: DH Randy Vasquez (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Edgardo Sandoval (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL)

Also, Baseball America is showing the release of two players over the last week:

• RHP Ronaldo Marrero - originally signed by the Phillies in 2013 as an infielder; picked up by the Astros as a MiLB free agent in January 2017 and converted to pitching
• LHP Noel Pinto - Drafted in the 34th round in 2017 out of Connors State College (OK)

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)

T2nd 2-2 .500 0.5GB W2

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)

T3rd 2-2 .500 1.0GB L1

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)

T3rd 1-3 .250 2.0GB L1

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)

8th 0-2 .000 2.0 GB L2

ASTROS MILB STANDOUTS FOR THE WEEK

I'll keep this brief this week since the teams are only a handful of games into the season.

OF Myles Straw (Corpus Christi) has hit the ground running (literally) in the 2018 season, collecting five stolen bases in his first four games. He is currently batting .417/.667/.417 with one RBI and eight walks to three strikeouts. Straw only appeared in 13 games with AA Corpus Christi in 2017.

IF "Super" Jack Mayfield is also getting off to a really nice start in Fresno. In his first four games, he is hitting .375/.389/.875 with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI. One of those home runs was a grand slam.

RHP Brandon Bailey, one of our newest Astros, went 5.1 innings in his first start, allowing one run and one walk while striking out seven. His Buies Creek teammate RHP Hector Perez, also allowed one run and one walk, but struck out 10 in his first five-inning appearance.

RHP Carson LaRue (Buies Creek) and RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi) each allowed no runs and no walks in their first outings, striking out three and five, respectively.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

I plan to feature one player each week (we'll see how long this lasts when I get super busy with travel and interviews this season) who bears watching. Today's player is RHP Yohan Ramírez.

Yohan Ramírez - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Ramírez isn't currently on any Astros Top Prospect list ... yet. With a good season in 2018, that could very well change. Ramírez jumped from the Gulf Coast League in his first season to Low A Quad Cities in his second in 2017, but not before making three very successful spot starts at High A Buies Creek and AA Corpus Christi first (which tells me that the Astros like him very much!). Ramírez started off the season very well; in his first 11 appearances, he had a 2.47 ERA and a 1.237 WHIP in 43.2 innings, holding batters to a .201 average. But in his last nine regular season appearances, that ballooned to a 7.67 ERA and 1.863 WHIP (.303 BA) in 31.2 innings. His season may have been uneven, but with electric stuff that he can crank up to 98 or 99, you will be well served to keep an eye on him. 2017 Quad Cities Manager Russ Steinhorn said that Ramírez reminds him of Jandel Gustave -- the same kind of build with a quick arm, throwing hard with a good slider. I think Ramírez may open some eyes in 2018, but may ultimately land in a bullpen role. He will be 23 in May.

Ramírez is scheduled to pitch the home opener for Quad Cities tonight (if the weather holds).

NEWS AND LINKS

So, on the first night of MiLB, the new extra innings rule took effect ... in a game that still lasted 13 innings despite the stated objective of shortening games. Good job, good effort Manfred. (How about we just let baseball be baseball. It will all work out.)

MiLB.com presents an under-the-radar prospect for each of the 30 affiliates.

And, in case you missed it, my Opening Day post contained lots of links and info that you can refer to throughout the season.

FORMER ASTROS UPDATE

Adrian Houser - June 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Checking in today with RHP Adrian Houser. Houser was the Astros #11 prospect in 2012 after he was drafted out Locust Grove H.S. (OK) in the second round in 2011. After progressing as high as AA Corpus Christi in 2015, he was included in the Astros July trade that year to the Brewers (along with LHP Josh Hader, OF Brett Phillips and OF Domingo Santana) for RHP Mike Fiers and OF Carlos Gomez (heavy sigh). Houser would make his MLB debut in late September of 2015, but was sent back to AA Biloxi in 2016 where he made 13 starts prior to a June DL stint which was followed by July 2016 Tommy John surgery. Houser made it back in late July 2017 for a few rehab appearances and then spent some time in the Arizona Fall League as well. Houser was recalled to the Brewers on April 6th and made his first appearance in the MLB since September 2015 on Sunday, providing two innings of scoreless relief (1H 0BB 3K). Unfortunately, the recall was short-lived and he is reportedly headed back to the minors. In any event, WTHB wishes Houser the best of luck as he completes his comeback from Tommy John.

WE'RE COMING TO TAKE YOUR JOBS (WOMEN IN BASEBALL)

Our good friend Alyson Footer writes about two upcoming events organized by MLB, USA Baseball and other organizations to give girls the opportunity to learn and grow as baseball players. To me, this is the takeaway quote ...

Essentially, every prominent group associated with youth baseball has committed to supporting participation in baseball by young women.

This development makes me very, very happy!

Another fun link -- she blew a call in her second game at the ripe old age of 11, but now at 14, she's a grizzled veteran umpire and trendsetter.