Pre-Draft Minor League Transactions

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Press Release:

 

Infielder Juan Sanchez has been promoted to Triple-A Nashville. Sanchez is 1-for-10 in four games with the Stars. In a related move, catcher Shawn Riggans has been reinstated from the disabled list and will join the Stars tonight. Riggans split time between Double-A Binghampton and Triple-A Buffalo in the Mets organization. He played 64 games with the American League Tampa Bay Rays between 2006-08.

 

With these moves, the Stars active roster stays at 24, the Southern League limit.

***

 

The 24-year-old Sanchez gets his first taste of AAA ball in what no doubt will be a utility role. Almost assuredly Nashville will tell us later today that SS Edwin Maysonet was formally placed on their 7-day DL to make room for Sanchez.

 

Both the AAA and AA 24-man rosters now carry three active catchers, not to mention the 25-man big league roster.

 

Looks like Matt Cline and Yancarlos Ortiz will need to handle shortstop duties in Huntsville for now, perhaps even a Sergio Miranda cameo appearance there.

[bork]

Isn't Nashville one over now with Reed and Sanchez, even with Maysonet on the DL? Probably means a return trip to the Phantom Zone for Arlis.

[Mass Haas]

Isn't Nashville one over now with Reed and Sanchez, even with Maysonet on the DL? Probably means a return trip to the Phantom Zone for Arlis.

Good catch, we'll know more this afternoon.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes:

MAYSONET PLACED ON D.L., SANCHEZ PROMOTED TO NASHVILLE: Infielder Edwin Maysonet has been placed on the disabled list retroactive to Wednesday and will be replaced on the Nashville roster by infielder Juan Sanchez. The 24-year-old utilityman hit .100 (1-for-10) with a double and two strikeouts in four games at shortstop for Double-A Huntsville this season. Sanchez batted a combined .222 (82-for-355) with two home runs and 24 RBIs in 113 games between Advanced-A Brevard County and Huntsville in 2010, appearing defensively at second base (5G), third base (13G), shortstop (38G), left field (5G), center field (19G), and right field (31G).

 

***

 

By the way, it appears that outfielder Jeremy Reed's status is still listed as "reassigned". Perhaps this explains why the Sounds roster appears to be 25, but in actuality, sits at 24. If Reed plays tonight, then that would be confusing.

[And That]

From Chris Mehring:

 

Just received a @TimberRattlers roster move. Cameron Garfield to the 7-day DL. Tony Pechek transferred to the Wisconsin roster.

 

Nothing on the nature of Garfield's injury. He was removed from last night's Rattlers game in the bottom of the 7th. He did not bat in the top half of the inning. FWIW, Garfield allowed to SB and a passed ball in the bottom of the 6th.

[battlekow]

2008 30th-round 3B/OF Wayne Dedrick has been released; he was suspended in March for a positive test for a drug of abuse (not PEDs)

[brewfan1]

From what I was able to find on the less than reliable social networking sites, garfield has had a leg injury since reporting to the rising stars game that has been getting progressively worse, resulting in him being unable to bat or play defense without pain. I guess they pulled him when he started to limp behind the plate.

[Mass Haas]

If the Sounds had played Friday, their media notes were ready and included this --

 

REED, HAWKINS TO JOIN SOUNDS: Nashville will add a pair of faces to its roster this weekend in Omaha as outfielder Jeremy Reed is scheduled to join the club after accepting an outright assignment from Milwaukee and Brewers reliever LaTroy Hawkins will continue his rehabilitation assignment with the team. Reed, who made the Brewers’ Opening Day roster as a non-roster invitee to spring training, was designated for assignment on Monday when catcher Jonathan Lucroy was activated by Milwaukee. Reed opened the year by going hitless in seven pinch-hit appearances for the Brew Crew. A corresponding move will need to be made to add him to the Sounds’ active roster. Hawkins, who is on Milwaukee’s 15-day disabled list as he recovers from right shoulder surgery, posted a 4.91 ERA (2 ER / 3.2 IP) with five strikeouts in three rehab outings for Advanced-A Brevard County to start the year.

 

***

 

So the Brewers get another day to figure out how to make room for Reed at the AAA level.

 

Be sure to check the game notes while they still display the status of the Nashville - Omaha lifetime series.

[battlekow]

As suspected, C Patrick Arlis goes on the "DL" to make room for OF Jeremy Reed.

[battlekow]

Per Jon Heyman, the Brewers signed 37-year-old shortstop Luis Figueroa. Figueroa's only had a handful of at-bats in the majors, but over an extensive MiLB career he's proven to be a decent hitter for average but not much else. Heyman says he "resurrected his career with big year in Puerto Rico winter ball." Figueroa previous played in the Brewers system in 2004, when he hit .272/.314/.347 in 418 at-bats for AAA Indianapolis.

[Mass Haas]

Movement at Brevard County:

 

Catcher Rafael Neda on the 7-day DL retroactive to 4/14 (head injury suffered in a game on 4/12)

Catcher Michael Roberts to the Manatees from extended spring training

 

RHP Evan Anundsen on the 7-day DL

RHP Corey Frerichs activated from the 7-day DL

 

INF / OF Chris Dennis placed on the 7-day DL (undisclosed injury)

OF D'Vontrey Richardson activated from the 7-day DL (hip discomfort)

 

***

 

Nice to have Richardson ready to go; Dennis was the DH Monday, went 0-for-4 with three K's. Chris is 3-for-29 on the season with 17 K's, hopefully the time off helps him out.

[And That]

Baseball America's Matt Eddy shares with us that 2010 12th round pick OF John Bivens has been released.

 

Bivens split last year between Arizona and Helena after being drafted in June. He hit a modest .164/.283/.224 over 152 AB for the season.

 

Stats.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes:

 

GINDL ACTIVATED FROM D.L., NOWAK PLACED ON D.L.: Outfielder Caleb Gindl, who hasn’t played since April 8th due to an oblique strain, has been activated from the Sounds’ disabled list. He went 1-for-5 in the season’s first two games before suffering the injury during a swing on April 8 against the Z’s. To create a roster spot, infielder Chris Nowak has been placed on the Nashville D.L.

 

***

 

Nowak is off to a rough start (stats). He left Thursday's game after running the bases in the 3rd, so this looks to appear a legitimate use of the DL, although no formal word is available on the nature or severity of Chris' injury.

[TooLiveBrew]

Excellent, really hope Caleb can get back into the mix & not have any further setbacks.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Media Notes:

 

GREINKE, KOTTARAS, McCLENDON JOIN SOUNDS: Reliever Mike McClendon rejoins the Sounds tonight. The right-hander, who was optioned down as Milwaukee activated LaTroy Hawkins from the D.L. Wednesday, pitched a scoreless inning on Tuesday at Philadelphia in his lone ML appearance after being recalled from Nashville that morning. Also, former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke (cracked left rib) had his rehab assignment transferred from Advanced-A Brevard County to the Sounds and will make the first of an expected two starts for Nashville tomorrow at Greer Stadium. Catcher George Kottaras, who was outrighted to the minors on Wednesday after opening the year by hitting .269 (7-for-26) with four RBIs in nine contests for the Brew Crew, is scheduled to join the Sounds tomorrow. A corresponding roster move will be needed to activate Kottaras.

 

FIGUEROA ADDED TO SOUNDS ROSTER: Infielder Luis Figueroa joins the Sounds roster tonight after being signed as a minor league free agent on Sunday. He ranked 7th in the Pacific Coast League last season by hitting a combined .319 (146-for-457) with five homers and 71 RBIs between Triple- A Las Vegas and Salt Lake last season, then led the Puerto Rican Winter League with a .361 average (56-for-155) for Caguas. This is his second stint in the Brewers organization (also 2004 with Triple-A Indianapolis). He previously played for the Sounds in 2000-01 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and represented the Sounds in the 2001 Triple-A All-Star Game in Indianapolis.

[Mass Haas]

Update from Jill Cacic in Huntsville's Media Relations --

 

Catcher Shawn Riggans has been placed on the disabled list, retroactive to April 22. Riggans started the season on the DL. He joined the Stars active roster on April 14. In seven games with Huntsville, he hit .167 (1-6) with a walk and two strikeouts.

 

In a related move, catcher Martin Maldonado has been transferred from Triple-A Nashville Sounds to Huntsville. Maldonado spent 34 games with the Stars in 2010, batting .252 (26-103). With the Sounds in 2011, he’s hit .267 (12-45).

 

With these moves, the Stars active roster stays at 24, the Southern League limit. There are currently three players on the disabled list (Riggans, RHP Andre Lamontagne, and LHP Brae Wright).

 

***

 

So Mike Rivera lives at Nashville, where he will back up George Kottaras.

 

This will cut into any playing time for Anderson De La Rosa and Dayton Buller behind the plate at Huntsville, but obviously Maldonado becomes the priority there.

[Mass Haas]

The Brewers have acquired former big league infielder Andy Gonzalez (White Sox, Indians, Marlins) from the York (PA) Revolution of the independent Atlantic League (career stats). Gonzalez will be assigned to Huntsville.

 

The Puerto Rico native is 29 years old, and posted only a .539 OPS in his 225 big league AB's thus far.

 

Gonzalez was set to play in the independent Can-Am League in the spring of 2010 when he suffered a torn meniscus which required surgery and kept him off the field for the entire regular season.

 

The signing may mean trouble for newcomer Yancarlos Ortiz, who has seen very limited backup action, and less time in a shortstop experiment for Matt Cline, although Cline's presence there remains a bit intriguing, as Toby tweeted here.

[Mass Haas]

According to the transaction page at the independent Atlantic League's site, the Brewers have acquired infielder (primarily a shortstop) Hainley Statia from the Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers.

 

Statia is a 25-year-old from Curacao and has been a member of the Dutch national baseball team. He was a longtime member of the Angels' organization (9th round, 2004). He's played 34 games at the AAA level, although he's almost certain to be assigned mid-way down the chain.

 

Career stats

No word yet on any formal placement. The Brewers definitely put out the word for SS help, and found a couple of somewhat obscure "help us out" indy league signees to fill an organizational gap.

[CheezWizHed]

I've got to imagine that this year's draft will be the year of the SS.

[battlekow]

At Wisconsin, C Cameron Garfield and 1B/OF Jason Rogers trade places on the DL, with RHP Eric Marzec also disabled and RHP Damon Krestalude transferred from Helena.

[Mass Haas]

At Wisconsin, C Cameron Garfield and 1B/OF Jason Rogers trade places on the DL, with RHP Eric Marzec also disabled and RHP Damon Krestalude transferred from Helena.

No word on the nature or severity of any injuries. Rogers left Monday's game after three innings -- he had caught an opponent's sacrifice fly just prior to departing. Marzec walked three and threw a wild pitch in a brief relief stint Monday night, so something was amiss there.

 

[battlekow]

At Wisconsin, C Cameron Garfield and 1B/OF Jason Rogers trade places on the DL

Rogers: "chilling in arizona, getting ready for my surgery next wednesday, rehabbing for 6-8 wks, then back to wisconsin!!!"

[TooLiveBrew]

Whoa... when I read "Rogers: ... getting ready for my surgery", my heart skipped a beat

[battlekow]

Rogers is having hand surgery.

[battlekow]

At Wisconsin, C Cameron Garfield back on the DL with his knee injury; 1B Chris Dennis activated from the DL at Brevard County and transferred to Wisconsin to take Garfield's roster spot.