Brewers Minor League Link Report (5/31): Aaron Ashby's Turning Point? Promotion News out of Appleton

[Jim Goulart]

It was four wins in five tries for the affiliates Friday night, and ironically perhaps the biggest update of the evening came out of Wisconsin (where the lone loss was), as 22-year-old 2021 4th round RHP Logan Henderson received very good news after a very good start. Actually, in terms of closeness to impact on the big-league level, the performance of one Aaron Ashby vs. dastardly St. Louis farmhands probably strikes a louder chord.

Image courtesy of BrewerFanatic

Let's investigate the productive and fascinating night!

 

---

 

Transactions:

• Milwaukee Brewers optioned SS Owen Miller to Nashville Sounds.
• Nashville Sounds placed CF Chavez Young on the temporarily inactive list.
• Biloxi Shuckers activated 3B Ben Metzinger from the Development List.
• 2B Jose Acosta assigned to Carolina Mudcats from Biloxi Shuckers.
• Carolina Mudcats placed INF Juan Baez on the 7-day injured list.

 

---

 

Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes (unavailable as of post time)
Final: Nashville 7, Memphis (Cardinals) 2
Box Score and Game Log

Via the Sounds’ website, game details, and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine:

Francisco Mejía Hits Two Home Runs as Sounds Even Series in Memphis - Aaron Ashby tosses seven scoreless innings in 7-2 win

Was this one of the most important games on the Brewers' farm in all of 2024? Aaron Ashby shined in seven scoreless innings and only needed 91 pitches to do so (3 BB, 5 K, nine groundouts). There have been glimpses of this earlier - a May 1st start (5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 6 K, but 90 pitches), and Ashby's prior start on the 25th (5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 85 pitches). Perhaps it's the back-to-back nature of that most recent prior start and Friday night's that is seemingly very encouraging. If you missed it a couple of weeks back, the Voice of the Sounds Jeff Hem had a pre-game interview with Ashby (you'll find it here), in which the southpaw was quite introspective on his journey back to health.

I would not have guessed that switch-hitting former prized catching prospect (well before his Brewers organization arrival) Francisco Mejia had been shut out of the long ball season-to-date prior to Friday, but sure enough, even after Friday's dual blasts, Mejia is slugging only .324 through 136 at-bats.

No word on Brewer Hicklen's injury status, hopefully his absence will be of the minimum 7-day variety.

Tyler Black singled twice and stole his 8th base in ten AAA tries. 

It was a good send with two outs, but Black was cut down at the plate in the 5th, Joey Wiemer with the base knock but no RBI (via the road game video):

 

---

 

Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes
Final: Biloxi 8, Pensacola (Marlins) 5
Box Score and Game Log

Campbell's Multi-Double, Multi-RBI Night Leads Shuckers to Explosive Win - Biloxi’s lineup pounds out eight runs, 11 hits, three tally multiple hits in 8-5 win

Whew, giant sigh of relief throughout Biloxi's stadium, clubhouse, fanbase, etc. Goodbye, ten-game losing streak!

But who "missed it"?

Ejections: Shuckers first baseman Ernesto Martinez Jr. ejected by 1B umpire Chandler Durham (2nd); Shuckers manager Joe Ayrault ejected by 1B umpire Chandler Durham (2nd)

What happened? Our "as-it-happens" forum thread provided insight, thanks @wiguy94.

Mike Boeve's two singles (plus a sacrifice fly) pushed his AA OBP to a respectable but not other-worldly .365. That's 10th in the very tough Southern League. Can you guess which Shucker is 2nd in the league at .397? Hello, catcher Darrien Miller! Outfielder Carlos D. Rodriguez is 4th at .387. Both Miller and Rodriguez doubled in this game, with CDR also singling twice (batting .310).

RHP Brett Wichrowski still being eased into the AA level, it appears - as his game log shows, starts 2 & 3 in AA were strong and hinted at more success.

Speaking of Biloxi pitching, plenty of insights via Pitching Coach Will Schierholz's pre-game audio with Javik Blake from earlier this week:

Looks like Brock Wilken enjoyed his interactions with New Orleans Saints past and present (video via WXXV). We don't hear from Brock directly, but how fantastic are those uniforms?

 

---

 

Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes (download link)
Final: Fort Wayne (Padres) 4, Wisconsin 3
Box Score and Game Log

TinCaps Rally Past Wisconsin  - Fort Wayne scores late to beat Rattlers

As always, read that summary first, then the video gives you the full picture.

To top all that off, enhance your Timber Rattlers experience (despite the loss):

Oh, why was that audio "newsmaking"?

Three singles, no walks and seven K's over four innings for Henderson in what was his second (and final) Timber Rattlers start. So, this was the locals only chance to see one of the prized Brewer arms. Guess the quick bump to Biloxi makes up for the season-long stay in Carolina last year, in which it seemed Henderson stayed put specifically to cement the Mudcats' long-coveted playoff run. That Biloxi rotation includes Wichrowski, Jacob Misiorowski, Bradley Blaylock, Shane Smith and now Henderson, with TJ Shook apparently in a bulk relief role for now. Does one jump to Nashville in the coming week?

 

---

 

Final: Carolina 4, Delmarva (Orioles) 2
Box Score and Game Log

Mudcats Claim Series from Delmarva

Plenty we can highlight here, but let's start with someone we don't mention often. I loved the hustle to the ball in left field and the throw to start off the relay here from Reidy Mercado (by the way, the Cooper Pratt throw, and David Garcia tag were sweet, too!)

The 23-year-old switch-hitting Mercado, remarkably, will be a minor league free agent at season's end. This is his 7th year in the system after signing out of the Dominican Republic (yes, the lost 2020-year counts). So yes, here's Mercado, seeing sporadic playing time and toiling in low-A (he played 22 games with Wisconsin in 2022), suiting up, believing, in his mind, I'm sure, that "making the show" is an attainable goal. Mindset as it needs to be - until the uniform is torn off, baby.

The two mound efforts should receive our focus - congrats on that first pro win, Josh Knoth. 

Here's our one video peek at just-turned 21-year-old Venezuelan RHP Jesus Rivero, closing out the ballgame and his four innings of relief in style with K # seven. A much-needed effort for Rivero, who last flashed such effectiveness in a May 2nd start.

 

---

 

ACL Brewers 8, ACL White Sox 4, seven innings as scheduled
Box Score and Game Log

The A-Crew pounded out 11 hits (including two Gery Holguin home runs and a Filippo Di Turi two-run double) and worked five walks in just six trips at the plate in this agreed-upon shortened game.

Holguin is in his age 18 season out of the Dominican Republic and appears to have settled in as both a corner infielder and outfielder, as his 19 games at shortstop in 2022 seem to be well past him.

For the bottom three in the order, seven of eight plate appearances were successful. The sample sizes are very small (70 combined at-bats in 2024), but 1B Johan Barrios' .927 OPS and CF Ramon Moreno's .938 will catch your eye, even in the super-charged desert atmosphere.

20-year-old LH reliever Anfernny Reyes still hasn't allowed an earned run in eight appearances spanning 12.1 innings, though two unearned runs scored here.

 

---

 

Carolina plays at 4:00 Central, kicking off the evening games for Saturday. We'll get an early box score out of Arizona. Hoping everyone enjoys the start of June baseball today!

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores

MiLB Audio Links
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

 

View full article

[Jim Goulart]

UPDATE:

Ejections: Shuckers first baseman Ernesto Martinez Jr. ejected by 1B umpire Chandler Durham (2nd); Shuckers manager Joe Ayrault ejected by 1B umpire Chandler Durham (2nd)

What happened? Our "as-it-happens" forum thread provided insight, thanks @wiguy94.

***

Oh my, the video is wild, and Manager Joe Ayrault could have been fined for littering -

 

[Joseph Zarr]

Quote

I loved the hustle to the ball in left field and the throw to start off the relay here from Reidy Mercado (by the way, the Cooper Pratt throw, and David Garcia tag were sweet, too!)

How about the fantastic 'as it happens' call from Chris Edwards?! Man we lucked into Edwards for the remainder of the season. He is fantastic!

[CheeseheadInQC]

Not at all surprised Henderson got a quick promotion. If he can stay healthy wouldn’t be surprised if he sees triple-A before the season is done.

Also, although the Brewers still have the worst ERA in the ACL, the gap is narrowing and they are getting close to challenging the Dodgers’ ACL juggernaut for the best offense in the league. I believe every player on the active roster has a .700+ OPS. All with the youngest offense and pitching staff in the league.

[wiguy94]

7 minutes ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

Not at all surprised Henderson got a quick promotion. If he can stay healthy wouldn’t be surprised if he sees triple-A before the season is done.

Also, although the Brewers still have the worst ERA in the ACL, the gap is narrowing and they are getting close to challenging the Dodgers’ ACL juggernaut for the best offense in the league. I believe every player on the active roster has a .700+ OPS. All with the youngest offense and pitching staff in the league.

The pitching staff in particular is crazy young. Over half a year younger than the next youngest pitching staff in the ACL and a year and half younger than the average ACL pitching age.

[Jim Goulart]

VIDEO via the Memphis broadcast: Francisco Mejia’s two-homer game