Brewers Minor League Link Report (5/21): Dinges Shows out at South Bend; Sounds Sweep Make-Up Double Header

Transactions:

• RHP Jack Hostetler was activated off the 7-Day IL by the Carolina Mudcats
• INF Luis Peña was placed on the 7-Day IL by the Carolina Mudcats

Final(s):

Game 1: Nashville 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees) 0
Box Score/Game Log

Game 2: Nashville 2, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees) 1
Box Score/Game Log

Via the Sounds website, please be sure to click and read each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your season-long Link Report routine (believe me, it's worth it):

Nashville Sweepts Doubleheader over RailRiders - Sounds Are Tied for Second in the International League

The big news in Nashville for the game one make-up double header was the scheduled back-to-back rehab starts from RHP’s Brandon Woodruff and Aaron Civale. Then the big news evolved into: RHP Aaron Civale was pulled from making his game two rehab start. One would surmise he is headed back to Milwaukee given the current state of their overtaxed bullpen pitching ranks. This is an unconfirmed guesstimation, but all signs would seem to indicate he’ll be sharing piggy-back duties with RHP Carlos Rodriguez.

In game one, the Big Woo touched 93 MPH on a couple occasions but, unfortunately, he mostly sat in that 90-92 mph range. The velo was definitely down. It’s nights like this, in the ongoing road to recovery, where Woodruff is going to have to lean on his full and evolving post-shoulder surgery arsenal. We saw mostly the four-seamer, but he sprinkled in the curve ball, the sinker, cutter, and the change-up. He induced 27 swings but only earned four swings and misses. Woodruff's final line reads 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K. I personally believe there is more rehab work to be done to keep building up his arm while finding more consistency outing-to-outing in that coveted 94-95 mph zone of impact. However, the Brewers have demonstrated they don’t really care what I think in these matters. We’ll simply have to wait and see.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) LHP DL Hall is looking fantastic. That’s all you need to know. He’s throwing a heater sitting 94-96, he’s throwing a cutter. He's dropping in all sorts of off-speed with dip and horizontal run. He did lose the dominant shape of his first inning heater as the second inning wore on, but his impact was felt throughout his scoreless work regardless. 57 pitches with 39 strikes. 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K. He absolutely looks like a revitalized arm who is going to help the Brewers depleted pitching stables. His current form is a breath of fresh air.

2) LHP Aaron Ashby touched 95.1 MPH, but he sat in that 94-95 range. Moreover, he still doesn’t resemble the pitcher we saw all throughout August and into his work with Milwaukee late in 2024. He threw a patented four-pitch walk in his scoreless frame to boot. Sure, his final line reads 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 0 H, 0 K, 0 R but it truly was a night and day difference in movement, look, and impact from Hall. Whereas Hall could be called up tomorrow and I wouldn’t blink, I see Ashby needing an extended run of rehab innings to fine-tune his tools. I'm not holding my breath here. He needs more innings and more polish.

3) We are at the point in RHP Jacob Misiorowski’s development where we are watching a starting pitcher sit 100 MPH for innings at a time while casually throwing in a 97 MPH cutter. With a change-up dropping in a range of 87-93 and a curveball a tick below we are starting to see his full toolkit come into form. It’s a fairly ludicrous and awesome place we find ourselves in as Brewers fans. Misiorowski hasn’t hit a batter all season. He has a sub-1.00 WHIP in every month. He has a season long 0.157 BAA. He is striking out more than one batter an inning. I know the Brewers have to play the 40-man shuffle as well as the development/contract shenanigans, but it sure feels like there is only one place Misiorowski should currently be pitching and that is on an MLB staff. His stuff continues to be absolutely electric. He filled in for Civale on short notice and pitched an abbreviated outing with many bullpen arms sitting on multiple days rest. 

With the double-billing sweep, the Sounds improved to 11 games over 0.500 at (29-18). They remain 4.0 GB first place Lehigh Valley (Phillies).

Final: Knoxville (Cubs) 8, Biloxi 6

Box Score/Game Log

Shuckers Fall to Smokies in Wild, 8-6, Affair - Adams Reaches Three Times in Return

Game Notes

RHP Alexander Cornielle did 2025 Alexander Cornielle things. He didn’t wow us, really, but he pitched into the sixth frame for the second time in three starts and he battled expertly. He also handed off a 3-0 lead to his bullpen - unfortunately, they weren’t up to the task. If we’re going on stuff alone, Cornielle did not match the wow factor of the Smokies’ RHP Jaxon Wiggins who sat 97-98 mph and struck out nine mixing in some dazzling off-speed to play off the heat. However, Cornielle did throw 90 pitches and 56 strikes. He did leave without surrendering a run of his own - RHP Steven Cruz did that unsavory work for him, unfortunately. Cornielle's final line reads 5 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HB, 1 WP, 1 ER. He still holds a sub 2.00 ERA on his season through eight starts. At 23 years of age in his debut Double-A season, there isn’t a whole lot to find fault with. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) RHP Stiven Cruz came aboard with one down and a man on first with the Shuckers leading 3-0. Two pitches later it was a 3-3 ball game. Three batters later it was a 4-3 deficit. He allowed another run on a tear drop hanging bloop single to shallow RF with two down and he was pulled after a mere 1/3 IP and 20 pitches. Cruz has earned these opportunities with solid early season work but it is very fair to point out he has scuffled of late. With 2.0 IP over his last two relief appearances Cruz has surrendered 6 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 HB, 1 HR with 3 K. It’s clearly been a rough two-outing stretch. He’ll look to rebound in future appearances, but he is currently standing on short-term shaky ground. Ahhhhh, the fragile nature of small sample sizes. We aren’t even two months in! Before tonight's blow up outing, Cruz was sitting with a very palatable 2.60 ERA through 10 outings.

2) 3B Brock Wilken diverted from his Three True Outcome propensities (seriously, 56+ % 3TO is bananas - read more HERE) with a two-run RBI double down the left field line and into the corner. It was his 23rd and 24th RBI of his season. Wilken leads the Southern League in OPS and it sure would be nice if he started knocking across long balls or gappers with runners aboard. Tonight’s poke was a hopeful start.

He played his predictably steady defense throughout. He has a mammoth 1.148 OPS in May. 

3) DH Mike Boeve is still very much looking for his groove at the dish. Yes, he hit an oppo taco today, but it was a 95 MPH brute strength squeaker over the left field wall. 

Obviously, that's nice to see but that isn’t a truly sustainable or representative piece of long ball hitting. I’m more talking about the multiple K’s looking at pitches belt high. That’s not something I’m used to with the absurdly disciplined and talented Boeve. In 12 games played so far in his 2025 return, Boeve already has 18 K in 51 PA. That just isn’t even a comprehendible Boeve stat line. He is very clearly rusty and looking to find his way in his early way back from serious injury. Let’s give him time.

With the loss, the Shuckers fall back to seven games above 0.500 at 24-17. They remain 1.0 G ahead of second place Pensacola (23-18) who also lost. 

Final:  Wisconsin 3, South Bend (Cubs) 1 

Dinges Goes Deep in Rattlers Win - New T-Rats Catcher Shines in First Work Behind Plate

Box Score/Game Log

Game Notes

LHP Anthony Flores continues to wear many hats for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and manager Victor Estevez in his first season at High-A Wisconsin. In his fourth outing in May - all starts to date - Flores managed 4 1/3 IP of 2 H, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HB innings for his ball club. Well, we’ll throw a balk in there to diversify his outputs. Yeah, that's it. This makes it two consecutive scoreless starts totaling 9 1/3 IP between the two performances. Flores’ put out pitch is his swooping breaking ball, but he can sneak his upper 80’s (maybe very low 90’s with the wind at his back) past unsuspecting hitters. He gets by with craft, savvy, and a slightly herky-jerky middle arm-slot delivery. Not quite sidearm but it certainly can come across that way. You see this impact via his much improved 0.200 BAA in May. He continues to put too many batters on base via walk and HB in this same month, but he is trending in the right direction. He did not factor in the final decision today.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) Wisconsin does indeed have a new catcher in town. You may have heard of him: Two-time 2025 Carolina League Player of the Week, Marco Dinges. For those in the know, we’ve been drooling over Dinges’ big-time upside given his ridiculously advanced bat. We 'Dinges Truthers' (TM) knew he merely needed health and reps to begin developing a defensive toolkit given his spry athleticism as a whole. Dinges’ athleticism is now beginning to shine in both the batter's box and behind the dish. In just his second game in High-A, Dinges impacted the game with a two-run moon shot and a back-pick at first base. Our very own @Spencer Michaelis (who, along with myself, has been gushing over Dinges since his early rookie season) has both of our relevant impact plays here:

2) In the ongoing uncertainties in the back end of the Timber Rattlers bullpen, RHP’s Zach Peek and Bayden Root are beginning to hit their strides. They closed things down late today combining for 3.0 IP of 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K, 0 R. Root picked up his second save while Peek picked up his second hold. With RHP Aaron Rund also rediscovering the form of 2024, manager Victor Estevez is finally finding some meaningful high leverage options. We can only hope this lasts.

3) I didn’t need a big game to validate my overall bullish sentiments of 2B Jadher Areinamo, but I’m not going to complain about a 3-for-5, 1 3B, 1 SB day from the lead-off spot. Areinamo isn’t a natural lead-off hitter, per se, but then again manager Victor Estevez is clearly giving any and all options a go atop the Rattlers line-up. I know many of us (me included) were surprised when Jadher began his 2025 season back in High-A. But it’s also fair to point out: he is in his age 21 season. Patience is the name of the game here. There is too much steady talent to get lost in any of the peripheral noise. Areinamo is a flat-out baller. He’ll pave his own path, and he’ll do it in a workmanlike no drama manner. Of this, I have very little doubt.

With their second consecutive win to open this six-game set at South Bend, the Timber Rattlers improved to 18-23. They remain 7.5 GB first place Quad Cities (25-15).

Final: ACL Brewers 7, ACL Padres 5
Box Score/Game Log

The young ACL Crew continue to defy their young age. Tonight, it was multi-hit performances from SS Jorge Quintana (3-for-5, 2 R, 1K, 2 2B, 1 CS, 1 PO); CF Handelfry Encarnacion (3-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 SB); 3B Frederi Montero (3-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 2B); and 1B Gery Holguin (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K, 1 3B).

Despite committing two errors ultimately leading to two early runs, the ACL Crew still managed to come back and take the lead in the bottom half of the same inning. Despite conceding a tie game in the seventh frame, they added two to their tally to regain the lead in the bottom half. Despite the recent promotion of OF José Anderson, the young offense keeps ticking. This is obviously a resilient battle-tested group. On the pitching side of things, RHP Miqueas Mercedes continues to impress outing-to-outing. Tonight, he managed to complete 2 2/3 IP of 1 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 R (unearned) work. He threw 61 pitches throwing 37 strikes. As a whole the staff walked 7 while punching out 8 - not a very savory ratio. They also allowed eight pokes. 19-year-old Venezuelan RHP Ismael Yanez, in his second year in the Complex League, pitched a 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 R ninth frame to pick up his first save of his season.

The ACL Crew moved to eight games over 0.500 at 11-3. With the Angels (10-4) loss, the Crew now are alone atop their division by 1.0 G. They lead the League in RS (103) with 24 more than the second highest team output. They lead the league in run differential at +36 - 16 more than the next closest team in the ACL Rockies. And, well, let's end this with a dig at the ACL Cubs who sit 1-13 having scored a mere 49 runs while allowing 104 for a net -55. There. That Big League Brewers loss to the Orioles already feels better. The ACL Brewers will be back at it tomorrow night when they face the ACL Rangers (8-5).

Despite the Mudcats rainout and the Shuckers loss, we still saw a 4-1 combined record for the affiliates on the day. Good news on the bump tomorrow early evening: RHP Bryce Meccage is scheduled to return to the hill after a brief absence. RHP Tyson Hardin will look to help the T-Rats open up a 3-0 series lead at South Bend. LHP Bruce Zimmerman takes the bump for Nashville. And RHP Brett Wichrowski will continue looking to find the elusive next level to his borderline top shelf stuff. As just mentioned above, the ACL Crew will face the Rangers in the late southwest hours.

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Brewers Minor League baseball.

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