Brewers Minor League Link Report (6/17): Sal Frelick Rockin' in Nashville; the Rookie Clubs Sweep

TRANSACTIONS:

- RHP Tyson Miller optioned to AAA Nashville from MLB Brewers
- LHP Wade Miley and DH/1B Jesse Winker reinstated to MLB Brewers from MILB rehab assignments
- OF Lamar Sparks placed on 7-day injured list by AA Biloxi, retroactive to 6/16
- RHP Samuel Dario placed on 7-day injured list by ACL Brewers
 

Final: Nashville 7, Gwinnett (Braves) 4

Via the Sounds' site, we encourage readers to review each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your season-long Link Report routine:

Sounds Strike Early For Fifth Straight Win Over Stripers - Sal Frelick homers, tallies 4 RBI as Nashville rolls Gwinnett 7-4

Pre-Game Media Notes 

Box Score / Game Log

This quote-filled, video-filled article came in during the overnight and is super-encouraging:

Cam Devanney with a 4-for-4 night, looks bigger than his listed 6'1", 195. Finally healthy and getting into a groove, the 26-year-old (.999 OPS in 13 June games) profiles as the type of utility hitter with pop that makes up the majority of big-league lineups. The Brewers still maintain 2024 and 2025 control over Devanney, it's just a matter of opportunity for him. In 37 small-sample 2023 AB's vs LHB, Devanney is at .378/.395/.649 (1.044). Cam is Mike Brosseau without the 40-man roster spot and the infamous Aroldis Chapman at-bat.

We need to realize that starting RHP Janson Junk was not acquired in the Hunter Renfroe trade to dazzle, and this was a classic example of dropping the word "solid" in describing his start. It's all fine, but will Junk's type of "solid" (39 K's in 61.2 IP) ever translate to a big-league mound? Thank you, Elvis Peguero, for the five-to-six years of effective bullpen work you are primed to provide the Crew, courtesy of that same deal.
 

Final: Montgomery 6, Biloxi 4

Via the Shuckers' site:

Biloxi Drops Heartbreaker to Montgomery on Walk-off Homer - Montgomery mounts a four-run rally over the final three innings after the Shuckers take a 4-2 lead

Pre-Game Media Notes 

Box Score / Game Log

Outfielder Carlos D. Rodriguez has a pretty swing and a 26-to-22 K-to-BB mark in his first AA campaign at age 22. Surprised at the age? A very early career start, but the SLG, which peaked at .415 in 142 pre-season-ending injury Timber Rattler AB's in 2022, is only .344 in 2023 and this video confirms that Rodriguez' frame may never allow for sufficient pop to justify long-term success at higher levels. There are aspects of talent to be sure.

RHP Tobias Myers faced 19-year-old super-talented infielder Junior Caminero, he of the .330/.383/.543 line between High-A and AA this year. Caminero was 1-for-3 vs. Myers, who was traded by the Rays to the Guardians for Caminero in November of 2021. Myers then went on to have a well-documented epic disaster of a 2022 and is now trying to right his baseball journey with the Crew. The Rays do this so often, remember the Caminero name, Guardians fans will.

Sorry Tyler Black, reaching on catcher's interference does not extend an on-base streak.

If you wish to click, here's a home run by ol' friend Tristan Peters, 23 years old and the Biscuits' 3-hole hitter, as well as the unfortunate walkoff tater.
 

Final:  Great Lakes (Dodgers) 5, Wisconsin 4

Via the Timber Rattlers' site:

Wisconsin Falls 5-4 at Great Lakes - Loons hold off late rally from Wisconsin

Pre-Game Media Notes (Download Link) via the team's Virtual Press Box
*Actually, those are already the Sunday Media Notes, Chris Mehring doing early work this morning

Box Score / Game Log

Great Lakes doesn't tweet home game highlights regularly (or at all), so a reminder how blessed we are in that perspective with the T-Rats.

So much credit to Manager Joe Ayrault and this group, at the tail end of a long two-week journey and battling a now 42-19 Dodgers' affiliate valiantly all week. In this one, the Rattlers outhit the Loons, Wisconsin pitchers walked fewer and K'd more than their counterparts. 

The whole not placing Eric Brown Jr. (thumb) on the 7-day IL at any point is a bit odd (last played June 3rd, now two weeks missed). The infield outside of first base has been Ben Metzinger - Eduardo Garcia - Robert Moore throughout this stretch, with Jose Acosta the lone player on the short bench capable of assisting.

LF Terence Doston is a useful outfield piece in helping Ayrault navigate his outfield rotation. The 22-year-old clearly has to find a way to bump the SLG aspect of his game, but he has contributed when asked.
 

Final: Augusta (Braves) 7, Carolina 6, ten innings

Mudcats Fall in Extras 7-6 to GreenJackets - Jheremy Vargas drove in three runs while going 2-for-5 with a double in the loss

Pre-Game Media Notes 

Box Score / Game Log

The Mudcats were up 5-2 after three innings but would only add the one 8th-inning run, not enough.

Carrying over from Friday -

Lara could have had a 2nd hit, but this slice job to left-center was tracked down.

22-year-old RHP Will Rudy's line of 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR pushed his pitch count to 86 (52 strikes).

Overall for the staff, four of the runs allowed were unearned due to three errors by 1B Jesus Chirinos. We documented Chirinos' winter league success in Venezuela on a daily basis, but to say it didn't translate to his 2023 Wisconsin and now-Carolina tenures would be a massive understatement.

Carolina did nothing with the 10th inning ghost runner (Jace Avina and Kay-Lin Nicasia strikeouts, and a Blayberg Diaz groundout).

It's been said before, but not yet this year - I completely understand when the game summaries at all the levels (perhaps a bit less so at AAA where players are more battle-tested), gloss over who failed to come through in big situations. Generic example: "the team loaded the bases with no outs but failed to cash in after two popouts and a K". I do tend to immediately dig into the game log to see who came up short, even if we focus on the positive in our daily reports when we can. Baseball is hard, but it's not the end of the world for the occasional call-out, even the youngsters in A-ball. The best will bounce back.

Unfortunately, the walkoff loss came with two outs (video), close to extending it to the 11th.
 

Final: ACL Brewers 7, ACL Cubs 6

Box Score / Game Log

Second consecutive win over the Cublets for the 7-2 Maryvale club.

How crowded is the dugout and bullpen on a sunny 95-degree day? Keeping in mind three rehabbers are on-site (Keston Hiura, Josh VanMeter and Jason Alexander), five players came off the Maryvale bench. And even with that, nine other position players remained on the bench. Talk about a daily juggling act for Manager Rafael Neda and his two (of each, six in all) pitching, batting and development coaches.

Four pitchers saw action. Twelve other arms remained available (not including Alexander).

Two players on the active roster but yet to debut - one is Alberis Ferrer, who saw plenty of action with Carolina last summer and was only activated from the 60-day IL when the Arizona League began play. He is listed among the Maryvale bullpen arms now, so we may see the 22-year-old infielder on a mound here for the first time soon. This is already Ferrer's 6th pro season (includes the lost 2020).

Outfielder Luis Castillo, who was bumped to Carolina from Arizona for August and September last year, also is yet to debut, he is still listed as a position player.

Back to the game, 19-year-old LH reliever Anfernny Reyes (we love our southpaws) is finding stateside success, as he's tossed scoreless ball in his first three appearances.

The Brewers were successful on 6-of-8 SB attempts, with six players netting a steal apiece.

Had forgotten that another 6th year player, OF Reidy Mercado, was needed to assist at the High-A level with Wisconsin for 22 games back in 2022 (.489 OPS, all 17 hits singles). Off to a .976 OPS through six games, maybe he makes his way to Carolina for the first time soon. Mercado has logged time in Phoenix since 2019, he surely knows all the best spots in town by now.

I didn't really break down how this game flowed, choosing to highlight the player-related news. But you have the box score and game log for that, including the save for RHP Jose Chavez.
 

Final: DSL Brewers #1 Squad 6, DSL Angels 5

Box Score / Game Log

The Uno boys used a four-run 2nd and two-run 7th to grab a 6-1 lead, then needed every bit of that advantage, hanging on during a four-run Halos 8th.

In that rough 8th, all four runs against older 2nd-year pro RHP Roman Perez, who turns 23 in October, were unearned, but Perez didn't help his own cause in the frame.

On brighter notes (it was a win, after all), 18-year-old rookie RHP Esmir Suarez's second career start was strong - his debut one week ago, was hardly a disaster, but this was definitely an improvement. It's always interesting to see which arms the organization identifies for starting roles.

16-year-old Nicaraguan RHP Saul Sanchez tossed two scoreless, hitless innings, walking just one.

Until true surprises emerge, it's important that the high-bonus priority signings perform well. 17-year-old RF Yophery Rodriguez doubled, singled, walked twice, and now sports a very healthy .980 OPS.

But fellow top signing SS Kevin Ereu has not played since Monday when he exited after five innings for no obvious apparent game log reason. That's not ideal.

My favorite early-season statistical oddity in the rookie leagues - 17-year-old Dominican infielder Tyler Rodriguez sports a .000/.500/.000 line. He's 0-for-8, with five walks, four HBP, and a sacrifice fly.

17-year-old Eduardo Charles, a RH bat listed as a shortstop, is on the DSL 1 roster but has yet to debut.
 

Final: DSL Brewers #2 Squad 15, DSL Braves 0

Box Score / Game Log

Considering they only have one DSL club with no need to split the talent base, the Braves club, annihilated here, falls to 1-9 on the season. Surely, they did not enjoy this over four-hour game on their home complex.

My goodness, it's nearly impossible to nit-pick. Guess the six walks issued by the three Cerveceros pitchers, the same pitchers who allowed only two hits, none over the final five innings? The one lonely error and the one caught stealing?

Otherwise, it's pure dominance and a chance for many to pad their numbers as all nine spots in the lineup had a non-zero number associated with it.

Five doubles among the 14 hits, including one for the bonus baby middle infielder Filippo Di Turi, who was the DH here while reaching base five times. Di Turi, having played in all ten team games, bumped his OPS from .744 to .865 in this one.

Starting first baseman Danny Puerta, a 17-year-old LH bat from Colombia in just his 4th game, was hit by a pitch in the first inning. Puerta was replaced at first base in the middle of the bottom of the 1st, though it's unclear if his exit was related to the HBP, a pickoff attempt on defense, or something altogether different.

There are two RH arms on the roster listed as active but yet to make their pro debuts - 19-year-old Dominican native Elias Gonzalez and 17-year-old Ismael Yanez of Venezuela,
 

The schedule shrinks significantly on Sunday as the rookie kids hit pause. All afternoon affairs of varying start times.

Have yourself a nice Father's Day, whether you have your dad (play catch!) or if it's a day of remembrance for you. If you are a dad like me, know that you were entrusted to do special life's work and hopefully you are enjoying the rewards of your efforts today.

Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth
Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth

Interested in learning more about the Milwaukee Brewers' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!