Brewers Minor League Link Report (7/2): All Eyes on Luis Peña's Left Hand; Nestor Cortes Aces First Rehab Test

Transactions:

• LHP Nestor Cortes was officially assigned to the Nashville Sounds from the Milwaukee Brewers to begin his rehab assignment
• RHP Alexander Vallecillo was activated from the 60-Day IL by the ACL Brewers
• RHP Craig Yoho was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds

Final: ,  Nashville 2, Memphis (Cardinals) 1

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):

Game Notes (**The Sounds did not update their game notes for game two**)

The Sounds are back in the win column after a four game skid and they have LHP Nestor Cortes and the bullpen to thank for it. Cortes was purported to be aiming toward a fifty pitch first outing but I have a feeling the efficiency was overridden by an inning limit as well. Three up and downs in this case. Cortes pitched three scoreless frames of one hit and four strikeout ball - the lone hit a two-out bunt single in his final inning. His outing ended at 37 pitches. He was extremely efficient and accurate from the jump with a first frame of all four-seamers and a sole cutter. The Redbirds line up featured seven lefties and Cortes feasted. He was generally sitting 89-93 mph as he played with his four-seamer. He mixed in his patented drop down arm slot when ahead in counts.

He truly looked fantastic. For a debut, I don't think we could ask for much more. If he bounces back favorably from this outing, we might imagine his rehab stint is going to go the minimum. Yes, he looked that good.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) The evening of the same day as our RHP Joel Payamps discussion in the Minor League game thread (brought to us by our very own @Jake McKibbin), RHP Joel Payamps picked up his first Save as a member of the Sounds. 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K. 11 pitches. 8 strikes. It truly is hard to find a better version of Payamps than the one we are seeing right now. He may have lost his spot on the Brewers 40-Man, but it is beginning to look like a case of the League missing out on an opportunity to scoop him up without a service charge when they had the chance. I don't know what happens from here, but Payamps has clearly turned himself into an MLB-level asset in short order since his DFA. You love to see a player right their ship and head confidently into smoother waters behind the best version of themselves. 

2) The unsung hero in this One will be the fast-evolving suddenly consistently dependable LHP Bruce Zimmerman. His core relief work spanned 4 1/3 IP of 6 H, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 ER work. He threw 62 pitches with 43 landing for strikes. Zimmerman's ERA is now trending on the right side of 5.00 at 4.85. As he's gotten more comfortable in his role within the staff - hey, he's in a new organization after all let's cut the man some slack - Zimmerman has begun giving meaningful innings on a near every outing basis. Once the calendar flipped to June, Zimmerman has essentially eliminated the long ball. He has now given five solid outing out of his past six. This has been an unsung boon within the greater Sounds pitching staff. Despite his penchant for giving up contact, if Zimmerman can keep it in the park he's going to eat innings.

3) 1B Andrew Vaughn continues to settle in and provide big hits in the middle of the Sounds line up. As Ernesto Martinez Jr. has unfortunately seen his playing time and impact decrease since his early season thumb injury (not to mention the mini log jam induced by the bevy of in-season veteran acquisitions), Vaughn has eaten up many of those innings. Tonight, it was Vaughn's savvy to sit back on a hanging slider that ultimately won the game in the eighth frame:

Special Shout Out: 2B Raynel Delgado has grabbed hold of that everyday Sounds second baseman job and hasn't really relinquished it but for some minor timeshare with recently called up Anthony Seigler and INF Freddy Zamora. Delgado is a fairly smooth and heady player so it is always nice to see that rewarded with a 3-for-3 night at the dish. He plated one of the two runs. He picked up his ninth double of his season. 

With the win, the Sounds improved to 3-5 in the second half. 

Boeve Reaches Base Six Times in Doubleheader Split - Shuckers Bats Explode for 10-4 Game One Win

Game Notes

A combined relief effort in game one helped solidify what ultimately became a pull away victory. RHP Alexander Cornielle gave us one of those Alexander Cornielle bend but don't break outings in game two. His line will ultimately read 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 1 Balk, 4 ER. He left the bump with the Shuckers trailing 3-1. He used 84 pitches throwing 53 strikes. RHP Ryan Middendorf proceeded to let his inherited runner cross (Cornielle's fourth charged run). It just hasn't gotten any easier for Middendorf since being re-assigned to Biloxi. He is treading on thin ice. His 1 1/3 Ip of 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 ER paints a rosier picture than the quality of the outing itself. I can't remember the last outing Middendorf appeared and looked sharp from the jump. I would likely have to travel back to a point in his 2024 season. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) I mentioned it in the night's game thread (HERE), but it just needs to be emphasized again here: INF Ethan Murray is showcasing legitimate MLB upside in 2025. He looks fit. He looks stronger (he has added meaningful mass this past off-season). He looks healthy. Here on July 2nd, having spent nearly an entire month on the IL, he has already set a career high in long balls with his seven. It came tonight on a scorched 3-0 rocket over the left field wall:

He was later robbed of a double (at least) down the left field line when the infield ump somehow missed the call (honestly, a trend throughout with tonight's crew). When a player such as Murray - who plays electric defense at every spot on the left side of the infield and has the cannon arm to match any angle of throw - takes another step with the bat in his hands, you take notice. I personally think he is positively one of the most slept on players in the entire system. This is the leap we thought we might see in 2024. I propose he played through injury (or injuries). What we are seeing so far in 2025 is a whole different beast.

2) Dating back to his healthy days of 2024 as a Biloxi Shucker, one thing is clear: INF Mike Boeve loves hitting at Pensacola's ballpark. It's uncanny. He picked up where he left off with a 3-for-4, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 K, 1 3B Game One. I personally still don't see the same quality of hitter we saw before the shoulder injury (the elevated K rate is my main emphasis here). I don't know what exactly to attribute this to - is he still working through scar tissue? Is he just rusty? Is he simply pressing? Regardless, I am thankful Boeve is relatively healthy today and continuing to put forth AB's. He's obviously being protected from pushing things too far with his vastly limited defensive reps. Let's hope he can stay hot in Pensacola:

3) It was quite nice to notice the camaraderie in the Shuckers dugout and their bullpen throughout both contests. You can see it plain as day - these young men enjoy playing with each other and they enjoy each other's company. We also saw INF Luke Adams sitting atop the dugout bench with his eyes on the games. Great to see him in and amongst the team. It's truly a testament to the greater depth of the Shuckers team as a whole when they lose players the caliber of 3B Brock Wilken and the budding lead-off phenom in Luke Adams and they are still very much right in the thick of it at 5-3 overall in the second half. Not that any of that matters, all things considered...

Sky Carp Steal a Win - Beloit Swipes Nine Bases in 4-1 Victory over Wisconsin

Box Score/Game Log

Game Notes

One thing was obvious before the Sky Carp put on their DSL best nine stolen bases (in 11 attempts): C Blayberg Diaz simply has nowhere near the pop nor the arm of one C Marco Dinges. Remember our emerging catcher superstar in C Marco Dinges? Good grief he was taken from us much too soon this summer. Thankfully, his local news teams are still giving him shine. We'll all obviously have to wait and see on the hamstring strain - those are rarely straightforward. LHP Sam Garcia continued his recent run of improved starts in the Midwest League. His final line reads 4 2/3 IP of 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (a solo shot over the LF wall on a high inside heater), 3 R (1 Earned). He was done in on an aggressive take and short-hop botch by 3B Juan Baez - it was a routine hop to SS Jadher Areinamo who had the real play on the ball. Had Baez managed to field and throw that ball cleanly, Garcia pitches five complete. Baez is nothing as a player if not overly aggressive. He wins some. He loses some. But, he is never not aggressive. Always likely to swing at a first pitch. Always likely to go for the spectacular. It's obviously important to remember Baez is a just turned 20-year-old prospect but I do wonder aloud how he'll mature as a player in the seasons ahead. There truly isn't all that much more to discuss in this one for the Rattlers. Their sole run came on a SS Jadher Areinamo sacrifice fly - a run manufactured by LF Yhoswar Garcia swiping his 35th base after a lead-off single and then advancing to third base on a DH Hedbert Perez ground out. They were outhit 6-to-3 and were a mere 0-for-3 with RISP. The Timber Rattlers offense is very much capable of sleepy nights like this. The loss of Dinges impacted Carolina's line up immensely. The loss of Dinges will impact the Timber Rattlers line up immensely. Of this I am certain. With the loss the T-Rats fell to 3-8 in the second half. They are currently last in the Midwest League West division.

Final: Carolina 4, Fayetteville (Astros) 3 - Final/10 Innings

Mudcats Beat Fayetteville in Extra Innings - Hernandez Leads with Yet Another Stellar Start

Box Score/Game Log

Game Notes

RHP Melvin Hernandez is giving off serious 2024 RHP Manuel Rodriguez vibes. He has fast become the low-velo Ace on the Mudcats pitching staff in 2025. It's uncanny. The scrappy 19-year-old Nicaraguan, at just a shade under 6'0", continues to defy his diminutive stature by repeatedly demonstrating he simply knows the breadth of tools in his bag and he knows how to use them. 5 1/3 IP of 3 H, 1 BB, 1 HB, 6 K, and 1 ER work tonight. He tossed 83 pitches with 53 landing for strikes. Hernandez has now allowed a mere three earned runs over his last 33.0 IP. That spans four Starts and six appearances overall. He has 26 K's to a mere four free passes and two hit batters in that span. If you have not found the time to watch Hernandez toss the white pillow, I highly recommend you do so when he is pitching at this level. It is a true joy to witness.

Three Quick Strikes:

1) The real story, unfortunately, in this game two victory was the likely loss of one phenom 2B Luis Peña. I don't want to make any type of formal declarations here. BUT, the inside pitch he took off his left hand - a 94 mph four-seamer up and in - could be heard in the telecast. It was a scrunch of a smack as he held firm to the lower end of his bat. He dropped his bat and immediately writhed in pain behind home plate. The athletic trainer came to his aid and it was quite discernible that as she pressed that hand or wrist Peña cowered in immense sharp pain. It was a truly awful sight given the recent and ongoing (seriously, what in the heck is going on!) spate of injuries we've seen across the upper echelon of top prospects within the Brewers system. We can only hope he avoided something major here. I always tell it to you straight: it did not look good. 

2) Have a night DH Pedro Ibarguen. Let me just say: he absolutely looks the part. Physically he has a very real stature to his figure - he is built. His 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB night included the game winning walk-off in the tenth frame:

He also successfully stole second base but, well, my ongoing contention with the Minor League umpires carries on with the same fervor as ever. He was safe. It will be marked a 'CS' in his season's tally. His first such mark all year. I didn't expect Ibarguen to hit the Low-A ground running but he's actually done more than that. He's invoked a real sense of "We might really have something here!" in me. 

3) Just one night after lauding 1B Eric Bitonti for his professional and consistent approach, he rewards me with a 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR evening. He has 13 long balls in 2025. He now has 50 RBI. There is so much more in this young man's bag. I simply can not wait to continue watching him grow as a player and as a man. I know his prospect shine has been knocked down a peg with his early season struggles and his sole focus at first base. But, I'm here to tell you I just don't think it matters all that much when it's all said and done. He's a legitimate threat every time he steps to the dish. The swing is as pure as they come. The maturation and the fine-tuning will come as he matures. He is a devotee to the grind. We are getting some mid-season rewards as a result. Let's keep going. I mean tell me you don't see some vintage Geoff Jenkins in this swing:

With the game two victory, the Mudcats improved their second half record to 8-3. They are atop their division once again.

Final:  ACL Mariners 6, ACL Brewers 1 - Final/7 Innings
Box Score/Game Log

It was the long awaited return of one RHP Alexander Vallecillo. It did not go all that smoothly, sadly. 1/3 IP of 2 H, 2 BB, 1 HR, 4 ER ball. He had a brief 1-0 lead. He was greeted by a first pitch home run. In total, Vallecillo threw 11 pitches and only three landed for strikes. Granted, two of the four runs he was charged came via two of RHP Jose Meneses' three wild pitches. Yes, Meneses tipped his cap to one RHP Yerlin Rodriguez and threw three WP in 2/3 IP. Yikes! RHP Tyler Renz and RHP Wenderlyn King did the heavy lifting as they combined to throw 5.0 IP of 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 ER, 2 HR ball. They each gave up a solo shot but how about a shout out to their combined 27 pitches thrown and 23 strikes landing. That is absolutely nutso precise. It's hard to muster anything beyond this when the offense combines for a 1-for-2 with RISP while leaving a mere two runners on base. That's just not enough opportunity to make a dent in their early deficit. This being said, we acknowledge lead-off DH Jorge Quintana had an effective 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B day at the dish. LF Jadyn Fielder also collected two knocks in a 2-for-2. With the loss the ACL Crew fell to 23-22 overall. 

Our DSL Brewers brethren will be back at it in the morning Caribbean sun (we hope!). With the ACL Crew off for the evening, we will see RHP Travis Smith try to bounce back for Carolina. Nashville is listed as 'TBD' but for those perusing our game threads you know I shared RHP Coleman Crow is scheduled to come off the IL and debut with the Sounds. RHP Brett Wichrowski will toe the rubber in Pensacola. And, RHP Ryan Birchard will once again try to eeek out more punch outs than walks. Come on Ryan, we both know you have filthy tools. Let's start making strides in the walk department. You got this. 

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

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

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!