Joseph Zarr

Hard to qualify with only 3 ACL Starts before a rapid promotion to Carolina (where he continues to work through walk issues in the early going - 7 K : 6 BB in 6 IP) but this is an arm we should be aware of. RHP Jesus Rivero already shows an advanced array of two types of heat and off-speed stuff that plays across both sides of the plate. The thing that really stuck out for me in last night's victory in Zebulon, despite Rivero's 5 BB in 4 IP, is his off-speed is already nearly an identical delivery as his two heaters. This is a very exciting young arm:

Speaking of OF Yophery Rodriguez (albeit, extremely briefly):

It certainly felt fitting to have a six-pack (of games) on another 4th of July holiday. We had a head-to-head DSL morning tilt as well as an ACL affair. Midday, the Shuckers were in Pensacola to begin their road series. And, we had the Mudcats; Timber Rattlers; and Sounds to close out the evening hours before the fireworks were lit above the outfield grass. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Biloxi Shuckers Game Balls: INF Zavier Warren gets the nod for his three XBH's - nothing cheap about these - in helping the Shuckers take game one in Pensacola. 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. gets the nod here for extending his hitting streak to 10 games (on base streak to 12 games) - his second consecutive multiple hit game at that. RHP James Meeker gets the nod for continuing to display his versatility in his third consecutive start - 5 IP of two-hit scoreless baseball is impressive on any night of the week. RHP Tanner Shears gets the nod for just continuing to be a bad mamma jamma out of any bullpen in the Brewers organization. 2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K, 0 R. Key late inning work. C Jose Sibrian gets the nod for his 4-rbi night and generally turning the corner throughout early July (more below) * Honorable Mentions: 1B Jesus Parra went 2-for-5 with 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 1 K. INF Robert Moore smacked a triple extending his on base streak to 22 games. And, oh hey, let's use this as a shameless plug for Moore's recent T-Rats Talk with Kyle Lobner. (Telling answers in here. And, man, that hair is slick Mr. Moore. My receding mid-40's hairline weeps!) Transactions: RHP Ryne Moore was sent on a rehab assignment to the ACL Brewers (and, he pitched a scoreless inning in his debut) RHP Miguel Guerrero was assigned to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from the Carolina Mudcats LHP Brian Fitzpatrick was sent on a rehab assignment to the ACL Brewers OF Luis Castillo was assigned to the Carolina Mudcats from the ACL Brewers Final: Columbus (Guardians) 19, Nashville 2 Box Score / Game Log(*There were no Game Notes posted for this series opener*)Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Sounds Throttled by Clippers on Independence Day No, that score is not a typo. RHP Janson Junk has been mostly solid as a Sounds starter. He definitely has his limitations as a MLB-caliber pitcher - he lacks swing and miss stuff at the highest levels and, when it comes to MLB outings, almost has to be perfect to compete. With his Sounds club red hot to start the second half, Junk brought his worst stuff of his entire season and was hit hard and quite often. The addendum here would be this was the fourth time Junk has been asked to pitch on four days rest in the 2023 season. I would kindly opine, maybe this isn't such a hot idea: 4/7 - solid - 0 runs, 2 hits in 5 IP 4/12 - pretty rough MLB debut - 5 runs, 7 hits in 4 2/3 IP 5/28 - not a good time - 5 runs, 6 hits in 6 IP 7/5 - disaster - 9 runs, 6 hits, 3 walks, 1 HR in a mere 1/3 IP (Special kudos to @damuelle for pointing this out in our game thread HERE) We'll kindly thank C Payton Henry for giving us the face we all endured throughout this laugher. 1) About the best thing that happened in this game in the early going was a lightning delay in the fourth inning after an INF Patrick Dorrian walk. Considering how things were going up until that point, I'd have called it right there if I had the power. I should also mention, for posterity's sake, INF Luis Urias doubled to lead off the inning. It was a very fitting ending, however, when the game resumed to see INF Cam Devanney strike out on three straight pitches. It was indeed that kind of night. There were no Sounds fireworks before the actual fireworks. 2) Game recognizes game. Sometimes, as a relief pitcher, you just encounter bad luck to start an inning. I'd say rising LHP Darrell Thompson experienced such misfortune to start the fifth frame. Three consecutive singles, including a run-scoring deflection off his glove into center field, got his evening going in the wrong direction. But, he buckled down from there with three consecutive punch outs. It was a bit of a flippant dismissal from that bad luck earned run. I continue to love the upside of Thompson and hope he can finish out his second half in fine form. 3) OF Tyrone Taylor did put some runs across the plate for the Sounds with his two-run HR jack in the fifth inning. All was not lost - just, well, mostly. How bad was it? C Payton Henry pitched two innings. INF Patrick Dorrian took the hill for two innings of his own. This was about as ugly as it gets for a Sounds team that had been absolutely cruising fresh off a 5-1 series victory in Memphis. I don't imagine seeing many more games like this in the second half. At least, I sure hope I don't. The Sounds fell to 5-2 to start their second half push - 1/2 game behind St. Paul and tied with these same Columbus Clippers. Fireworks anyone? Final: Biloxi 8, Pensacola (Marlins) 5 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Shuckers Celebrate America's Birthday with 8-5 Win over Pensacola Three Quick Strikes: 1) INF Tyler Black struck out with the bases dripping to end the third frame. It was a failed check swing on a heater likely just high and just outside the zone. He was clearly disappointed but it was also clear throughout the entire AB he was working something out in his left plant leg during the entire AB. Upon further investigation, it appears that an injury (or, hopefully, a tweak) likely happened when Black was sprinting toward second base during a classic hit-and-run scenario off the bat of OF Jackson Chourio earlier in that same third inning. Yes, he went to the dish twice in the third frame. Black awkwardly landed on the corner of the second base bag and then stumbled into the base path beyond before collecting himself and sprinting to 3B. We'll have to monitor this moving forward. If you care to check it out yourself, venture to the 1:33:53 mark of the game feed HERE at MiLB.TV and you'll see what I am describing here. 2) RHP Kaleb Bowman was the first relief man out of the Shuckers bullpen when Meeker's fine day of work had ended. It's easy to be a fan of Bowman - his story is remarkable and, by all appearances, he appears to be a young man who goes about his business in the right way. And, given all of this, it's still worth pointing out: Bowman has now conceded runs in 6-of-12 relief outings out of the Shuckers bullpen. He absolutely deserved the promotion from Wisconsin but there is quite a bit of work to do to find his footing in the challenging Southern League. Bowman finished tonight's outing with a final line of 2 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 ER. 3) It's been a rough season so far for INF Zavier Warren as he tries to build some semblance of momentum and, hopefully, find more playing time. Well, a night like tonight will hopefully jump start his second half. Three XBH's total in a 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K night - each hit ripped with meaning. A line drive double deep off the right field wall. A 1-2 off-speed delivery sent over the wall in RF for a home run. These were classic comfortable Zavier Warren swings - reminiscent of his scorching close to his 2022 season. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come. Final: Wisconsin 3, Beloit (Marlins) 1 Box Score / Game Log Game NotesVia the T-Rats' site, game details, please visit and review: Rattlers Bop Beloit 3-1 This is the best RHP Alexander Cornielle has looked all season long - and, I'd be lying if I didn't say it made me quite happy. After a breakout 2022 season, Cornielle predominantly scuffled throughout the first half of this season. Tonight, he pitched with purpose in and around the zone mixing his patented high rising heat in advantageous counts. He sprinkled his off-speed low in the zone. It was a sight for extremely sore eyes. Unfortunately, he was pulled after 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K as manager Joe Ayrault and his staff try to build back his pitch count and arm strength. Cornielle left after walking his last batter. I would opine he was likely robbed of a strikeout pitch in a 2-2 count - a gorgeous pitch in the inside and lower part of the zone. But, so it goes in Minor League baseball where the tie almost always goes to the defense and the strike zone is dubious at best. And, now, you will be served your "We are blessed as Brewers Minor League baseball fans" post-game home stand T-Rats treats: Full Game Highlights: Post-Game Podcast: 1) C/DH Darrien Miller really scuffled at Quad Cities as he finished with a 1-for-16 mark overall. However, as we all know, that's an extremely small sample size and those types of series outputs happen to the best of them. It goes without saying, his solo shot squeaked inside the right field foul pole was a wonderful turn of fate. It was Miller's fifth long ball of his 2023 season and it gave the T-Rats an insurance run extending their middle innings lead to 2-0. 2) LHP Karlos Morales has definitely scuffled throughout parts of his last two months. He still is losing his control all too much within his outings. However, I'd like to point out: he is still managing to help the bottom line of his greater pitching staff. Coming into tonight's game he had stranded all 13 of his inherited runners in 2023. He stranded two more in the fourth frame helping a much improved Alexander Cornielle's bottom line. That's 15 inherited. That's 15 stranded. His second inning of work was perhaps his best inning I've seen since the early part of the first half - his sinking off-speed deliveries were fooling every left-handed batter he faced. It's unscathed outings like this you hope can help a young arm get back on track. 3) The Timber Rattlers have had issues by and large with the bases loaded in 2023. However, OF Je'Von Ward is the team leader in this department with a 3-for-8, 1 2B, 2 1B's, 1 Sac, 7 RBI line to date. He came to the dish with the bases juiced in the bottom of the sixth inning and the T-Rats leading 3-0. With a chance to extend the lead before the seventh inning stretch, Ward hit a grounder to 2B in a 1-1 count. The threat ended. It was up to the bullpen from there and, aside from a ninth inning solo shot off RHP Shane Smith, they were up to the challenge. Special mention, as noted in the 'Game Balls' to RHP Tanner Shears. Final: Carolina 13, Fayetteville (Astros) 4 Box Score / Game Log Game Notes Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Sibrian and Parra Lead the Way in 13-4 July 4th Victory Jumping out to an early 13-0 lead would help most young arms. RHP Patrcio Aquino, fresh off his Brewer Fanatic Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month runner-up status, was dealing early and often. Ultimately, he worked around two harmless solo shots well after the gargantuan Mudcats lead was established. Aquino continues to shine as he finished his evening with 5 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 2 HR. He has very clearly become part of a dynamic duo between RHP Logan Henderson and himself. Three Quick Strikes: 1) 20-year-old RHP Jesus Rivero has flashed all the signs of what prompted the promotion from the ACL. He has a very lively arm that certainly sees the ball arrive with some solid rise. He delivers his off-speed stuff from the same delivery slot with nearly identical action. There's a lot to like. Yet, so far at least, he has struggled to command his pitches consistently. Another five free passes tonight over 4 IP with three wild pitches to boot is obviously not a sustainable pattern. We'll chalk it up to nerves and inexperience at this juncture. As I said, all the intriguing ingredients are there. He just has to put it together at a new and higher level of competitive baseball. He picked up his first save as a Mudcat going 4 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 3 WP, 4 K, 2 ER 2) C Jose Sibrian is heating back up. After a fairly hot start to 2023, he had lulled back into a fairly pedestrian overall offensive output hitting 0.196 in the month of June. But, that has definitely changed in a hurry over the first four games of early July. After a 2-for-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R evening he has now hit safely in 3-of-4 July games. He is 5-for-15 with 5 R, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 K overall. Fantastic stuff for a catcher who is all too often overlooked. 3) In a game (and box score) filled with solid performances (go ahead check that box score, folks), we'll give special mention to two things. Firstly, the improved overall play of INF Jadher Areinamo. He is having much better success at the dish and continues to play solid defense all across the infield dirt. We'd love to see some more XBH production, but I'll personally never complain when a young man simply plays solid baseball. Secondly, and riffing off this tune, Areinamo replaced INF Gregory Barrios in the very early going. Barrios was hit by a pitch in the first frame. The pitch seemed to nail his lead left leg just above his knee cap. Seriously? Yes, seriously. Barrios was down on the dirt immediately and in obvious pain. He ultimately rose to his feet and walked extremely sluggishly to first base. He scored a run later in that inning in what honestly looked like a full out sprint. However, he did not return. We'll have to keep tabs on this but I wouldn't expect to see him playing tomorrow even if it is just for precautionary measures. Let's hope that's the case. UPDATE: Embedded within the game summary above is the postgame interview with Manager Victor Estevez. Barrios will miss just a single game with a bruise. ACL Padres 7, ACL Brewers 3 Box Score / Game Log The highlights of this game lie in the continued advancements we are seeing from INF's Dylan O'Rae and Juan Baez. Baez has been the standout of the early Brewers ACL season. I don't think a single one of us could have predicted this torrid pace. He collected three more hits today in a 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 SB line. He is now hitting 0.440 over 75 AB's with 8 2B and 2 3B. Throw in 10 SB to 1 CS. Just a phenomenal ACL season. O'Rae grabbed his 15th SB (0 CS) and went 1-for-4 with 1 R, 1 RBI, and 1 K. He has a 16:7 BB:K ratio to boot. This young man is starting to very snakily make a statement as he continues to demonstrate he might be an innate lead-off hitter at every level. Keep monitoring his progress Brewers fans. 1B/DH Tayden Hall continues to take free passes with the best of them in the ACL - 2 BB today and 8 BB in 24 PA's with not a single strikeout. The Mudcats could really use him as a stabilizing force at first base. Let's hope he stays healthy and gets that opportunity sooner than later. Rehabbing RHP Ryne Moore was given the first inning of work and he went a scoreless 1 IP - 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 1 K. Wonderful to see such success in his first action on the mound in quite some time. Beyond that, RHP Darling Solano was incapable of holding the 3-1 lead the ACL Crew carried into the fifth frame. The Padres scored six runs over the 5th-through-9th frames and that was all she wrote as the Crew never scored after the third frame. The Crew fell to 11-11 overall and they'll look to bounce back tomorrow against (GASP! ?) the ACL Dodgers. The DSL Brewers #1 vs DSL Brewers #2 contest will be completed on July 14th. OF Yophery Rodriguez and up-and-coming INF Gery Holguin each smacked early doubles setting the tone for the DSL Brewers Uno. We'll see where the game goes from here: The DSL Cerveceros squads will be taking their mid-week rest tomorrow. However, the ACL Crew will be looking to get back on track. In the evening hours, we'll also see all four affiliated clubs back at it as they head to game two of each of their respective series. RHP Jason Alexander will look to get the Sounds back on track during his second outing since his rehab assignment in Nashville. RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez will take the hill for Biloxi as he looks to cut back on those free passes and string of recent questionable first innings. RHP Stiven Cruz will look to build off his most recent, and best of 2023, outing. And, finally, RHP Will Rudy will look to find that dominant form of his early tenure with the Mudcats. 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 scoresCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and DepthCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

Great work as usual, @Smichaelis9. Off the top of my head, it certainly 'feels' like there were less meaningful candidates in June and it's hard to think of any other candidates. Holiday and all.

I have a feeling we might be looking at INF Dylan O'Rae in one of these lists at some point. Watching his game-to-game performances in the ACL game logs, he just feels like he is starting to find his professional footing. 15 BB: 6 K. 14-of-14 SB. It would be nice to start seeing the XBH's arrive (only 1 2B in June). It feels like he is just starting to scratch the surface.

Really nice to see Baseball America catch RHP Quinton Low and seeing what several of us have seen and commented on throughout this season. Happy for him! AND, even happier it wasn't his most recent uncharacteristic walk-heavy outing. He's a true plus bullpen arm way down there in Low-A.

RHP J.B. Bukauskas was recalled by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sounds RHP Johan Zapata was assigned to the DSL Brewers 1 from the DSL Brewers 2

@wiguy94: YES, Sir! LHP Clayton Andrews' Nashville Sounds contract was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers

WHOA. Well, that's fun! Thanks for the update!

Now you've seen it. He is such a fun personality. Intriguing player. With a BIG caveat - akin to his personality, I guess: I personally think part of what makes him such a fun person bleeds into his playing style. So, you get what you get there. IF, and it's a big IF (lot's of big when talking about Martinez Jr.), he could just harness and discipline parts of his approach he could be a really intriguing prospect. As it currently is, however, even with the stretching splits at 1B to nab runners down the line and the power when he actually makes contact, he is just so unpolished. It's a long work in progress. He swings very inconsistently and very wildly - so often his head and eyes are looking beyond the 1B stand and possibly at a flock of birds in the distance. Given the ongoing lack of high-end 1B prospects, he is obviously in an organizational fit. But, I can't help but wonder if that light will every truly turn on. Thanks for the report @CheeseheadInQC. Sounds like you had a fun family outing!

I can honestly say, I was not anticipating this in my Minor League/MLB transactions scanning: Full MLB Trade Rumors write-up HERE

I was predictably much higher on Sibrian and Diaz when the Mudcats were humming along and they were raking - oh the intrigue of the small sample sizes! Regardless, Sibrian is likely ready for a boost in competition given his age, his defensive prowess, a little but of pop etc. If we are talking about ACL to Low-A bumps, however, regardless of age, I would think we have to first discuss and consider C Edgardo Ordonez. Given he has only played half of Norman's games (7-to-14) there is a possible age (19-to-21, respectively), inexperience, and draft status discrepancy bias happening organizationally (strictly my opinion). Ordonez is hitting even better after excelling in the DSL for two summers. AND, he has 2 CS to 5 SB whereas Norman is looking at a woeful 2 CS to 17 SB. I guess a 9-spot will do that to you! Regardless, the Brewers have a litany of catchers organizationally. It's a shame we can't say that about 1B where they are paper thin. Hopefully, Tayden Hall can stay healthy for the second half to gain some much-needed experience amd exposure there. The bat is obviously fairly capable in the lower levels.

I'm still wondering why C Matt Wood was pulled after one AB (sac fly, mentioned above) in the first inning. I can't imagine a C Alex Hall substitution was planned to start the top of the 2nd. Tracking.

We were back at it to begin second halves across our upper level affiliates. We had several high scoring affairs in victories for the T-Rats, Shuckers, and Sounds. We had a low-scoring loss at Down East for the Mudcats. And the ACL Crew lost one in the final inning in a heartbreaker. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Biloxi Shuckers Game Balls: RHP Nick Merkel grabs one for his ability to end the ridiculous third inning with one pitch and continue dealing for 3 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K work. C Alex Jackson continues to demonstrate uncanny power from the catcher spot as he smashed two long balls - his 11th and 12th of his season. The second long ball was a two-run blast in the seventh inning that traveled 109 mph off the bat and left the yard via a 33 degree launch orbit. The man has some beef. OF Terence Doston gets the nod here for his extremely efficient 2-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K, 3 SB evening. He continues to find ways to impact games in most of his limited opportunities. 13 steals in 130 PA's is an eye-popping output. INF Abraham Toro gets the nod for another great night at the dish and stellar glove work at first base. Who knew? 1B/C Tayden Hall gets some recognition for continued excellent rehab outings in the ACL. This is exactly what the Mudcats want to see given their ongoing offensive struggles Transactions: If you are a frequent visitor to our 'Minor League Transactions' thread, you would have noticed Jim was ahead of a couple of these official transactions. In our articles, we lean conservative as we typically wait for the official announcements should some strange snafu slow or delay the process. Regardless, congratulations are in order: LHP Luis Amaya was assigned to the Biloxi Shuckers from the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers RHP Shane Smith was assigned to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers from the Carolina Mudcats C Nick Kahle was transferred to the Biloxi Shuckers Development List (Kahle last played 6/23) RHP Peter Strzelecki was optioned to the Nashville Sounds from the Milwaukee Brewers LHP Thomas Pannone's contracts was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Nashville Sound The Brewers signed RHP Pablo Marcelus and assigned him to the DSL Brewers 2 - he is presently listed on the Restricted List, however Final: Nasvhville 12, Memphis (Cardinals) 4 Box Score / Game LogGame Notes Via the Sounds' site, game details, please visit and review: Sounds Drop a Dozen on Memphis The Sounds returned to Memphis' AutoZone Park to begin their second half right where they started their game number one of the 2023 season. And, let's just say it: it always feels great to beat a Cardinals anything. Yes indeed. RHP Caleb Boushley again demonstrated he is hitting his stride after a sluggish start to his season: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 4 K, 1 HR. The collective Sounds pitching staff gave up only two free passes on the evening. LHP Clayton Andrews, as he does, provided the steady hand in those crucial middle innings and remains one my favorite pitchers anywhere at any level that, inexplicably, nobody talks about. Three Quick Strikes: 1) We'll ignore the weak throw earlier in the inning to 3B that allowed the hitter to also reach scoring position after a line drive single to shallow left center field. What OF Sal Frelick did in this play, as far as I'm concerned, sealed the game and shut down any notions of a comeback. The Sounds grabbed back both runs in the following frame. LHP Alex Claudio then shut it down. It's not every day you see a 405 foot double play of this quality: Just epic top-tier stuff right there. 2) INF Abraham Toro demonstrated his value in 2023 in his recent call-up to the Brewers. Well, toss in emergency work at 1B into his bag of tricks. Obviously, Toro is not a serious 1B candidate but the Sounds are currently showcasing the organizational lack of depth at the position as they rotate infielders and catchers to that first base on a daily basis right now since INF Jon Singleton's unfortunate free agency departure. And, say what you want, Toro made some fantastic stabs on challenging scoops tonight. He also ripped a double to deep right center and smashed a line drive grand slam down the right field line. Maybe he's a 1B afterall?!?? 3) RHP Thyago Vieira's first month of work was as shutdown as it gets. He was phenomenal. However, he continues to get rocked throughout the month of June. I've seen him get hit hard and often in nearly every outing he's taken the hill. Tonight, sadly, it was no different. If it wasn't for OF Sal Frelick's unbelievable catch at the CF fence, he was likely looking at least a four run inning. It's tricky to say where his season goes from here but it is currently not pretty and he's suddenly a likely candidate for the 'Development List'. Final: Biloxi 9, Mississippi (Braves) 3 Box Score / Game Log(There were No Game Notes officially posted by the game's ending) Via the Shuckers' site, game details, please visit and review: Shuckers Blast Three Home Runs in 9-3 Win Over M-Braves It was 100 F on the field in Biloxi. This is a different type of heat than the ACL - believe you me, I've lived it. RHP Carlos F. Rodriguez has just started heavily implementing his plus change-up over his past two starts with these tacked Southern League balls - for very good impact, to boot - and MLB is going to remove them by July 13th. I can only imagine how impactful this all has been for every pitcher in the Southern League. Both Rodriguez's early K's came on solid off-speed work. The home plate umpire was heavily restricting the outer half of the plate and, as such, you'll see three free passes through the first two frames. But every pitch tells a story - I don't begrudge Rodriguez one bit with the tight zone and the disciplined Braves approach. All in all Rodriguez was pulled before he finished the 5th inning after giving up a lead-off single and then a double after his seventh punch out. He became just the second pitcher in the Southern League to reach 90 K's after going 4 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 ER, 7 K. Please visit the Shuckers Twitter page for various highlights of long balls HERE - you'll find INF Tyler Black's rocket, Quero's first opposite field blast, and Zamora's two-run jack. Alright, I'll throw you a bone. Here's a tailing bases-clearing double off the bat of super-utility man extraordinaire, Noah Campbell. Key insurance runs here: Three Quick Strikes: 1) Is INF Freddy Zamora now a candidate to play the Shucker's everyday 2B? It's a worthwhile question, though it's obviously much too early to tell. After pointing out his continued baffling throws and nonchalant mistakes at shortstop lately, he has now played the last three games at the 2B position and he's looked quite comfortable in doing so. If nothing else, it's an unexpected wrinkle to his season. He continues to show an improved approach at the dish, to boot - 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 HR. 2) LHP Russ Smith continues to experience very erratic outings. It's a baffling and frustrating ongoing ordeal - I can only imagine how he is feeling as he finds his way. The one thing that really sticks out to me when I watch the present version of Smith pitch is I don't really see a strikeout or go to pitch. That could prove problematic as his career progresses. For now, however, it's an adventure in nearly every at bat as he looks to understand his mix and how to best attack hitters. I still see very similar release point inconsistencies - not as pronounced as they were in 2022 but they are still there. His final line of 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K while picking up the win does not speak to what I saw: a pitcher struggling to find any semblance of consistency. The grind continues. And with that, hopefully improvements and progress. 3) OF Lamar Sparks continues to be one of my favorite watches in the system regardless of the up-and-down results. He plays extremely hard. He plays aggressively. He swings like a madman - and, unfortunately, that is likely what is holding him back as the bat has lagged after a torrid start. Regardless, he truly has an absolute accurate cannon from every outfield spot. We saw possibly the throw of the year earlier in the first half of the season from right field. Unfortunately, there isn't a highlight to exemplify his one-hop throw at home plate tonight. It should be apparent to the Southern League by now: run on Sparks at your own peril. He grabbed a crucial OF Assist from LF to end the ongoing Braves threat versus LHP Russ Smith. It was a key play in a key spot. The Shuckers bats took over from there. Final: Wisconsin 11, Quad Cities (Royals) 4 Box Score / Game LogGame Notes Via the T-Rats' site, game details, please visit and review: Doston, Rattlers Dump river Bandits As predicted last night, RHP Cameron Wagoner was very sharp to begin his outing in Quad Cities - I just share the intuitions, folks ?. The slider was really sharp finding the outer half with regularity. It's important to remember with Wagoner's ongoing improvements atop the hill, he had only received two runs of support over his past four outings. That's a tough pill to swallow for any hurler. Well, that all changed in the top of the third frame when it was clear the T-Rats had made an investment with the baseball gods: eight runs plated and I don't know if a single ball was hit harder than 85-90 mph. By the time Wagoner came onto the mound for his half of the third inning it was practically a different ball game. Unfortunately, the T-Rats defense left their collective memory in the dugout. You'll notice Wagoner only lasted 2 2/3 IP. This was due to an elevated pitch count in an inning where his defense left him out to dry thrice - three truly poor errors. He deserved better given he was pitching with purpose. We will not dive into the errors - trust me, they were very weak. Three Quick Strikes: 1) I don't know if I've seen a more confusing flurry of runs plated in a High-A contest to date than I saw in the 12-run third inning. So many weakly hit balls finding holes for both team. Four errors in the inning. Pitchers hung out to dry by the baseball gods and their defenses. The quality of play improved from there but it was really a rough inning. I hope the quality of play improves as the series progresses. It's lovely to come away with a victory after so many oddities and snafus. 2) I didn't see anything anomalous during C Matt Wood's Sacrifice Fly to center field during the eight-run third inning, but he was immediately replaced by C Alex Wood in the bottom half. We'll have to keep an eye on this situation moving forward. 3) Several of us have discussed this in recent game threads, but the T-Rats truly do seem poised for a second half break-out. They battled extremely hard in their recent road trip to Michigan and they seem to be coming into form just as the second half begins. Consider this: it is only a three-game win streak for the young Rattlers, but they've scored 33 runs on 31 hits. Their season record is now at 8-games below 0.500. They begin their second half playoff push at 1-0. Final: Down East (Rangers) 2, Carolina 0 Box Score / Game LogGame Notes Via the Mudcats' site, game details, please visit and review: Mudcats Held to Two Hits in 2-0 Loss to Wood Ducks There isn't really much to discuss in this one. As we now know, Down East has their home games on media lockdowns and this Box Score and Game Log reads like a tightly wrapped sleeper. The Mudcats lost again to their ongoing nemesis as the Wood Ducks continue to have their number for the most part. One of the bigger takeaways in this one is an improved outing from RHP Patricio Aquino - 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 R (unearned), and 5 K - who had scuffled a bit in recent starts. That's a very nice day of work. Additionally, RHP Yujanyer Herrera had his best outing in some time going 3 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K. No walks. No wild pitches. No hit batters. This was a much needed fantastic three innings of work for Herrera. The Wood Ducks threw just 107 pitches and only three Mudcats reached base. I will say, the one additional thing that sticks out to me is both runs appeared to have plated after another throwing error from Luke Adams at 3B. He's had several of those of late and it is currently a mild concern. Final: ACL Reds 11, ACL Brewers 9 Box Score / Game Log This is absolutely one of those classic tough ACL losses. The young ACL Crew showed fight in a back-and-forth battle between the upstart ACL Reds - their second consecutive knock versus this clearly talented young Reds squad. After trailing 6-0 by the third inning of a seven-inning affair, the Crew managed to plate seven runs over the next two innings to tie it all up. Several notable offensive performances are worth mentioning given the 11-to-9 lead in total hits. I'll highlight a few but do look through the entire box score: OF Hendry Mendez: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B 1B Tayden Hall: 3-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B OF Duncan Garcia: 2-for-4, 1R In a game where the young Crew battled back and maximized a 6-for-11 mark with RISP, we can look to the combined 11 walks amongst the trio of young arms. No walks were more damaging than young RHP Cristofher Carrasco's two walks with two outs in the seventh and final inning. We also see four wild pitches, a passed ball, and nine successful steals against the staff and the arm of C Satchell Norman. By the looks of it, when you dive deeper, it would have been an improbable victory if they had pulled it out. It's a new half to the Affiliated seasons - can RHP Stiven Cruz turn it around after a disastrous first half? Tune in tomorrow night for game two at Quad Cities. RHP Justin Jarvis will also get the nod in Biloxi. The young ACL Crew will get a much needed rest but the DSL Cerveceros are back at it in the early hours. Tune in early and tune in often! As always, thanks for reading and thank you for supporting Brewers Minor League baseball. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scoresCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and DepthCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

After today's 0-2 mark in the DSL, that's now an 0-7 mark versus the DSL and ACL Dodgers in the last seven games played. It's hard to blame the DSL Brewers Dos who fell to the now 17-0 DSL Dodgers Bautista. Who will be the lucky DSL team who hands this apparent DSL juggernaut their first loss? In evening action, the ACL Crew battled the ACL Reds and lost their tentative grip on first place. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic Transactions: LHP Justin Wilson was sent on a rehab outing with the ACL Brewers RHP Jesus Rivero was assigned to the Carolina Mudcats from the ACL Brewers ** Special thanks to @wiguy94who shared this regarding Rivero's promotion: Final: ACL Reds 17, ACL Brewers 12Box Score/Game Log In a portent of things to come, the ACL Crew were giving back every run scored in the early going. A 1-0 early lead was immediately 1-1. A 2-1 deficit was tied immediately 2-2 in the following frame only to be squandered in that same inning when LHP Osbriel Mogollon came on in relief and struggled finding the plate and conceded three runs of his own. It's been that kind of run for the ACL Crew of late. Going a tad further discussing Mogollon - one of the surprising darlings of the Brewers 2022 DSL season - we see his 2023 jump to the ACL has had its challenges. A three run, three walk, blow-up initial inning of work tonight will do no favors for his WHIP or his BB:K ratio. And, sadly, it got worse from there as Mogollon was hit hard to start his second inning of work. In total, his final line was 1 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 0 K, 6 ER. There was ample reason for continued optimism before tonights uncharacteristic output so we'll just have to continue monitoring his outings ahead. Rehabbing LHP Justin Wilson appears to have pitched well in his inning of work - hey a rare pitching highlight! Aside from allowing a one-out solo home run, he K'd the side swinging. Hopefully he can keep building up his arm as he works his way toward higher level rehab outings down the road. Wilson could very much be a wild card in the Brewers bullpen depth chart. In a game that featured 26 total runs by the fifth inning, there are bound to be some offensive highlights. You are best served to scan the box score. Highlights include rehabbing OF Hendry Mendez and his 4-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI line. Surging INF Dylan O'Rae finished another fine evening with a 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, and 1 K line while grabbing his 14th stolen base as well. And, rehabbing OF Luis Castillo went 2-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, and 1 BB. All good things. We greatly thank INF/OF Miguel Briceno for his scoreless inning of work on the hill. That's right, the lone scoreless outing came from the hand of a field player. The ACL Crew have now lost six straight and fall to 9-8 overall - 1/2 game back of the now first place 9-7 Reds. Final: DSL Dodgers Mega 13, DSL Brewers #1 7 Box Score/Game Log The Brewers Uno actually led this game 7-6 heading into the ninth and final frame. And, well, it pretty much all fell apart at the hands of 16-year-old Nicaraguan RHP Saul Sanchez and 17-year-old Dominican RHP Oliver Camilo. Walks, wild pitches, singles, and a three-run homer for good measure. And, to be absolutely fair to these young arms, one has to wonder what might have been had INF Gery Holguin (who had a break-out game at the plate) not committed a throwing error to start the frame. Before that mini meltdown, however, the Brewers Uno had been playing a highly competitive game. They held a 3-1 lead after the fifth frame. They reclaimed a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth. It was a see-saw affair before the top blew off. Like his cohort on the Brewers #2 (discussed below) RHP Jesus Flores, one can't but lament 17-year-old Nicaraguan RHP Enniel Cortez wasn't dealt a better hand. Cortez appears to have been superb - 4 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 6 K. Cortez definitely remains one to watch moving forward - 4 GS, 18 2/3 IP, 16 H, 2 HB, 2 BB, 22 K, 5 ER. An extremely intriguing young arm. Offensively, the Brewers Uno were quite productive with the lumber (12 total hits) but, they lacked the execution - 4-for-14 with RISP. Circling back to Holguin, I couldn't have put it better than @damuelle who once again added flavor to our game thread: Also of note within the box score, OF Yophery Rodriguez and his 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 3B, 1 BB, 2 K. He continues to flirt with a meaningful break-out of extended production. INF Luiyin Alastre was the lone remaining multi-hit batter with a 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 BB performance. With the loss, the DSL Brewers #1 fell to 10-7 overall and remain in second place. They trail the first place Dodgers Bautista by seven games in the DSL North League. Final: DSL Dodgers Bautista 8, DSL Brewers #2 4 Box Score/Game Log Let's flip the script. Unlike the late Brewers Uno lead above, the Brewers Dos were trailing 8-0 heading into the eighth frame. After plating three runs with two outs, the Dos still had runners on second and third before C Estefano Lozano struck out to end the threat. A lone OF Christopher Vazquez solo shot in the ninth (his third of 2023) was the last gasp of a failed comeback bid. The Dos fell to three games under 0.500 at 7-10. Speaking of Vazquez, our cohort @damuelle again adeptly pointed out: at 17 years of age he certainly isn't getting the lion's share of playing time, but, you'd be hard pressed to find a more opportunistic bat amongst the DSL Cerveceros outfielders. In just 18 total trips to the plate, Vazquez has six XBH's - 3 2B and 3 HR. That's a wily 0.400 BA and 1.700 OPS. I'd personally love to see this young man get some more opportunity. The final score was a real shame for starting pitcher, 18-year-old Venezuelan RHP Jesus Flores, who appears to have dealt some very fine work in 4 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 R (unearned), 7 K. This was far and away, Flores' best outing of 2023 and it came against, perhaps, the most worthy DSL foe of 2023. We certainly hope for more outings like this in the games ahead. Of the eight total runs allowed by the greater pitching staff, only three were earned - the young Brewers Dos committed five errors on the day. That's not going to help your cause on most nights and it certainly did little to boost the outcome favorably today. There are encouraging signs within Brewers Dos offensive box score - I encourage you to take a look. This certainly feels like a game where sloppy defense allowed a very good team just enough opportunities to surge to an insurmountable lead. Hopefully, the young Brewers Dos will fare better their next time on the diamond. We are back to our full slate of evening affiliated games. We'll have five games total on tap as the ACL Crew will look to stop their ongoing skid versus the ACL Reds once again. I don't know about you, but starting the week 0-6 has me looking forward to a victory. I'm going with the unexpected: RHP Cameron Wagoner is going to shutdown Quad Cities with his best outing of 2023. We can only go up from here. 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 scoresCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and DepthCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

I had completely forgotten we had signed LHP Justin Wilson. Well, how about that. Well, that would be a fun mystery card if he is indeed able to stay healthy through rehab and can show his former stuff.

Two close games unfortunately turned in a hurry and all three rookie squads succumbed to a serious case of the Monday Blues. As always, there are still nuggets to polish in the game logs and performances to illustrate. Let's get into the report! Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic Transactions: OF Hendry Mendez was assigned to the ACL Brewers to begin a rehab assignment OF Luis Castillo was assigned to the ACL Brewers to begin a rehab assignment C/1B Tayden Hall was assigned to the ACL Brewers to begin a rehab assignment INF Beyker Pastran was released by the ACL Brewers Highlights from the Week that Was: The accolades and the recognition keeps pouring in for INF Tyler Black - and, rightfully so. Let's skip down to Zebulon and recognize two very worthy young men for their ongoing stellar play - INF Gregory Barrios and OF Luis Laras, respectively: The future is indeed very very bright and filled with intrigue within the ongoing DSL pipeline. Final: ACL Dodgers 4, ACL Brewers 1Box Score/Game Log I don't know about you but I'm just about sick and tired of our DSL and ACL squads losing to the Dodgers. Yeesh! That's now five straight losses to the Dodgers clubs by my watch. This was actually a 1-1 game headed into the top of the seventh frame when talented young lefty Anferrny Reyes, gave up a long ball and then appears to have lost all control. The game logs read: HR, ground out, walk, wild pitch, wild pitch, walk, wild pitch, walk, pitching change. Yikes. Of the young men sent on rehab (listed above), it would appear, at face value, C/1B Tayden Hall had a nice first outing - 1-for-1, 1 BB, 0 K. INF Dylan O'Rae continues to build and build after a sluggish start - 2-for-3, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 SB (13th SB overall). The lone remaining offensive highlight is the ongoing superb output of C Edgardo Ordonez. He hit his first long ball of his ACL season tonight and finished with a 1-for-1, 2 BB, 1 HR final line. Ordonez pushed his season OPS to the 1.114 mark in the process - yet another catcher to track. This is a lefty bat at the catcher position we would be wise to continue monitoring given his very solid consecutive years in the DSL. On the pitching side, RHP Yorman Galindez deserved better after 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R (unearned), 3 BB, 4 K. And, we can thank RHP Gerson Caladzilla for cleaning up Reyes' mess and giving his squad an opportunity to attempt a comeback - 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K, 0 ER. The ACL Crew fall to 9-7 - they have lost five straight games by a combined nine runs. Final: DSL Braves 10, DSL Brewers #1 2 Box Score/Game Log The DSL Cerveceros Uno did manage to 'jump' out to a 1-0 lead in the first frame. And, well, it was pretty much all downhill from there. 17-year old high-priced 2023 International Free Agent signing SS Kevin Ereu was back atop the lineup after missing the past two weeks. He led off the game with a two-bagger and ultimately scored on a wild pitch. Hence, that early 1-0 lead. However, when you glean a basic box score and see the Cerveceros Dos were 0-for-6 with RISP to the Braves 7-for-22 mark you can quite simply make the conclusion: this wasn't their day. Looking deeper, we see four errors committed by the young Uno. We see the pitchers - Venezuelan RHP Anthony Flores the worst for wear - allowed 16 H, 6 BB, 6 K, and 8-of-10 ER. One word applies here: shellacking. After Ereu, offensive highlights included aspiring German catcher Yannic Walther's two walks and INF Joan Gutierrez's SB. That pretty much sums it up, folks. Final: DSL Phillies White 9, DSL Brewers #2 7 Box Score/Game Log The Cerveceros Dos led this contest 3-0 heading into the sixth inning. That quickly changed. RHP Bryan Rivera had a stellar outing going until that fateful inning - his final line of 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 HR, 4 ER, 6 K tells a different story, sadly. Four of the five hits came in his sixth and final inning - including a two-run homer. It simply wasn't to be. The DSL Dos showed some fight, however - they fought back immediately when they scored three tying runs of their own in the bottom half of the same inning. Unfortunately, the Brewers #2 were outscored 3-1 in the final three frames. Ultimately, the young men will likely look to their 4-for-13 mark with RISP as the deciding factor. After scoring their seventh run, and trailing 9-7, in the bottom of the eighth the Dos had men on first and second base with two down. C Erik Martinez struck out for the third time and the threat was over. That was the last scoring opportunity the young men had as they finished their ninth inning with three consecutive ground outs. OF Ramon Moreno continues to catch my eye with his ongoing healthy BB:K ratio and 4-of-10 hits being XBH's. He hit his second long ball of his 2023 season and plated three runs in the process. There are several intriguing and ongoing offensive storylines for the young Brewers Dos, however - check the box score. The young ballers fall to two games under 0.500 at 7-9 overall. In order to give every MiLB affiliate an opportunity for a July 3rd or July 4th Fireworks Night attendance boon, the next usual six-game series are delayed by one day to a Wednesday-thru-Monday schedule. As such, we'll have only another three rookie complex games on Tuesday.Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scoresCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and DepthCurrent Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View full article

With a name like 'Beyker', I really expected him to rise up. 😬 (No need, Sir. I'll see myself out.)

We can all breathe a deep sigh of relief. No fracture. Nothing surrious. Whew baby:

You can see the path here. That's a very hard hit foul ball directly to the path of his right knee cap on an inside cutter. Good grief. Let's get a break for once, hey? Just a bruise. Just a big bone bruise.

Oh goodness, that Felick foul ball was driectly to his right kneecap. Come on, now. This is silly. Please, be OK, Sal. We're rooting for you.