Jim Goulart

From Brevard: OF Miguel Velazquez has been activated from the disabled list. He will be active tonight against Daytona. Manatees' roster back to the 25-man active limit. (Jimmy Nelson's actual move off the Brevard roster isn't official until Wednesday, so expect more activity then.)

No captions, but hey, it's baseball in Montana. Meanwhile in Maryvale, little has changed -- must get used to it, newcomers.

Catching up on Nashville video: Corey Patterson leads off the seventh with his second double of the game in the Sounds' 3-2 win over Iowa (Saturday's nightcap) Veteran big leaguer Jay Gibbons hits a go-ahead home run for Nashville in the same game (eventual winning run) Patterson swipes second base in the Sounds' 14-3 loss to the Iowa Cubs Sunday

MiLB.com's Southern League Transactions Page indicates INF Matt Cline has been suspended; he had been ejected (along with RHP Tyler Thornburg and UT Juan Sanchez) from the brawl game in Mobile earlier this week. No word on the length of suspension. While it seems Juan Sanchez might have avoided suspension for now, it's possible his may kick in after Cline's expires. But for now, we'll assume it's Cline only. It's been a miserable 2012 for the 26-year-old Cline (.410 OPS).

Nashville Media Notes BIG WILY STYLE: Right-hander Wily Peralta -- the Brewers’ top prospect -- carries a 2.53 ground out to air out ratio, tops among PCL starting pitchers (Las Vegas’ Aaron Laffey is 2nd at 2.05). The big right-hander has logged only one victory in 12 starts this season, however, and enters tonight’s contest on a personal five-game losing streak. Peralta tossed his team-leading fifth quality start of the year in his last outing on Thursday at Iowa, departing with a 4-3 lead before a late blown save left him with a no-decision in a 5-4 loss.

To see tweets as to when the Link Report has been technically "completed" with available links, as well as to know when the new day's Report has been posted, please follow @Mass_Haas on Twitter.

STANDINGS: AAA - Pacific Coast League American Northern Division AA - Southern League North Division High-A - Florida State League North Division A - Midwest League Western Division DSL - Dominican Summer League San Pedro de Macoris

Follow Tuesday's action as it happens with box score / game log links: Nashville Brevard County Wisconsin DSL Brewers

Tuesday's Daily Menu: All times are Central Nashville: RHP Wily Peralta at Memphis (Cardinals), 6:50 PM pre-game, 7:05 gametime Free Live Audio Link Jeff Hem is the new play-by-play voice of the Sounds; follow him on Twitter @jeffhempbp; we'll link to his blog updates at On the Air…and Off MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; all Nashville games, home and away, will be available to watch via MiLB.TV's $39.99 season-long package ($9.99 to pay for a single month). We imagine the audio feed is from the home team. All MiLB.TV details available at the link. ********** Huntsville: Idle ********** Brevard County: RHP Brooks Hall at home vs. Daytona (Cubs), 5:35 PM gametime Free Live Audio Link -- Select the Daytona feed from the MiLB main audio page Once again this season, Brevard does not have its own audio coverage. It appears two teams in the Manatees North Division (within which the majority of games are played) have audio, and all six teams in the South Division have audio (at least for their home games), so there will be opportunities to listen to approx. 70% or Brevard's games this season, just all from the opponent's perspective. There are no Florida State League games on MiLB.TV this year. ********** Wisconsin: LHP Will West at Clinton (Mariners), 6:40 PM pre-game, 7:00 gametime; expect RHP Jacob Barnes to be the tandem Free Live Audio Link - 1280 AM WNAM Chris Mehring is back to do his customary fantastic work as the Voice of the Rattlers. Follow him on Twitter @CMehring; we'll link to Chris' infamous blog often -- Rattler Radio. MiLB.TV -- for subscribers; Wisconsin is one of only two (Great Lakes) Midwest League clubs that have all their home games available via MiLB.TV; Chris' call provides the audio. So for the $39.95 season-long package, fans in Brewer Nation can watch all Sounds games, all Timber Rattlers home games, and 24 Stars' road games (one Helena series this summer, too). ********** DSL Brewers: at home vs. the DSL Braves, 9:30 AM, although game data won't be available until late afternoon at the earliest

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Brewers pick Torrance's Taylor in second round Joseph Snyder, South Bay Sports Examiner Through his four years with Torrance High's baseball team, center fielder Tyrone Taylor has compiled numerous outstanding statistics. His outstanding achievements with the Tartars, the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code team over last summer and traveling teams enabled the Brewers to pick Taylor in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft last week. He was the 92nd pick overall. Over this past season, Taylor stood out, batting .488 with four home runs, 29 runs batted in, 28 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. In the previous three seasons, Taylor was a big spark in keying the Tartars to the CIF-Southern Section Division IV finals in the 2009 and 2010 seasons as a freshman and sophomore, in order, and last year to the Division IV semifinals. Taylor was an all-CIF selection in each of the past two seasons and is expected to get it, again, this year. Taylor was the South Bay Player of the Year by the Daily Breeze in his junior season last year, but, due to Torrance's rebuilding year that saw the Tartars only barely make the playoffs as a third place team, behind champion El Segundo and second place North Torrance, in the close Pioneer League race, that award went to North Torrance pitcher-first baseman Dalton Erb. Erb, also a senior, did not get drafted and will play at El Camino College next season. Torrance lost in the first round of the Division IV playoffs. Taylor signed at Cal State Fullerton last year, a college he was wanting to play baseball for since he was playing in the Torrance Little League. Despite being drafted in the second round, Taylor is still undecided on if he will sign with the Brewers or play at Cal State Fullerton. He is expected to get a good offer but how much remains to be seen. "It will be a tough decision," Taylor said about weighing the Brewers and the Titans. "It feels great to be drafted in the second round. I hope to be in the Majors in the next few years." Taylor, overall, is ranked one of the top male athletes in the South Bay. He also played football as a running back and keyed Torrance to one of its best seasons in the school's 95-year history. He rushed for 1,521 yards and 20 touchdowns and caught 11 passes for TD's. He was one of the biggest factors in the Tartars tying cross town rival South Torrance for the Pioneer crown and making the CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division semifinals where they lost to eventual champion Lompoc, 56-21. Torrance High standout Tyrone Taylor was chosen in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers Photo credit: Joseph Snyder http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/large_lightbox/hash/1d/c5/1339481799_4291_221.jpg

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers edge Beloit Snappers on Yadiel Rivera's game winner by Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent staff writer GRAND CHUTE — Yadiel Rivera was a little disappointed that his teammates didn’t douse him with water or shaving cream to celebrate his walk-off home run Sunday. They didn’t miss that opportunity, or Rivera’s face, when he became the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ hitting hero for the second consecutive day. Less than 24 hours after beating Beloit with a three-run blast in the bottom of the 10th, Rivera delivered another game-winning hit Monday afternoon. The slick-fielding shortstop drilled a one-out walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Timber Rattlers to a dramatic 8-7 Midwest League Western Division win over the visiting Snappers. His reward? A traditional shaving cream pie shoved in his face by teammate Carlos George. “I was kind of looking over my shoulder for water or something like that Sunday and it never happened,” said Rivera in a postgame interview with shaving cream still in his hair. “Feels great. That’s the first time that’s ever happened to me. Carlos and the guys got me pretty good.” And Rivera got the Snappers pretty good. He collected three hits, including an RBI triple earlier in the game, to lead a 12-hit Wisconsin attack and help Wisconsin sweep the series from Beloit. The 20-year-old Rivera is the top-rated Milwaukee Brewers prospect (15th by Baseball America) on the Timber Rattlers roster. He is an outstanding defensive shortstop with good range and a strong, accurate arm. Rivera’s future in the Brewers organization will likely be determined by how well he handles the bat. Even with his two consecutive walk-off hits, Rivera is hitting only .239 after batting just .194 in 103 at-bats with the Rattlers last season. However, the 6-foot-3, 186-pound Rivera has clearly made progress at the plate and shown impressive power. He is second on the team in homers (seven) and third in RBI (30). “There’s some obvious development going on with him,” said Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson. “He’s a talented kid and we’re just trying to put him in as many situations as possible so he can learn and get better. He’s been in some tough situations the last two days and has come through with the big hit. “A lot of this game is played between the ears. And when you’re confident and talented, a lot of good things happen. He’s a confident kid right now.” Rivera is an aggressive hitter, and Erickson and hitting coaching Dusty Rhodes have been urging him to be more patient at the plate. He has walked just seven times — second-lowest among Wisconsin regulars — and struck out 53 times, the second highest on the team. “There’s been some times this season when he’s swinging at everything out of the pitcher’s hand,” said Erickson. “The last few days, he’s been laying off on some pitches. He had one at-bat where he took four pitches in a row and I don’t know if he’s done that all season. “He’s got some power, but sometimes he has to fight that because he’ll hit a home run and then try and yank and pull everything.” A native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Rivera was the Brewers’ ninth-round pick in the 2010 major league draft. In 2011, Baseball America rated him as the best defensive infielder in the Brewers organization and the player with the best throwing arm. He has just seven errors this season and a fielding percentage of .971. “He’s got a really good internal clock,” said Erickson. “That’s something you can’t really teach. He understands the pace of the game. He knows when he has to be quick and when he has to be under control. What I’m impressed about him is that he used to rely a lot on his hands and not always get himself in good fielding position with his feet. This year, he’s working better with his feet and that really helps in making the routine plays. “I’m happy with his progression. He’s a happy-go-lucky kid and I enjoy his personality, You need to get on him sometimes, because there’s certain parts of the game he really likes and others he doesn’t like. But that’s my job.” Rivera was one of seven Timber Rattlers named to the Western Division team that will play in the Midwest League All-Star Game on June 19. “I feel a big difference right now at the plate,” said Rivera. “The routine I’m following every day is really working out.” With catcher Cameron Garfield socking a long two-run homer and third baseman Brandon Macias hitting a three-run blast, Wisconsin rallied from deficits of 6-2 and 7-4 to treat a home crowd of 2,228 to another rousing comeback win. If the Timber Rattlers win any of their final six games or Beloit (36-28) drops another contest, Wisconsin (41-23) will win the Western Division title. Wisconsin clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2005 on Sunday. “Our pitching has been very good over the course of the season and one of the biggest things is this team takes care of the ball,” said Erickson. “We’ve gone seven or eight games now without an error. What I really liked today is that there was no sense of panic. Even when we were down 6-2, everyone knew we had a chance to get right back into this game.”

More on Shelby Miller's rough night against the Sounds *** The Stars were eliminated from the first-half playoff chase -- ugly seven-game losing streak. STARS SWEPT IN DOUBLEHEADER, SERIES BY BAYBEARS MOBILE, Ala. - Following being swept in a doubleheader on Saturday, the Huntsville Stars (33-32) lost both games of a doubleheader to the Mobile BayBears (38-27) to cap off their series at Hank Aaron Stadium on Monday night. In a game one, it was the Stars that broke out to the early lead. In the second inning, Huntsville was able to get to BayBears starting pitcher, David Holmberg, who was making his Double-A debut. After an RBI double by catcher Adam Weisenburger plated right fielder Kentrail Davis, Stars starting pitcher Kyle Heckathorn helped out his own cause with an RBI single to make the score 2-0. In the next at-bat, Josh Prince crushed his third home run of the season over the left field wall to give the Stars a 4-0 lead. To the dismay of the Stars, the lead would not last. Following another RBI single from Weisenburger that made the score 5-0, Mobile came through with five runs in the sixth inning off of Stars relievers Brandon Kintzler and Jesus Sanchez to tie up the ballgame. Then, in the seventh inning, after Mobile right fielder Alfredo Marte doubled off of Sanchez to begin the inning, Marte was able to score the game-winning run without a ball being put in play. Stars reliever Mitch Stetter threw one wild pitch to advance Marte to third, and then threw another wild pitch to allow Marte to score to give Mobile the victory. In game two, it was Mobile that had a 1-0 lead despite being held to one hit over six innings by Stars starter Hiram Burgos going into the seventh inning. However, in the bottom of the seventh, following a lead-off single by first baseman Hunter Morris and a walk by Davis, left fielder Juan Sanchez came through with a two-out RBI single to drive in Morris and tie the game at one. Unfortunately for Huntsville, in the bottom of the eighth, a two-out, bases loaded RBI infield single by BayBears left fielder Dan Kaczrowski off of Stars LHP Dan Merklinger gave Mobile their second walk-off win of the night and the series sweep. For the Stars, the losses put them on the wrong side of a series sweep for the first time all season. Also, Huntsville has now lost a season-high seven consecutive games. This also puts the Stars out of playoff contention for a first-half championship. The Stars will return to Joe Davis Stadium on Wednesday to complete the first half of their Southern League schedule by welcoming the Montgomery Biscuits to town. First pitch is at 6:43 PM.

As noted in our Helena thread this AM, 20th round SS Mike Garza out of Georgetown has signed and is attending workouts in Montana.

Brewers back in town, eager to begin 2012 campaign By Amber Kuehn, Helena Independent Record College baseball has been over for a month now for Georgetown University’s Michael Garza and British Columbia’s David Otterman. So it’s no surprise that the recent Milwaukee Brewers draft picks were eager to get back on the field Monday. With Opening Day just a week away, 22 members of the 2012 edition of the Helena Brewers took to the field at Kindrick Legion Field for the season’s first workout. A handful of players fresh out of college were still awaiting their physicals; approximately 15 just wrapped up extended spring training less than a week ago in Arizona. After an introductory meeting in the clubhouse, the first day was to consist of conditioning, fielding ground balls, cage time and batting practice beneath sunny skies. Although he worked with two-thirds of the athletes at spring training, it was new manager Jeff Isom’s first look at many of the young men. “I remember my first few days, and it was a whirlwind,” said Isom, who played in the Pirates and Padres organizations and is back in Helena for the first time since managing Milwaukee’s rookie affiliate in 2007. “You’ve got physicals, paperwork, you don’t know anybody here — it’s not easy for these guys.” Otterman, who was selected in the seventh round of last week’s draft, said he had to look on Google Maps to see where Helena even was when he found out his destination. “It was a whirlwind of a week to put it lightly,” Otterman said. “The turnaround with the draft Tuesday, you have to let that sink in, then the next day I’m getting told by my scout that I’m flying out to Helena, Montana, on Sunday ... I’m certainly happy to be here now.” It’s a far cry from his home some 500 miles away in Coquitlam, British Columia, a 126,000-population suburb of Vancouver. “This is awesome. This is middle of summer where I come from,” Otterman said of Monday’s temperatures, in the high 60s. “(Helena’s) got a really good small-town feel I’m not used to.” It’s Garza’s first time in Montana, and although he’s mostly just seen the inside of the Red Lion Colonial Hotel — where he’s staying until hopefully placed with a host family — and the ballpark, he thinks it’s a place he could get used to. Garza wasn’t accustomed to the cooler temperatures when he went to Georgetown in Washington D.C. after growing up in San Antonio, Texas. It was 98 degrees when he flew out of Texas on Sunday, but he too was happy to be in Helena, anxious to jump start his professional baseball career. “Leading up to the draft is always stressful, you’re anxious about it and you anticipate certain things,” the 22-year-old infielder said. “Then once you finally hear your name called, it’s surreal. It’s exciting and it’s almost like a relief, too. “It’s always a dream come true, and I know it’s a cliche but that’s what it is. I don’t know what the percentage is, but I know there’s not very many kids that play when they’re younger and get this opportunity now.” Approximately 10 percent of senior NCAA baseball players get drafted, according to hsbaseballweb.com. “Motivation comes from within, and when you get the opportunity it’s just a blessing,” Garza said. Garza hopes that playing in the Cape Cod summer league last year has prepared him for the day-in, day-out grind that comes with an 80-plus game schedule with few days off. In that league, he said he played 40-50 straight games before getting a day off. The taxing schedule in professional baseball can often be the biggest adjustment for rookies after playing just four games a week in college. Garza was taken in the 20th round and said he had no expectation of where he would go while watching the draft with his family. “Whether you’re a first rounder or a 40th-rounder, once you get out here you’ve just gotta prove what you can do on the field,” he said. Unlike Garza, Otterman couldn’t even bring himself to watch the draft. He was out getting a cup of coffee when he got a call from the Philadelphia Phillies that they were going to try to take him with their next pick. By the time he arrived home, he was getting a call from his agent that the Brewers were interested, and Milwaukee drafted him just two picks later. He wasn’t overly surprised by the selection, since he worked out in Milwaukee in late May. “I thought I pitched well there so I knew I’d be on their radar, and I know how they like Canadian players, so I was hoping they’d take me,” he said. “They have a long history with Canadians.” After throwing 77 innings during the college season, the left-hander said the month off was probably much-needed rest. Still, he can’t wait to get throwing again. “I tried to treat it like a mini-offseason, working out a lot, training a lot, making sure my arm’s good to go for a whole other season,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll get even more innings here.” More players are expected to arrive in the Capital City throughout the week. So far, the roster consists of just two players who spent any time in Helena last summer: infielder Mike Nemeth and outfielder Ruben Ozuna. Opening Day is Monday at 7:05 p.m. (8:05 Central), with the Brewers hosting Great Falls.

Great job with the DSL, TLB, thanks! 18-year-old Marcos Padilla made his 2012 debut last night, and reached four times -- two singles, two walks, in five trips as the designated hitter. Last year Padilla made 11 relief appearances as a LHP, walking 17 and striking out eight in 21.2 IP. As a LH arm, he'll land in the OF eventually, although listed at 6'2", 175, he may see time at first base as well.

Nashville Audio: Jordan Brown Homer Jay Gibbons Home Run

Audio from Memphis — “Mondays with Mike “Guerrero” Jeff Hem's note -- Here is this week’s installment of “Mondays with Mike” with Sounds manager Mike Guerrero, who discusses the Sounds’ series in Iowa, the consecutive doubleheaders from Friday and Saturday, his impressions of Iowa first baseman and Cubs prospect Anthony Rizzo, his changing of the Sounds’ batting order with Logan Schafer batting 3rd and Caleb Gindl hitting lead-off and the team’s continued struggles to score runs.

VIDEO: PLAYER INTERVIEW - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' shortstop Yadiel Rivera on his game-winning hit Monday

BrewCrewBall -- An Interview With Brewers 12th Round Pick, Eric Semmelhack

Almonte has been on the DL since 5/25. Since that is four days prior to him learning of the failed test, it seems that the two are unrelated. If they were, it would have been a classy way for the Brewers to disguise his absence while the appeals process was in place.

MLB lifts drug ban for Brewers minor leaguer Shortstop Erick Almonte has become the second player in the Milwaukee Brewers organization to have a drug ban reversed, three months after Ryan Braun's suspension was lifted on appeal. Almonte, a minor league veteran for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds who played 16 games for the Brewers last year and has spent time in two seasons with the New York Yankees, revealed Monday to ESPNdeportesLosAngeles.com that a 50-game suspension had been lifted by Major League Baseball after a B sample came back negative. "From May 29 to June 7 my days were pretty hard," Almonte said of the time that spanned him learning of the initial decision and a ruling on his appeal. "After 17 years of doing things properly, a failed test nearly blew all that. "I'm planning to be a coach soon and a suspension for violating the drug program would have been fatal to those aspirations." Almonte, 34, underwent a routine urine exam on May 4 before a game with the Sounds at Albuquerque. Three weeks later, the Dominican received a letter from the office of commissioner Bud Selig in which he was informed he was being banned for amphetamine use and had three days to appeal. "I was in shock. I could not believe it. I've never used drugs and would not start to use them in what will likely be my last season as a player in the United States," said Almonte, who played in 39 games for the Yankees in 2001 and 2003. "I called the MLBPA, but they basically told me that could only help players on 40-players rosters or active major league roster. I was alone in the matter." With the help of his agent, Hector Faney, and a $200 payment, Almonte started the appeal process. In late February, Braun became the first player to win an appeal to the MLB's drug-testing program. But the statistics were against Almonte: Since 2005, there have been more than 460 suspensions -- including 47 in 2012 -- for violating the anti-drug program in the minor leagues, and even though winning appeals are unannounced, the chances of reversing a sanction were almost nill. "Several people linked to the process told me that no one had won an appeal this year and few did from the inception of the program," Almonte said. "I was hundred percent sure that I have never used pills or drugs in 17 years of professional baseball," he added. After reviewing the medical record of Almonte and examining the B sample test, Major League Baseball sent a second letter to the player's handler in which he was informed he hadn't violated the anti-doping program and that his name would not be stored in the Baseball Electronic Information System. The letter, a copy of which was provided to ESPNdeportesLosAngeles.com, also warned Almonte that in the future he could be tested more frequently than what is recommended by the program. "I think of all the boys who have gone through the process and were possibly unfairly punished for not knowing the system, with no support, not knowing the language and even for not having the $200 to start the appeal," said Almonte, who is batting .203 in a limited role with Nashville. "Many of the boys in Class A earn only $500 every two weeks and cannot pay $200 for an appeal," he added. "I think we need to improve the assistance given to the boys in those cases."

Nashville Media Notes The Sounds are winless in road series openers this season (0-9).

Brewers select Mayville State pitcher Nick Anderson in MLB draft By Greg DeVillers / Fargo-Moorhead (ND) Forum via the Grand Forks Herald MAYVILLE, N.D. – Nick Anderson had his own baseball backup plan. The right-handed pitcher completed his college eligibility at Mayville State last month. He had professional baseball aspirations. If Major League Baseball organizations showed no interest in him, Anderson planned to try out with independent teams such as the St. Paul Saints or Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. “I was looking at my options in case the draft didn’t work out,” the 21-year-old Anderson said. “You just never know what will happen. But I thought I had a shot at being taken in the draft.” That chance became reality Wednesday. On the third day of baseball’s amateur draft, the Milwaukee Brewers selected Anderson. He was selected in the 32nd round, the 995th player to be chosen in the three-day, 40-round draft. Now Anderson is waiting at his family’s home in Brainerd, Minn., for details to be worked out on a contract. As a senior and a low-round selection, Anderson doesn’t anticipate a big signing bonus. What he’s thankful for is the opportunity. “Being a senior, you don’t have any (negotiating) leverage,” Anderson said. “They offer you a contract and you can take it or leave it. I just want the opportunity to play. Then the sky can be the limit. “Milwaukee was the team that showed me the most attention. The week before the draft, they had me come to Milwaukee and throw in front of a lot of their scouts. I was hoping I was going to get picked up by them.” The draft is the start of Anderson’s pro career. It also capped a whirlwind road to the pros. After graduating from Brainerd in 2008, Anderson played at St. Cloud State for three years. Anderson said things didn’t work out for him in St. Cloud. So he decided to transfer to Mayville and reunite with Comets assistant Pete Pratt, who was the pitching coach during Anderson’s freshman and sophomore seasons. Mayville State coach Scott Berry estimates it’s been approximately 12 years since a Comets player last was selected in the Major League Baseball draft. He says he can’t remember the last time a Comet garnered the interest the pros showed in Anderson, a 6-foot-5, 190-pounder. This spring, Anderson had a 1.95 earned run average, striking out 70 batters in 60 innings while walking only nine. “That’s almost unheard of, a kid who throws that hard and pounds the strike zone like that,” Berry said. “He has the whole package — the highest I heard was he hit 96 (mph) on the radar gun, and he has a good curve and change to go with his outstanding fastball. He ranks up there with the best I’ve had. “It’s not a surprise Nick was drafted, not at all. When it comes to the draft, you never know what’s going to happen. But Nick is a very talented young man.” Scouts frequented Comets games when Anderson pitched. He occasionally saw the radar guns fixed on him. For the most part, however, Anderson was oblivious to the talent scouts. “I tried to block them out,” Anderson said. “I wanted to focus on the game. I get locked in when I’m out there. The mound is almost like a happy place for me. All you’re thinking about out there is the game, just throwing the ball.”

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