@NY – Shortstop Juan Lopez, who was injured on May 5th has been diagnosed with a broken elbow and will miss 4 to 5 months. For the season Lopez has hit .241 with 2 HR and 8 RBI in 58 plate appearance. The team has called up Vincente Delgado to cover in his absence.
Game time tonight is 6:05 and pairs RHP Bartolo Salazar (3-0, 4.24) against RHP Brit Bell (2-1, 4.91). John Benson will rejoin the team; Thomas Lee will go back down to AAA. A daily review of the waiver wire and trading block didn’t provide and inspiration to round out the team.
After thinking about it overnight, I calmed down and decided for the meantime to let Ortiz manage. He is a proven winner and knows what he is doing. But I will be watching…
Before I re engage Jacksonville and Long Beach in trade negotiations I decided to get a feel for the teams that are in a win now versus rebuilding mode.
@tligget – Cleveland right fielder Clyde Kelly leaves the game with a sore elbow, he will be day to day for a few days.
Rebuilding:
Boston, New York, Houston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento and San Francisco
Win Now
Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Mesa and Philadelphia
Cleveland
- ABL 1B – Desi Love (24/L/ 3* of 4*) – to date he is hitting .297 with 8 HR and 19 RBI – Allan Stephans wouldn’t be an upgrade for Cleveland
Indianapolis
- ABL 1B – Valentine Rodriguez (24/L/5*) – currently hitting .282 with 1 HR and 3 RBI in 71 at bats
@tligget – Columbus Catcher Logan Turner has left the game with an injury, diagnosis is pending
Mesa
- ABL 1B Octavio Lopes (28/R/1*) hitting .133 with 1 HR and 7 RBI. Their regular 1B Jose Garcia is sidelined for 2 to 3 months with a torn meniscus. This one has possibilities. I will have to take a look at their prospect list
Philadelphia
- ABL Curt Cannon – (31/S/2.5*) hitting .212 with 0 HR and 8 RBI. Another possibility.
I got Wesley on the phone and asked him to provide some feedback on Mesa and Philadelphia and potential prospects they may be willing to trade for ABL ready first basemen. He will have it for me first thing in the morning.
First pitch is only a couple of hours away, so I am going to head to the ballpark to watch some of the games and warm up.
@tligget – San Francisco’s Vetle Mikkelsen and Fernando Luna both leave the game win an injury, Mikkelsen’s injury is undiagnosed and Luna is day to day with a tired arm.
Game Time
Through three innings we are leading Tampa 1 to 0, B. Salazar has pitched three innings allowing three hits.
@tligget – Richie Pope (BOS) leaves the game with a strained hamstring and will miss three months.
David Chamings leaves the game in the fourth inning with an injury, diagnosis is pending….
@tigget – Philadelphia 3rd basemen Goitom Chatuluka is out for 1 to 2 weeks with strained quadriceps
Through 6 inning we are down 4 to 1, Salazar allowed a three run home run and another run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
@pgraves – through 7 innings Jacksonvilles Sadayoshi has pitched 6 no hit innings.
@tligget – Garry Parrson’s New York Middle reliever left the game with shoulder soreness and he will be day to day for 3 days.
Salazar pitched through 8 inning and 120 pitches, J. Tavares has come in to pitch in the bottom of the 8 inning. Kouno hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough. Mallards fall to Tampa 4 to 2.
Mallards drop another, lose 4 to 2 to Tampa
By Rick Featherstone
Mallards continue their slide falling 4 to 2 to Tampa. For the month of May they are 1-7. Bartolo Salazar took his first loss of the year by allowing four runs in the sixth inning. A larger concern is the loss of center fielder David Chamings to an undiagnosed injury. With the loss the Mallards fall 4 games out of first place in the NL Central.
