I’m pinch-hitting for Luke on the minor league coverage for the next few days, but, since I’m not the pro that he is, you’ll have to make due with a mini Minor League Daily. I’ll hook you up even on a Saturday, and even on the Fourth of July, though – so that’s something!
Kyle Schwarber had some issues behind the plate – a couple stolen bases allowed, an error, and a passed ball – but he did what he does at the plate, going 4-4 with a double and a walk. He’s now hitting .375/.419/.625 at Iowa.
Jorge Soler played the whole way in right field, going 1-3 with a couple walks.
— Tennessee Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) July 4, 2015
Reinaldo Almora, Jr. (that’s how Albert is listed in the box score now) had a couple doubles in this one.
Dan Vogelbach left this one early after reaching base, so hopefully it’s not an injury. He missed time earlier this year with a hamstring issue.
Jacob Hannemann made another spectacular catch in the outfield, something he does pretty much every day at this point:
We’ll probably have to keep the killer defensive duo in the Tennessee outfield in mind when evaluating pitcher performance there this year. They probably cut down a whole lot of hits. It’s a bummer that neither Hannemann nor Almora is having much of a breakout offensively, though. Because the gloves are legit.
Jeimer Candelario is faring much better in his second go at High-A (recall, last year it sure seemed like a bit of a BABIP fluke). He had a bases-clearing triple last night, and he’s up to .273/.324/.423. He’s still just 21, by the way.
Mark Zagunis won Player of the Month honors for June from the Cubs, and then went 1-3 with a walk in this one.
As you observe the continued multi-inning reliever trend by the Cubs, keep an eye on James Pugliese, a guy we talked a fair bit about last year when he carved up Low-A in that role. The 22-year-old righty threw three scoreless in this one, allowing only three hits and striking out three, dropping his ERA to 1.61. He has 36 Ks in 44.2 innings, and just 9 BBs.
Jen-Ho Tseng had his best outing in a while, going 5 scoreless, giving up 3 hits and 3 walks, but striking out 6. After his breakout at Low-A last year, the 20-year-old righty has apparently found the sledding at High-A a little more difficult. Some scouts warned that his huge numbers were due to his polish against inferior competition – now we’ll see if he can tighten up the command even more, get a slight tick in his velocity, and sharpen up the stuff. That’s the only way he’s going to remain a relevant starting pitching prospect long-term. The good news is that he’s still so young.
How about this? The Cubs trailed 6-0 in the 8th inning before putting up a 6-spot to tie it. That’s awesome.
Gleyber Torres had a couple doubles and a walk because of course he did. #Stud
Jake Stinnett continued his strange year with just one strikeout over seven innings. I call it strange because I saw this guy in Spring Training, and I have a hard time understanding how a dude with his stuff doesn’t miss more bats. I guess it’s a command issue – he’s got 44 Ks in 63.0 innings, but 36(!) BBs. He should still be on your radar for a future breakout, though, as he was relatively new to pitching full-time in his latter two years of college.
21-year-old Dominican outfielder Robert Garcia, who is playing in the States for the first time, had four hits and is raking through 10 game.
Also raking is 18-year-old Venezuelan third baseman Wladimir Galindo: .350/.391/.575. He was quietly a big signing for the Cubs in the blowout 2013 class; because he wasn’t eligible to sign until November of that year, he didn’t get as much attention as the Jimenez/Torres/Tseng crew, but he’s legit.
Speaking of big international signings, Mark Malave was one of the Cubs’ biggest back in 2011, but he’s now been converted to pitching and is working his way back up the ladder. He struck out five over two innings in this one, so that’s good.
Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here.
Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.
Well, it wasn't easy and it wasn't pretty, but at least they didn't make us sweat it out for long. Heading into the ninth inning of a tie game against the White Sox at Wrigley Field, Mike Tauchman (a.k.a. The...
Well, okay. LOL. The Cubs didn't so much win that game as the White Sox lost it. How do I mean? Well, the first five Cubs runs scored without so much as a hit. And the sixth was a broken...
James Triantos must've been miffed that Baseball America left him off their top-100 prospect rankings when the list was updated earlier today. Because tonight, in his first game since May 29 (I didn't even realize he was out to be...
CUBS LINEUP — Well, the Cubs pulled one out of their hat to take the opener against the White Sox last night. Now it's time to finish the job/sweep. Here's a look at the Cubs lineup for the short-series finale...
Fan voting for the starters in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game opened up this afternoon, which means you can vote for your favorite Chicago Cubs and/or other players, should you feel they are deserving of your support. https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1798423694425113082 Such as...
When Keith Law refreshed his top-50 prospect rankings earlier this week, the Cubs found themselves with a new top prospect overall, Matt Shaw. Though that's mostly because Pete Crow-Armstrong graduated from the rankings, and not because Shaw surpassed him. In...
It's been a little bit since that crazy Brennen Davis homer binge in mid-May, so I thought we'd all enjoy seeing that Davis hit his first homer in a couple weeks this afternoon. The future is still hazy for the...
Well, it's still early, but you can probably mark today as the official start of the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline rumor season. Why? Because Jeff Passan's first deadline preview has dropped and it is LOADED with tea. Broadly speaking, Passan...
The dramatic win last night notwithstanding, it has been a really, really, really rough stretch for the Chicago Cubs. After peaking in late-April at the top of the NL Central standings, the Cubs have gone 12-20 to fall 6.0 games...
As if the Yankees couldn't be more scary for opposing teams, they're on the verge of staff ace Gerrit Cole returning to the starting rotation. That and more in today's MLB Notes. Gerrit Cole Making His Way Back Cole hit...
The Seattle Mariners (35-27), led by Ty France, visit JJ Bleday and the Oakland Athletics (24-38) on Thursday at 3:37 PM ET.The article below will give you everything you need to watch Seattle take on Oakland.When is Mariners vs. Athletics...
In a series opener on Thursday, Randy Vasquez will start for the San Diego Padres (32-32) against Slade Cecconi and the Arizona Diamondbacks (29-33), with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at PETCO Park.Keep reading to find out all...
Well, it wasn't easy and it wasn't pretty, but at least they didn't make us sweat it out for long. Heading into the ninth inning of a tie game against the White Sox at Wrigley Field, Mike Tauchman (a.k.a. The...
The St. Louis Cardinals are hosting the Colorado Rockies for a four-game series, with the action getting underway at 7:45 PM ET on Thursday, June 6.Cardinals vs. Rockies Series Info Rockies @ Cardinals Time: Thursday, June 6 at 7:45 PM...
The San Diego Padres will be hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks for a four-game series, with the first matchup getting underway at 9:40 PM ET on Thursday, June 6.Padres vs. Diamondbacks Series Info Diamondbacks @ Padres Time: Thursday, June 6 at...
In the first of a four-game series, on Thursday, June 6 at 8:10 PM ET, the Chicago White Sox are hosting the Boston Red Sox.White Sox vs. Red Sox Series Info Red Sox @ White Sox Time: Thursday, June 6...
The Kansas City Royals (36-26) will visit the Cleveland Guardians (40-20), in the final game of a two-game series, Thursday at 1:10 PM ET.Want to see who's in and who's out for the Guardians and the Royals? Read on to...
Tanner Houck will take the mound for the Boston Red Sox (31-31) when they visit starting pitcher Jake Woodford and the Chicago White Sox (15-46) in a series opener on Thursday, with first pitch at 8:10 PM ET.If you're planning...
Hunter Greene takes the ball for the Cincinnati Reds (29-33) when they host starting pitcher Javier Assad and the Chicago Cubs (30-31) at 7:10 PM ET on Thursday.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know to...
Looking for a series sweep, Juan Soto and the New York Yankees (43-19) face the Minnesota Twins (33-27) on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM ET.Keep reading to find out all the details on how...
NEWSLETTER
I’m pinch-hitting for Luke on the minor league coverage for the next few days, but, since I’m not the pro that he is, you’ll have to make due with a mini Minor League Daily. I’ll hook you up even on a Saturday, and even on the Fourth of July, though – so that’s something!
