By Scott Barancik, Editor
Here are your minor-league highlights from the week of April 24-30, 2017:
Jewish Baseball News Hitter of the Week: Garrett Stubbs
- C Garrett Stubbs (Astros/AA) played only three games this season before going onto the disabled list, but he returned with a vengeance last week. The 23-year-old USC alum hit .455 (10-for-22), including 3 HRs and 5 RBIs on April 29-30 alone. Stubbs also walked twice and stole a base.
Jewish Baseball News Pitcher of the Week: Richard Bleier
- P Richard Bleier (Orioles/AAA) pitched two perfect relief outings after coming off the disabled list last week, striking out 3 batters over a combined 2.1 innings on April 27-28. The performance helped convince the Orioles to call him up on April 30.
Other highlights
- LF Jake Thomas (Blue Jays/A) continues to get on base in remarkable fashion. The 23-year-old SUNY-Binghamtom alum hit .385 (5-for-13) while drawing 8 walks and driving in 3 runs. Thomas leads the Midwest League with 20 walks (against 10 strikeouts) and a .532 on-base percentage in just 39 at-bats.
- C Michael Barash (Angels/High-A), a 2016 draftee, hit .300 last week (6-for-20) with a double, 3 RBIs and 3 walks.
- P Gabe Cramer (Royals/High-A) threw two scoreless innings in his 2017 debut on April 27. It was his first time pitching at the High-A level.
- P Max Fried (Braves/AA) was almost untouchable in an April 25 start, yielding just one hit and one walk over 7 innings while striking out 6.
- P Matthew Gorst (Red Sox/A) had his best relief outing of the season April 7, pitching 2 no-hit innings while striking out 3 and walking one.
Transactions
- 1B Nate Freiman, a former Major Leaguer and Team Israel alum, has left the independent Long Island Ducks to play for the Mexican League’s Pericos de Puebla.
- P Richard Bleier was called-up by the Baltimore Orioles.
- P Jeremy Bleich signed a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who assigned him to the franchise’s Triple-A club.
- P Gabe Cramer was assigned to the Kansas City Royals’ High-A club, the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
- C Adam Sonabend (Giants/AA) was placed on the disabled list.
- P Brandon Gold (Rockies/A) was placed on the disabled list.
- C Steven Pollakov, a former minor-leaguer, signed with the independent Joliet Slammers.
Free agents
- Players actively seeking employment include former major leaguer Sam Fuld and minor leaguers Michael Fagan, Alec Grosser, Henry Hirsch, Raul Jacobson and Zack Thornton.
Disabled list
- P Brandon Gold (Rockies/A).
- P Jon Moscot (Reds/AAA). Elbow.
- P Zack Weiss (Reds/AA). Elbow.
- P Jake Drossner (Brewers/A).
- P Rob Kaminsky (Indians/AA).
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