Yankees MILB 5/14: Agustin Ramirez Overshadows Jasson Dominguez’s Return

News:

OF Jasson Dominguez and IF Jorbit Vivas began their rehab stints in Tampa today. RHP Tommy Kahnle‘s rehab was moved up to Somerset today.

The unfortunate side of the minors is that players must be cut occasionally. The Yankees cut Tayler Aguilar, Kelvin Espino and Spencer HensonAguilar, their 15th-round pick in 2022, couldn’t find his bat in 117 games. Like many prospects, Espino couldn’t get past the rookie league hurdle. Henson showed some pop (32 HR in 750 career plate appearances) but dealt with some injuries.

Here is hoping that they all find jobs in other organizations.

Scranton (27-12) (Lost to Worcester, 8-4)

2B Caleb Durbin1-for-5, 2B (14), RBI, 2 K
Durbin has only two 2-K games this season (he had one last year). He has 14 doubles in 39 games (17 in 69 games last year)
RF Everson Pereira: 3-for-5, HR (10), RBI, RS, K
Pereira’s second 3-hit game this season. He is hitting .266/.344/.538.
1B T.J. Rumfield2-for-5, RBI
Back-to-back multi-hit games. Since his promotion, he continues to pile up the hits and is hitting .323/.379/.473.  This is the type of prospect he was before last year’s home run surge. Can he combine the high average with home runs? Who knows?
C Carlos Narvaez0-for-5, 3 K
LF Taylor Trammell2-for-3, RS, BB, K
SS Jeter Downs2-for-4, 2B (6), K
.268/.360/.526 in 115 PA. I won’t try to make you think he is suddenly a prospect again – but this is fun to follow!
DH Jose Rojas0-for-4, RBI, K
3B Kevin Smith1-for-4, 2B (2), RS, 3 K
CF Greg Allen0-for-3, RS, HBP, 2 K

RHP Will Warren: (L, 3-2) 4 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR
6.27 ERA (37.1 IP, 37 H, 28 R, 26 ER, 10 HR, 12 BB, 42 K). Triple-A is a high-octane offensive environment, but ten HR in 37.1 innings is a concerning number. After he seemed to figure things out after his first start of the season, Warren has allowed 15 runs in 10 IP in his last two starts.
LHP Clayton Andrews2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Art Warren1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
He is the latest veteran the Yankees are going to try to unlock. He didn’t pitch well in his initial rehab appearances (rust!) but pitched well tonight.
RHP Ron Marinaccio1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Did he deserve the demotion? No. Did it make sense from the Yankees perspective? Yes. 


Somerset (16-17) (Lost to Portland, 11-10)

CF Spencer Jones1-for-5, RBI, RS, SB (7)
SS Oswald Peraza0-for-3, RS, BB
   2B Anthony Seigler0-for-1, K
DH Ben Rice1-for-4, 3 RS, BB
C Agustin Ramirez: 4-for-5, HR (12), 5 RBI, 2 RS, SB (7), K
For the first several weeks, I kept bringing up his mediocre BABIP. Well, those batted balls are starting to fall in. He is hitting .283/.404/.637 with 12 HR and 29 RBI. 
2B-SS Ben Cowles0-for-3, SF, RBI, BB
3B Jordan Groshans0-for-4, BB, K
1B J.C. Escarra1-for-4, RS, BB, K
RF Grant Richardson2-for-4, 2 RS, 2 K
Richardson’s magic carpet ride continues, as he is up to .301 with a .832 OPS in 103 PA. He is 12-for-32 in May.
LF Elijah Dunham2-for-4, 2 RBI, K

RHP Trystan Vrieling: (L, 2-4)  4.2 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
Sometimes, games don’t go your way. This spikes his ERA to 4.99 in 39.2 IP (it was 3.34 entering tonight). He has been off his game after a strong start to the season, but I will remind you (again) that he never pitched an inning in a level lower than this one.
RHP Colby White0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HR
The Yankees claimed White off of waivers (Tampa Bay) on May 9th. He has never appeared in MLB. Entering tonight, he owned a 2.83 ERA in 91 minor league games with a 167/58 K/BB over 111.1 IP. He was Tampa’s 6th-round pick in 2019 out of Mississippi State.
RHP Tommy Kahnle1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Between here and Tampa, Kahnle has retired all nine batters he has faced with six strikeouts. Yes, he is close.
LHP Josh Maciejewski3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K


Hudson Valley (16-15) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 8-5)

2B Roc Riggio2-for-5, RBI, K
.214/.350/.381 in 103 PA. He has more walks (18) than strikeouts (17). 
SS Jared Serna1-for-3, CS (5), BB
Serna is 2-for-7 in the stolen base department (70-for-87 (80.5%) entering this season)
RF Jace Avina1-for-3, 2B (7), SF, RBI, RS, 2 K
Avina has a 9-game hitting streak.
LF Jesus Rodriguez2-for-4, RBI, RS, 2 K
Back-to-back multi-hit games and 13th this season (29 games). Starts by position: Catcher: 12 (14 games overall), 2B: 3, 3B: 9 (10 games overall), LF: 4. Rodriguez has first base experience but hasn’t played there in 2024.
C Omar Martinez1-for-2, 2B (3), 2 RS, 2 BB, K
.223/.392/.404 in 120 PA. He has 25 walks in 27 games (67 in 105 games in 2023).
3B Josh Moylan1-for-2, 2 RS, 2 BB
.213/.360/.300 in 100 PA (18% BB, 23% K). 
1B Rafael Flores0-for-2, RBI, RS, BB, K
DH Kiko Romero1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 K
CF Nelson Medina1-for-4, 2 RBI, RS, 2 K

RHP Cam Schlittler5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, HR
2.03 ERA (31 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 4 HR, 12 BB, 37 K). It isn’t easy to maintain a hit rate like Schlittler had to enter tonight – eventually, the BABIP gods allow some of those balls to fall in. Entering tonight, his BABIP was a ridiculous .098.
RHP Huey Morrill: (W, 1-1) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Cole Ayers: (S, 2)  2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Now that is what you call a save! Ayers has a 2.29 ERA in 19.2 IP (13 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 28 K). He struck out 86 in 64.1 innings in 2023.


Tampa (10-24) (Lost to Bradenton, 4-3)

2B Jorbit Vivas0-for-1, SB (1), 2 BB
The last time he started a rehab stint, it lasted two games for Scranton. Let’s hope that is his final setback this season.
   2B Brenny Escanio0-for-2, K
DH Jasson Dominguez1-for-3, BB, K
The journey back begins. I think he will be the designated hitter for a while.
  PH-DH Manuel Palencia1-for-1, RBI
Palencia pinch-hit for Dominguez with the bases loaded and two outs in the 8th (Dominguez wasn’t likely available – told he was done after his 4th plate appearance). It is a part of the rehab process.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 0-for-4, K
  3B Hans Montero0-for-1, K
3B-SS Roderick Arias1-for-5, 2 K
1B Dylan Jasso1-for-4, RS, BB
  PR Dayro Perez0-for-0, 2 SB (5)
LF Jackson Castillo2-for-4, HR (2), RBI, RS, BB
Castillo is up to .250 with a .845 OPS (5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 12 R, 7-for-8 SB). He has four multi-hit efforts in his last six games. He has bounced back nicely after a tough start (he had a .532 OPS after games of 5/2).
CF Willy Montero0-for-3, RS, 2 BB, 2 K
RF Coby Morales0-for-2, 3 BB, K
C Tomas Frick1-for-4, RBI, HBP, K
Frick increases his season-long on-base streak to 16 (at least one hit in 14 of those games)

RHP Gabriel Barbosa4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, HR
5.46 ERA (31.1 IP, 34 H, 19 R, 19 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 36 K). The ERA isn’t great but some of the underlying numbers are strong (one home run allowed, more than a strikeout an inning…)
RHP Osiel Rodriguez2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
2.25 ERA (16 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 HR, 9 BB, 16 K)
RHP Cade Austin1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Montana Semmel1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Semmel has 5.1 scoreless innings in May.


FCL (4-4) (Lost to the Tigers, 7-4)

1B Josue Gonzalez0-for-2, RBI, BB, HBP, 2 K
DH Tyler Hardman0-for-4
His rehab was moved here from Tampa.
3B Abrahan Ramirez1-for-3, 2 RS, SB (2), BB
LF Brian Sanchez2-for-4, 2B (1), 3B (1), 2 RBI, RS, K
Sanchez was the other prospect acquired (along with Jace Avina) for Jake Bauers.
2B Santiago Gomez1-for-4, RBI, K

RHP Danny Flatt4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
8 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 9 K


DSL (0-0)

It will be a while before their season starts!