Yankees MILB 4/27: Rafael Flores Doubles, Homers

Notes:

OF Everson Pereira is listed as active but hasn’t played since April 19th. Injuries are a part of Pereira’s story. He has never played in more than 102 games. His second-highest total is 82. You have to be available to be useful.

George Lombard Jr. and Roderick Arias left their games early yesterday. Lombard Jr. was back in the lineup today while Arias was not. Hudson Valley pulled Lombard Jr. during a blowout, so there was nothing to worry about.

The Yankees have released RHP Alex Bustamante. The 24-year-old was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022.

Injury Log


Scranton (12-13) (Lost to Charlotte, 13-12, in 12 innings)

CF Ismael Munguia0-for-4, RBI, 3 R, SB (6), HBP, 2 BB
11.4% BB, 7.0% K. He is doing what you want a leadoff hitter to do.
3B Jorbit Vivas: 2-for-6, RBI, R, BB, 2 K
Vivas is hitting .322 with a .878 OPS (5 doubles, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 14 R; 13.9% BB, 6.5% K)
DH-C Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, HR (1), SF, 4 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Rodriguez swats his first Triple-A homer. He is hitting .325 with a .913 OPS since his promotion. This ties his personal best for RBI in a game.
1B T.J. Rumfield: 2-for-4, 2B (7), 3 RBI, R, SB (1), HBP, 2 BB, K
Hopefully, this is the start of a hot streak.
LF Dominic Smith1-for-7, RBI, 3 K
RF Jose Rojas: 1-for-5, 2B (7), 2 R, SB (1), 2 BB, 2 K
C Ronaldo Hernandez1-for-5, R, BB, K
   PR-P Edinson Duran0-for-0
SS Jake Gatewood: 1-for-4, RBI, R, 2 BB
2B Andrew Velazquez2-for-6, R, SB (7), 3 K

RHP Jake Woodford4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, HR
4.32 ERA (16.2 IP, 22 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 4 HR, 9 BB, 12 K). While not prospects, veterans in Triple-A are fighting for depth chart placement. You never know when an emergency will present itself in MLB. Woodford hasn’t pitched well in 2025.
RHP Leonardo Pestana: (W, 2-1)  2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
4.76 ERA (11.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 HR, 8 BB, 16 K)
RHP McKinley Moore0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
LHP Rob Zastryzny1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Wilking Rodriguez1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, HR
RHP Kervin Castro2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
1.23 ERA (14.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 17 K). Nice start to the season for the 26-year-old with 20 games of MLB experience (Giants, Cubs).
RHP Edinson Duran: (L, 0-1):  1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Duran’s second career pitching appearance (first was in 2022) 


Somerset (9-12) (Lost to Hartford, 13-5)

3B Dylan Jasso0-for-4, K
.258/.329/.485 in 73 PA
2B DJ LeMahieu1-for-2
LeMahieu plays in back-to-back games for the first time during his rehab stint.
   PH-2B Jose Colmenares0-for-2
CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, R, 2 K
.230/.360/.541 in 89 PA (2 doubles, 7 HR, 12 RBI, 15 R, 4-for-5 SB, 15.7% BB, 34.8% K). His .541 SLG ranks fifth in the Eastern League.
C Rafael Flores: 2-for-4, 2B (6), HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K
.266/.322/.494 in 87 PA (6 doubles, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 10 R, 8.0% BB, 33.3% K). Last season, he struck out 25.3% of the time. 33.3% is too high – I am not saying anything groundbreaking.
RF Garrett Martin1-for-4, HR (4), 2 RBI, R, K
Martin has homered in back-to-back games (3 HR in his last five games)
1B Tyler Hardman0-for-4, 2 K
The 26-year-old Hardman hasn’t been the same since his 2023 injury (26 HR in 77 games that year; 11 HR in 113 games since).
LF Jared Wegner1-for-3, R, K
DH Antonio Gomez0-for-3, K
Gomez is 2-for-25 since his promotion.
SS Max Burt1-for-2, 2B (3), SF, RBI, K

RHP Trent Sellers5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
3.86 ERA (18.2 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 24 K). Sellers had a rough first start (3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER) but has settled in since. He had an under-the-radar 2024 debut season, pitching to a 2.26 ERA in 83.1 IP with a 100/40 K/BB.
RHP Harrison Cohen0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Mason Vinyard1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
LHP Ryan Anderson1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Danny Watson0.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
RHP Cole Ayers0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
Watson dug the hole. Ayers lit it on fire, allowing three of Watson’s runs to score on a grand slam.


Hudson Valley (15-6) (Doubled up Asheville, 8-4. There is so much intriguing talent at this level. The next wave of Yankees prospects to watch closely.)

DH Brendan Jones1-for-4, SF, 2 RBI, R, CS (2), BB, K
.236/.349/.444 in 86 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 18 R, 11-for-13 SB, 12.8% BB, 22.1% K). 
SS George Lombard Jr.1-for-3, 2B (4), HBP, 2 BB, 2 K
.306/.494/.452 in 87 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 16 R, 9-for-11 SB, 22.99% BB, 20.7% K). He has three doubles in his last five games, so the extra-base power is starting to show. The .494 OBP ranks second in the South Atlantic League.
LF Jackson Castillo1-for-5, RBI, K
.267/.375/.417 in 72 PA (6 doubles, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 6 R, 3-for-3 SB, 15.3% BB, 27.8% K)
CF Jace Avina: 3-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, R, BB
Avina has back-to-back 3-hit efforts and is 12-for-22 during his 6-game hitting streak. He is up to .313/.458/.406 in 83 PA (18.1% BB, 21.7% K). The .458 OBP ranks fifth in the South Atlantic League.
1B Coby Morales1-for-5, SB (5), K
3B Josh Moylan0-for-4, R, BB, 3 K
C Tomas Frick: 1-for-2, 3 R, 2 HBP, BB
Not the typical way to reach base four times, but he’ll take it.
RF Anthony Hall: 1-for-4, RBI, R, BB, 3 K
2B Duncan Pastore3-for-5, 2 2B (2), 3 RBI, R, K
Pastore doesn’t play often but is 14-for-42 (.333) in 16 career games with a 5-for-5 stolen base rate. 

LHP Kyle Carr 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
2.16 ERA (16.2 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 16 K). He threw 69 pitches, so they aren’t yet pushing him (has yet to throw more than 4.2 innings this season).
RHP Chris Kean: (W, 2-0) 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
RHP Matt Keating1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Huey Morrill0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
RHP Hayden Merda: (S, 1) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Merda’s first career save.


Tampa (8-13) (Lost to Dunedin, 8-5. Edgleen Perez remains out of the lineup but is not on the injured list. Yes, I am keeping this note here until his status changes!)

CF Dillon Lewis0-for-4, BB
Lewis is struggling to get on track (.171/.247/.257). The 21-year-old was their 13th-round pick in 2024.
C Engelth Urena1-for-3, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB
.185/.341/.354 in 82 PA (2 doubles, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 11 R, 17.1% BB, 20.7% K). His start was slow (2-for-22)
DH Parks Harber1-for-3, R, SB (4), HBP, BB
Yes, Harber is too old for this level and will need to be moved up at some point. He played at major Division I schools, swatting 54 HR in 206 games for Georgia and North Carolina. This level of competition isn’t challenging him.
RF Tyler Wilson0-for-3, SB (6), 2 BB
2B Austin Green0-for-4, RBI, R, SB (3), BB, K
3B Hans Montero0-for-3, BB, 2 K
SS Juan Matheus0-for-4, K
LF Marshall Toole2-for-4, R, SB (4), K
Toole has three multi-hit efforts in his last five games. His triple slash has jumped from .208/.345/.208 to .286/.375/.310.
1B Josue Gonzalez2-for-4, RBI, R, 2 SB (4)
Gonzalez is having a tough start to 2025 (7-for-51). Today’s performance was needed.

RHP Gage Ziehl: (L, 0-2)  4 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Last year’s 4th-round pick had a solid debut (4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K), but his last two starts haven’t been up to the standard. No need to be worried, as that’s baseball.
RHP Chris Veach2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
2.89 ERA (9.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 HR, 4 BB, 15 K)
RHP Jackson Fristoe1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
Fristoe is throwing hard (maxed out at 96.5), so the hope is that his early-season struggles are due to rust (he didn’t pitch after June 23rd last season due to injury).
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
1.64 ERA (11 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 9 K). Kirtner was drafted by the Mets in 2023, but decided to return to Virginia Tech. In 2024, he went undrafted and signed with the Yankees.


FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.


DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

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