Rangers Farm Report: Games of Saturday 25 June

Active: OF Steven Duggar, RHP Glenn Otto, RHP Josh Sborz
IL: RHP Matt Bush, with right forearm soreness. A short-term concern per local media, but you know the history.
Optioned: LHP Taylor Hearn, IF Ezequiel Duran
Designated for Assignment: RHP Demarcus Evans
Outrighted: RHP Spencer Patton

I’m sad about Evans, but the day was coming. Honestly, I expected this move during the offseason. Evans never had elite velocity, usually sitting 94-95 at his peak and touching 98, but combined with a high spin rate and a hammer curve, he was often untouchable in the minors. He ranged from 87 to 93 in Round Rock, averaging 91, and his control was poor. He was still hard to hit, but the hits were hard.

I forgot to link to this yesterday: my video of Owen White’s mid-May start in Hickory. White made his AA debut last night.

Box Scores

AAA: Round Rock 8, at Oklahoma City (LAD) 3
Round Rock: 10 hits, 10 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 6 hits, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts
Record: 36-35, 7 GB

SP Spencer Howard: 5 IP, 2 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 86 P / 57 S, 4.35 ERA
RP Yerry Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 4.66 ERA
DH Sam Huff: 1-4, HR (9), BB, .253/.354/.602
RF Josh Sale: 2-4, 2B, BB, SB (2), .333/.414/.627

Another solid outing from Spencer Howard. Contra the modern trend, Howard emphasized the fastball, which accounted for 70% of his pitches. The curve and change weren’t in abundance but not ignored either, and both were effective. Howard had 13 swinging strikes (9 FB, 2 CB, 1 CH, 1 SL), and his median fastball velocity was 95.5, topping at 96.9.

Sam Huff retook the team lead with his ninth homer.

I understanding choosing Sborz, who’s looked very good lately, but I like to think Yerry Rodriguez has pitched well enough to at least put himself back under consideration. Rodriguez’s first six weeks were trying (.371/.431/.597 oppo line, 13 runs in 12 appearances), but he’s been outstanding recently (.098/.217/.196, 2 runs in 12 appearances).

AA: Frisco 6, at Arkansas (SEA) 3
Frisco: 10 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Opponent: 7 hits, 6 walks, 8 strikeouts
Record: 36-32, 2 GB, eliminated

SP Owen White: 5.1 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, 90 P / 56 S, 3.38 ERA
RP Nick Starr: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 2.41 ERA
LF Dustin Harris: 2-4, BB, .259/.348/.464
C Matt Whatley: 2-4, 2B, .237/.268/.344

Owen White had a solid AA debut. He needed only five pitches to retire the side in the 1st. A protracted top of the 2nd that plated five of Frisco’s runs didn’t cause him any trouble in the bottom half. Arkansas didn’t put anything together until the 4th, when Jake Scheiner hit a solo homer and two others reached before the third out. White started the 6th on a reasonable 78 pitches, but a single and seven-pitch walk ended his night. One of those runners would score. By my observations, three of the strikeouts were on fastballs (two swinging, one called), one on a called curve, and one swing at a 3-2 change. Per media man Zach Bigley, White’s fastball sat 95-97 and touched 98. When I saw White last month, the heater was in the 93-96 range.

High-A: Hickory 9, at Rome (ATL) 5
Hickory: 7 hits, 9 walks, 14 strikeouts
Opponent: 8 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 2-0, tied for first, 40-28 overall

SP Larson Kindreich: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 5 SO, 72 P / 40 S, 2.25 ERA
CF Evan Carter: 1-3, 3B, 2 BB, .272/.373/.451

Larson Kindreich was a little wild but reasonably effective in his high-A debut. He’d hit only one batter in 42 low-A innings but was walk-prone.

Frainyer Chavez (2-5) was the only Crawdad with two hits. Jayce Easley, Chris Seise and Cristian Inoa were hitless but walked twice.

Low-A: Kinston 5, Carolina (MIL) 0
Kinston: 12 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts
Opponent: 1 hit, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
Record: 2-0, +1 G, 35-33 overall

SP Mitch Bratt: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 SO, 68 P / 50 S, 2.38 ERA
RP Bradford Webb: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3.96 ERA
C Efrenyer Narvaez: 3-4, .224/.274/.432
1B Abi Ortiz: 3-4, HR (5), .204/.271/.329

The Collard Greens have shut out Carolina thrice in five days. The Mudcats led off the 7th with their one and only hit. Carolina has 20 hits and four runs in the first five games of the series. Opponents are hitting .202/.283/.307 against Mitch Bratt.

The Greens are 20-10 since a 15-23 start despite scoring a modest 3.9 runs per game in that stretch. They’ve allowed only 3.4 and are 8-3 in one-run games.

Alejandro Osuna and Jose Rodriguez had two hits.

Collard Greens, you say?

Today’s Starters
AAA: Alexy
AA: Brennan
Hi-A: Englert
Lo-A: Santos

Five Years Ago Yesterday
Bubba Thompson walked twice and stole two bases in his pro debut. OF Jairo Beras officially converted to pitching. He’d batted .259/.310/.426 in 452 games.