DotF: Cessa struggles in first rehab start in Tampa’s loss

Some quick notes to get us started:

• 3B Brandon Drury spoke to Mark Sanchez about his stint in Triple-A. “I wasn’t happy about (being sent down). Doing what I can right now so when I go back up I’m a better player. But this is going to make me better. Just gotta keep doing what I can do right now, be back up soon,” he said. Not sure what else he’s supposed to say in his situation.
• Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen released an updated top 131 prospects list. Four Yankees made it: LHP Justus Sheffield (No. 30), RHP Albert Abreu (No. 50), OF Estevan Florial (No. 85), and RHP Luis Medina (No. 127). Both 2B Gleyber Torres and 3B Miguel Andujar have exceeded the 130 at-bat rookie limit and are no longer considered prospects.
• The Yankees have released nine low level minor leaguers, reports Matt Eddy: OF Jonathan Amundaray, 2B Yeison Corredera, 3B Nate Coronado, C Samuel De La Cruz, C Malvin Del Orbe, C Roberto Espinosa, OF Victor Hernandez, OF Jhon Moronta, and C Eduardo Rodriguez. Amundaray is the most notable prospect of the bunch. He signed for $1.5M during the 2014-15 international spending spree.
• In their 2018 draft recaps, Keith Law (subs. req’d) said C Anthony Seigler “projects as an everyday catcher with All-Star upside,” while Baseball America (subs. req’d) notes RHP Rodney Hutchison “saw his stuff tick up late in the season … If he improves his command he has interesting upside.”
• If you’re still in draft mode after last week, both MLB.com and Baseball America (subs. req’d) put together super early 2019 mock drafts. Texas HS SS Bobby Witt Jr. is the top prospect in the draft class at the moment.

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (10-3 win over Rochester)

• LF Clint Frazier: 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI — 20-for-58 (.345) with seven doubles, one triple, and one homer in his last 14 games now
• CF Tyler Wade: 2-4, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 SB — 12-for-32 (.375) with four doubles and a homer in his last seven games
• 3B Brandon Drury: 1-4, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB
• 1B Ryan McBroom: 3-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI — three homers in his last five games
  
• RF Billy McKinney: 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 BI — sixth homer of the season and his sixth homer in his last 12 games
• SS Abi Avelino: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K — he was moved back up here when Ronald Torreyes was recalled
• RHP David Hale: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 8/2 GB/FB — 62 of 96 pitches were strikes (65%) … starting tonight presumably takes him out of the running for Friday’s start, which is when the Yankees say they’ll first use Masahiro Tanaka’s replacement
• RHP Tommy Kahnle: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K — 12 of 15 pitches were strikes … he was reportedly up to 97 mph on the stadium gun, for what it’s worth

The Double-A Trenton Thunder had a scheduled off-day.

High-A Tampa Tarpons (4-1 loss to Clearwater)

• SS Diego Castillo: 1-4
• RF Alex Palma, 1B Brandon Wagner & Hoy Jun Park: all 0- 3– Palma struck out once, Wagner and Park twice each … Park also committed a fielding error … Palma threw a runner out at first base
• DH Isiah Gilliam: 1-3, 1 K
• RHP Luis Cessa: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 3/1 GB/FB — 19 of 46 pitches were strikes (41%) … woof, control wasn’t there tonight at all … Cessa was originally scheduled for 60 pitches in his first minor league rehab game following the oblique injury
  
• RHP Nick Nelson: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1 HB, 8/3 GB/FB — 64 of 103 pitches were strikes (62%)

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs (6-3 win over Augusta)

• SS Wilkerman Garcia: 0-4, 1 BB
• 3B Dermis Garcia: 1-4, 1 2B — six doubles, three homers, and four singles in 23 games
• DH Steven Sensley: 1-4, 1 R, 1 3B
• RF Leonardo Molina: 3-4, 2 R, 1 K — 15-for-42 (.357) with three doubles and a triple in his last eleven games
• LF Carlos Vidal: 2-4, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 1 K — had the big go-ahead bases clearing triple in the bottom of the eighth
• RHP Deivi Garcia: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, 1 HR, 3/0 GB/FB — 60 of 79 pitches were strikes (76%) … the knocks on my No. 28 prospect are size (5-foot-10 and 163 lbs.) and lack of control (51 walks in 108.1 innings from 2016-17), and man, if he can throw strikes likes this more often, he’s going to explode onto the prospect scene

The short season leagues are coming, folks. The Short Season Staten Island Yankees start their season this Friday, the Rookie Pulaski Yankees begin next Tuesday, and the two Rookie GCL Yankees begin next Monday.