Jon Chapper - Minor League Update - June 4th, 2009

Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League Report

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers’ minor league report is a weekly window into the Dodgers’ farm teams, with updated standings, league leaders, team and individual player stats, and the latest team and player news.  Player bios can be found in the Player Development section of the Dodgers’ Guide (Pages 411-478).

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes

Pacific Coast League American South Division

26-27, 1st Place , 1.5 Games Ahead

LUNA TUNES: INF Hector Luna ranks fifth in the Pacific Coast League with a .359 batting average and second with a 1.106 on-base-plus-slugging percentage (OPS)…the 29-year-old batted .382 (39-for-102) with eight homers and 29 RBI in 28 games in May…the Dominican Republic native is hitting .436 (17-for-39) against left-handed pitchers… Luna appeared in 15 Cactus League games for the Dodgers as a non-roster invitee, batting .204 (5-for-24) with a homer and four RBI.

RUN FOR THE ROSARIO: OF Jovanny Rosario is batting .294 (10-for-34) in 12 games since his promotion from Double-A Chattnooga on May 24…the switch-hitter is batting .348 (8-for-23) against right-handed pitchers…Rosario will celebrate his 24th birthday on Sunday…he spent the 2008 season with Single-A Great Lakes, batting .270 with 35 RBI in 127 games.

CHOI IS MY BOY: RHP Hyang-Nam Choi has struck out 21 and allowed just 12 base runners in 12.2 innings…struck out four in 2.1 scoreless innings in his Isotopes debut on May 18 at Fresno (Giants)…Choi was signed as a minor league free agent on May 23, and spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons with the Korean Lotte Giants.

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts

Southern League North Division

22-31, Tied for 3rd Place , 8.5 Games Back

FROM MAY TO JUNE: C Lucas May has hit safely in nine games in a row, batting .533 (16-for-30) to raise his average to .298 from .188…he has also hit safely in 13 straight starts, batting .467 (21-for-45) in those games…the 24-year-old was selected by the Dodgers in eighth round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft.

SWEET BABY JAMES: OF James Tomlin has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, batting .333 (15-for-45) to raise his average to .305 from .288…the Dodgers signed the Saint Bernard High School (Playa del Ray) alum as a minor league free agent in February 2007.

SARTOR THE MARTYR: RHP Matthew Sartor has posted a 1.20 ERA (2 ER/15.0 IP) in his last 11 games beginning May 1…the 24-year-old had a 4.32 ERA (8 ER/16.2 IP) in seven appearances in April…he is limiting the opposition to a .165 average, including an .093 mark (4-for-43) by left-handed hitters…Sartor was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent in July 2007.

Single-A Inland Empire 66ers

California League South Division

24-29, 3rd Place , 10.0 Games Back

GREAT SCOTT!!: OF Scott Van Slyke ranks seventh in the California League with a .323 average and fourth with 63 hits…he is also tied for third in the chain with 18 doubles and tied for ninth with 35 RBI…the Dodgers’ 14th-round pick from the 2005 draft has hit safely in seven straight starts, going 12-for-27 with nine RBI to raise his average from .305…the 22-year-old is batting .393 (24-for-61) with runners in scoring position overall.

ROBINSON, MY SON: OF Trayvon Robinson leads the league with 20 stolen bases and ranks second with 69 hits…the Crenshaw High  School alum is batting .314 in 52 games overall…he was selected by the Dodgers in the 10th round of the 2005 draft.

HE’S THE MAN: OF Elian Herrera is batting .344 with 16 runs scored and eight steals in nine attempts in 18 games since his May 12 promotion from Single-A Great Lakes…the switch-hitter is batting .409 (9-for-22) against lefties and .310 (13-for-42) against righties…the 24-year-old Dominican Republic native was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent in May 2003.

Single-A Great Lakes Loons

Midwest League Eastern Division

27-25, 3rd Place , 5.5 Games Back

DEE-LIGHTFUL!!: INF Dee Gordon leads the Midwest League with 29 stolen bases…he is 29-for-35 overall, an 83 percent success rate…the 20-year-old also is tied for fourth in the league with 60 hits, and is batting .293 in 50 games overall…Gordon was selected by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2008 draft.

RUSSELL’S ATHLETIC: OF Kyle Russell leads the Midwest League with 14 home runs and ranks second in the circuit with a .585 slugging percentage…he also ranks second in the league with 42 RBI, and is tied for the league lead with 41 runs scored…the University of Texas product is batting .285 with 14 doubles in 52 games overall…the 22-year-old was selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2008 draft.

JAVY TALK: RHP Javy Guerra ranks second in the Midwest League with 13 saves…he has a 1.82 ERA in 21 appearances, and is limiting the opposition to a .171 average…the Dodgers’ fourth-round pick from the 2004 draft has 38 strikeouts in 29.2 innings, an average of 11.5 punchouts per nine innings.

GOSH, JOSH: RHP Josh Walter is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 16 games (one start)…he made his first pro start on Sunday vs. Peoria (Cubs), and tossed 4.0 scoreless innings of one-hit ball…the 24-year-old, who signed with the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent in June 2008 out of Texas State University, has struck out 35 in 28.1 innings…the opposition is hitting only .172 against him.