Dodgers minor league news

Jose De Leon Ks 10, Imani Abdullah debuts, Julio Urias continues rehab

By Eric Stephen@ericstephen Jul 17, 2015, 6:00am PDT

Jose De Leon reached double digits in strikeouts for the sixth time this season on Thursday night.

The Dodgers had two affiliates lose ninth-inning leads on Thursday night, but also saw a rising star continue to rack up the strikeouts. The night also included an unlikely two-homer night, plus scoreless innings from a pair of 18-year-olds in Arizona.

Player of the day

Jose De Leon stuck out 10 and walked two in his five innings for Double-A Tulsa. It was the second straight double-digit strikeout game for the Drillers and sixth on the season, three each with Tulsa and Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.

De Leon on the season has a 3.16 ERA in 17 starts, with 132 strikeouts and 33 walks in 94 innings between two levels. The right-hander, who turns 23 on Aug. 7, has climbed the national prospect lists, ranked 20th by Keith Law at ESPN, 20th by Baseball America, 20th by John Sickels at Minor League Ball and 42nd by Baseball Prospectus.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Joe Wieland had yet another bad start as OKC fell 9-3 to the Round Rock Express (Rangers). Wieland allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits in his four innings, the fifth time in his last 10 starts he has allowed at least five runs in a start. Wieland has yet to last past five innings in any of his 15 minor or major league starts this season, and now sports a 5.63 ERA with OKC.

Austin Barnes was 1-for-2 with two walks, his eighth straight game reaching base via hit or walk. Scott Schebler had a two-run triple in his first game since July 3.

Corey Seager was 0-for-4, snapping a seven-game hitting streak. He has had four different seven-game hitting streaks with OKC this season, but has yet to reach eight games.

Preston Guilmet, claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay last week, made his OKC debut on Thursday and allowed a run on two hits in the ninth inning.

Carl Crawford was 1-for-4 and played all nine innings in the eighth game of his minor league rehab assignment, including six games with Oklahoma City.

[Recap]

Double-A Tulsa

In addition to 10 strikeouts by De Leon, the Drillers got a combined three shutout innings of relief from Ryan Dennick and Jacob Rhame, taking a one-run lead into the ninth. But the Arkansas Travelers (Angels) rallied for two runs against Rhame and Michael Thomas in the ninth for a 4-3 comeback win in Tulsa. Peter Lavin homered in the first for Tulsa, and Kyle Farmer went 2-for-4 with RBI hits in the first and third innings, the last one a double.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

Erisbel Arruebarrena hit his first two home runs of the season, and Cody Bellinger hit a game-winning homerun in the ninth inning to give the Quakes in a Cal League special 11-10 win over the High Desert Mavericks (Rangers) in the windy high desert of Adelanto. Rancho Cucamonga also got home runs from Jacob Scavuzzo, Brandon Dixon and Joey Curletta, plus hit two doubles and two triples on the night.

Bellinger was in an 0-for-17 skid before going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and a walk on Thursday.

Joe Broussard pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the win. Caleb Dirks allowed an inherited run to score in the eighth inning, capping a four-run tying rally by High Desert, but struck out two in the ninth to close out the win. Dirks in four games since he was acquired from Atlanta has nine strikeouts and one walk in 5⅓ scoreless innings.

Low Class-A Great Lakes

Kyle Garlick homered, and the trio of Garlick, fellow 2015 draftee Matt Beaty and 2014 second-rounder Alex Verdugo each had two hits, giving the Loons a two-run lead heading into the ninth inning. But J.D. Underwood allowed a game-tying two run shot in the ninth, then Scott Griggs allowed a run in the 10th, sending Great Lakes to a 4-3 walk-off defeat at the hands of the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays).

Loons starter Luis De Paula struck out seven in his five innings, allowing only an unearned run on two hits and three walks.

[Recap]

Rookie-level Ogden

Designated hitter Matt Jones homered, tripled and drove in two runs in the Raptors' 5-2 win over the Great Falls Voyagers (White Sox).

Raptors utility man Deion Ulmer, who started in center field on Thursday, was hit in the face by a pitch in the fourth inning and was removed from the game. The Raptors say Ulmer left the game with a headache and dizziness, but no fractures, and will be reevaluated on Friday.

Here was the real-time reaction as it happened by Raptors beat writer Brett Hein of the Standard Examiner:

Whoa. I was looking down, but Deion Ulmer may have just got hit in the face with a pitch.
— StandardEx Raptors (@RaptorsSE) July 17, 2015

Trainer was on the field immediately. Strength coach just brought out a towel, trainer goes into pocket for supplies. Yikes.
— StandardEx Raptors (@RaptorsSE) July 17, 2015

Shoemaker, Brinkley are knelt down beside Ulmer along with trainer and strength coach. Ulmer's laying on his left side as he's tended to.
— StandardEx Raptors (@RaptorsSE) July 17, 2015

The trainer will take Ulmer slowly down the line and to the clubhouse. Hope he's okay. All sorts of problems possible with that. Ugh.
— StandardEx Raptors (@RaptorsSE) July 17, 2015

Ulmer, drafted by the Dodgers in the 26th round in 2014, turns 21 on Saturday.

Also seen in Ogden on Thursday was Dodgers special assistant of player personnel Jose Vizcaino, with a unique scoreboard welcome.

Dodgers Sp. Asst. of player personnel Jose Vizcaino in the ballpark tonight, along with his golf score pic.twitter.com/4NBogI1kfF
— James Hajek (@hajekjames) July 17, 2015

[Recap]

Rookie-level Arizona

The AZL Dodgers fell to the AZL Athletics 3-2.

Julio Urias pitched his second rehab game since eye surgery for the AZL Dodgers, and on Thursday night pitched only one inning, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two.

@Dodgers what all star break? Watching top prospect Julio Urias pitching @camelbackranch backfields pic.twitter.com/KtELmxYuUm
— Joseph Hartsock (@JosephHartsock) July 17, 2015

Imani Abdullah, the Dodgers' 11th-round draft pick out of Madison High School in San Diego, made his professional debut, pitching a perfect inning of relief. Adbullah pitched the fourth inning, and got a bunt ground out, a strikeout then a fly out to end the frame.

Dominican Summer League

The DSL Dodgers fell 6-5 to the DSL Mariners, but 18-year-old left-hander Leonardo Crawford struck out three in his 2⅓ innings of relief, allowing no hits and one walk. Crawford in nine games as a professional has a 1.37 ERA with 45 strikeouts and eight walks in 39⅓ innings.

Transactions

Triple-A: Scott Schebler was activated from the disabled list, Juan Gonzalez rejoined the team from the Futures Game, Matt West was activated by OKC after getting outrighted, and Preston Guilmet was activated after getting claimed off waivers. Steve Smith and Ramon Troncoso were placed on the disabled list, while Rudy Owens and Luis Mateo were released.

Class-A: Catcher and first baseman Tyler Ogle was placed on the disabled list, and catcher Austin Chubb was activated from the DL.

Rookie-level Ogden: Right-handed pitchers Corey Copping and Adam Bray, drafted by the Dodgers this year in the 31st and 33rd rounds, respectively, were activated by Ogden.

Rookie-level Arizona: Outfielder Kyle Hudson, who was signed to a minor league deal by the Dodgers in June and who had yet to play in a game this season before pinch running on Thursday night, was sent on a rehab assignment to the AZL Dodgers. Center fielder Edwin Drexler, drafted by the Dodgers in the 39th round in June out of Grambling, was assigned to the AZL.

The Dodgers on Monday signed undrafted free agent right-handed pitcher Shea Spitzbarth to contract and on Thursday assigned him to the AZL. Spitzbarth was 4-1 with a 1.77 ERA for Division II Molloy in 2015, with 89 strikeouts in 61 innings.