Danny Duffy makes his season debut, in Arizona

The reported demise of Danny Duffy’s season was overstated. The veteran left-hander was back on a competitive mound on Saturday, pitching an inning in the Arizona Complex League at Camelback Ranch.

It was the season debut for Duffy, who is coming back from flexor tendon surgery in the offseason. He was very rusty, as one might have imagined for someone who hadn’t pitched off a mound in 13½ months. Duffy walked two batters, hit another, and uncorked a wild pitch against the White Sox. He got out of the inning allowing only one run, and struck out two.

There’s still a long stretch for the 33-year-old Duffy to potentially pitch for the Dodgers, but that he’s on a mound at all means that’s at least a possibility. Duffy signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Dodgers in March, which includes a $7 million club option for 2023.

Player of the day

Emmet Sheehan struck out a career-best 11, continuing to shine for High-A Great Lakes. Sheehan allowed a run on two hits and walked none in his five innings, the first time in three starts the right-hander allowed an earned run.

Over his last 12 games, the 2021 sixth-rounder out of Boston College has allowed 10 total runs (six earned), posting a 1.07 ERA. On the season, Sheehan has a 2.72 ERA with 93 strikeouts — a 38-percent rate — and 26 walks in 59⅔ innings. That included getting 11 strikeouts Saturday in only 18 batters faced.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

One night after succumbing to a 17-run inning in a doubleheader split, Oklahoma City put the shoe on the other foot with five home runs Saturday to rout the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros).

Jason Martin hit one of those home runs, part of a three-hit, three-run, three-RBI night. It’s been a magnificent season for the 26-year-old outfielder, now hitting .290/.394/.594 while ranking second in the Pacific Coast League in both home runs (27) and runs batted in (90).

Michael Busch homered and doubled. Edwin Ríos homered and singled. Catcher Hunter Feduccia homered and drove in five. Miguel Vargas singled twice and stole two bases. The top seven hitters in OKC’s lineup all had multi-hit games.

Bobby Miller didn’t allow a run until the fifth in his Triple-A debut, when a home run and double keyed a two-run inning. With a manageable pitch count and a 10-run lead, Miller was given some rope in the sixth but gave up three more runs, though two scored after he left with two outs in the inning, after an error by Busch at second base kept the frame alive. In all, Miller allowed five runs (three earned) in 5⅔ innings, with three strikeouts and a walk. He got eight swinging strikes, including four on the curveball, which he threw 19 times.

Victor González, added to Triple-A’s roster on a rehab assignment on Friday, pitched a scoreless seventh inning with one strikeout, working around a one-out double. It’s the second game of the season for González, who had arthroscopic surgery in April.

Double-A Tulsa

A four-run seventh inning cost the Drillers in a loss to the Wichita Wind Surge (Twins). Cornerman Brandon Lewis hit a two-run home run and shortstop Leonel Valera hit a three-run home run in defeat.

Reliever Jake Cantleberry, promoted from High-A on Thursday, recorded four outs in his Double-A debut, striking out one while working around two singles and a walk to keep Wichita off the board during his time on the mound.

High-A Great Lakes

Behind Sheehan’s great pitching was a dominant Loons offense, blowing out the Lansing Lugnuts (A’s). Diego Cartaya homered, singled, walked, and drove in four.

Jorbit Vivas tripled, singled, walked twice, and drove in two.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

Down three runs in the seventh, the Quakes rallied over two innings to tie. Then they allowed two runs in the top of the ninth, rallied for one more in the bottom of the inning, but left the tying run on base in a loss to the Modesto Nuts (Mariners).

Orlando Ortiz-Mayr was the bulk pitcher for the Quakes in this one, striking out eight in 4⅔ innings, allowing a pair of runs.

Dalton Rushing doubled. Fellow 2022 draft pick Nick Biddison also doubled, walked and scored twice in defeat.

Transactions

Triple-A: Pedro Báez was released from his minor league contract, one day after allowing all five batters faced to score. It was a rough time for Báez, who had a 14.29 ERA in seven games and allowed 15 of his 32 batters faced to reach base. After dealing with shoulder issues for the better part of two years, Báez averaged 91.1 mph on his fastball in his first Oklahoma City outing, on July 27, but was under 90 mph in each of his last six games.

Double-A: Outfielder Ryan Ward, the Drillers’ home run leader, was activated from the injured list, going 0-for-5 in his return after missing 10 games. Infielder Ty Kelly was moved to the developmental list.

Saturday scores

• Oklahoma City 13, Sugar Land 5
• Wichita 10, Tulsa 7
• Great Lakes 12, Lansing 1
• Modesto 6, Rancho Cucamonga 5

Sunday schedule

• 10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (River Ryan) at Lansing (Jack Owen)
• 11:05 a.m.: Tulsa (Alec Gamboa) at Wichita (Aaron Rozek)
• 4:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Jon Duplantier) at Sugar Land (Forest Whitley)
• 5 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Benony Robles) vs. Modesto (Jake Miednik)