Who's hot
AHARON EGGLESTON (independent) saw his batting average rise from .272 to .286 in his past 6 games. Eggleston scored 4 runs on 9 hits, including a double and a home run, with 3 RBI over 27 at-bats.
BARRETT ASTIN (AA Reds) has won each of his past two starts and his ERA has dropped from 3.21 to 2.75. Astin earned a victory May 27 as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Birmingham Barons (AA White Sox) 9-1. He allowed 1 earned run on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts. Astin followed that up Thursday in the Blue Wahoos' 4-1 victory over the Mobile BayBears (AA Diamondbacks), in which he allowed just 1 hit with 2 strikeouts in 3 innings of relief.
Who's not
DOMINIC FICOCIELLO (AA Tigers) saw his batting average drop from .228 to .212 in the past 6 games. Ficociello has scored just 1 run on 1 hit in his last 16 at-bats. He's hitless in his past 4 games through Thursday with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks.
RYNE STANEK (AA Rays) took the loss May 29 as the Montgomery Biscuits lost 6-2 to the Jackson Generals (AA Mariners). Stanek allowed 6 earned runs on 9 hits with 3 walks and 7 strikeouts over 62/3 innings. He is 1-6 this season with a 4.97 ERA in 10 starts.
News and notes
• Pitcher Ashur Tolliver was optioned to the Class AAA Norfolk Tides by the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. The Orioles made the move to make room for left-handed reliever T.J. McFarland, who came off the disabled list. Tolliver threw 4 innings over 4 appearances in his 8 days with the Orioles, allowing 3 earned runs with 5 strikeouts. Orioles Manager Buck Showalter told the Baltimore Sun he hopes to get Tolliver back in a more stretched-out role in the future. "Ashur's capable of doing that, too," Showalter said. "If he ever goes out, I'd rather him pitch two-inning stints farther apart. He's capable of pitching multiple innings because of [his] changeup. He's presented himself well here, the way you'd like to see a 28-year-old guy who's gone through some challenges come up here and go, 'Listen, this might be my one shot. I'm going to let it rip. I'm going to attack the strike zone.' That's the thing I was hoping to see from him."
Around the horn
• Infielder Matt Reynolds (Arkansas Razorbacks) was optioned to the Class AAA Las Vegas 51s by the New York Mets on May 29, only to be sent back to the Mets on Friday when they placed third baseman David Wright on the disabled list. Reynolds placed third base and was a designated hitter for the Mets before being sent down, hitting just .100 with 1 hit and scoring 1 run in 8 games. ... Second baseman Brian Anderson (Razorbacks) was promoted to the Class AA Jacksonville Suns by the Miami Marlins organization Tuesday. Reynolds batted .302 with 3 home runs and 25 RBI in 49 games for the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads. ... Pitcher Hunter Wood (Rogers Heritage) was promoted to the Class AA Montgomery Biscuits by the Tampa Bay Rays on May 29. He went 2-2 with a 1.47 ERA in 8 appearances for the High-A Charlotte Stone Crabs. Wood won his first start for the Biscuits on Thursday in a 1-0 victory over the Jacksonville Suns (AA Marlins). He allowed 2 hits with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts over 5 innings. ... Outfielder Jonathan Davis (UCA/Camden) is 11 for 31 (.355) with 7 runs scored, 8 RBI and 4 stolen bases in his past 10 games through Thursday. Davis went 3 for 4 with 1 run scored and 1 RBI on Wednesday in a 6-1 victory over the Daytona Tortugas (High-A Reds). ... Third baseman Bobby Wernes is 5 for 29 (.172) with 5 runs scored and 1 RBI in his past 10 games and is hitless in his past 6 games (0 for 15) through Thursday. ... Pitcher Mark Reyes (Jessieville) has won each of his past two starts for the High-A San Jose Giants. He got the victory on May 27 as the Giants beat the Modesto Nuts 2-1, allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts over 62/3 innings. Reyes won again Thursday as the Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 3-1. Reyes allowed 1 earned run on 3 hits with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts in 7 innings.
Sports on 06/05/2016