Who's hot
BOBBY WERNES (A Astros) saw his batting average rise from .175 to .207 in his past 5 games. Wernes scored 1 run and drove in 2 on 7 hits.
MARK REYES (High-A Giants) has won each of his past three starts and saw his ERA drop from 3.83 to 3.58. Reyes earned the victory Thursday as the San Jose Giants beat the Modesto Nuts (High-A Rockies) 7-2. He allowed both runs on 7 hits with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts in 82/3 innings.
Who's not
ZACK COX (independent) saw his batting average drop from .328 to .232 in the past 7 games. Cox had just 1 hit, a double, with 4 runs scored and 1 RBI in 31 at-bats.
BRAD ALLEN (High-A Blue Jays) took the loss Thursday as the Dunedin Blue Jays lost to the St. Lucie Mets (High-A Mets) 10-6. Allen allowed 3 earned runs on 2 hits with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts in 22/3 innings.
News and notes
• Infielder Brian Anderson (Arkansas Razorbacks) was named to his second consecutive Florida State League All-Star Game on June 4. Anderson led the Jupiter Hammerheads (High-A Marlins) in nearly every hitting category (.302 batting average, .377 on-base percentage, .440 slugging percentage) and committed 5 errors at third base with a fielding percentage of .969. He hit 3 home runs and had 25 RBI in 49 games with the Hammerheads before being promoted to the Class AA Jacksonville Suns on May 31. Anderson is batting .289 in 60 overall games this season with 3 home runs and 27 RBI through Thursday's games. The Florida State League All-Star Game will be played Saturday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla.
• Reliever Sam Thoele (UALR) was placed on the disabled list by the Asheville (N.C.) Tourists (A Rockies) on June 3. The extent of Thoele's injury is not known and team officials did not respond to a request for comment. Thoele has 11 saves in 20 appearances for the Tourists this season with a 2.89 ERA. He has allowed 8 runs -- 6 earned -- on 14 hits with 10 walks and 22 strikeouts and batters are hitting .203 against him.
Around the horn
• Tyler Spoon (Arkansas Razorbacks/Fort Smith) was promoted to the Class A Greenville (S.C.) Drive by the Boston Red Sox organization on Monday. Spoon was slated to start the season with the short-season Class A Lowell (Mass.) Spinners, whose season begins Friday. ... Pitcher Kevin Walsh (UAPB) was released by the independent Southern Illinois Miners on June 3. Walsh was 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in 4 appearances, allowing 6 earned runs on 7 hits with 8 walks and 6 strikeouts in 4 total innings. ... First baseman Andy Wilkins (Razorbacks) went 1 for 5 with 4 strikeouts for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (AAA Brewers) on Thursday in Memphis against the Memphis Redbirds (AAA Cardinals). His one hit was a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning that gave the Sky Sox a 5-4 lead. That lead was short-lived as Kolten Wong, in his first game for Memphis since being sent down from St. Louis, hit a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to give the Redbirds an 8-5 victory. ... Collin Radack (Hendrix) went 9 for 21 (.321) in his past 10 games through Thursday, including a 2-for-4 performance Thursday in a 4-3 victory over the Arkansas Travelers. ... Hunter Wood (Rogers Heritage) won his second start for the Montgomery Biscuits (AA Rays) on Tuesday as Montgomery beat the Biloxi Shuckers (AA Brewers) 6-3. Wood allowed just 2 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts over 6 innings. He's won both starts for the Biscuits since being called up on May 29 and is 5-3 overall this season with a 1.49 ERA. ... Nolan Sanburn (Razorbacks) has converted each of his past two save opportunities for the Birmingham Barons (AA White Sox). Sanburn pitched 2 innings of the Barons' 3-2 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts (AA Twins) on June 3, in which he allowed 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. He followed that up with a scoreless inning Tuesday in the Barons' 5-3 victory over the Mobile BayBears (AA Diamondbacks).
-- Todd J. Pearce
Sports on 06/12/2016