Around the Minors: Prospects Sent Down
By Jay Blue
Mar 10, 2014; Jupiter, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos (9) throws out a St. Louis Cardinals base runner at Roger Dean Stadium. The Tigers defeated the Cardinals 17-5. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
It’s time to take another look around the minors and see what’s going on.
Early this week, several of baseball’s top prospects were assigned to minor league camps with the game’s #1 prospect, Byron Buxton leading the way.
The Twins sent center fielder Buxton, along with third baseman Miguel Sano (who is about to have Tommy John surgery on his elbow), pitcher Alex Meyer and outfielder Max Kepler to their minor league camp. 20-year-old Buxton hit his first home run of the exhibition season off of Toronto’s Drew Hutchison while Kepler also had a very solid game on Saturday against Toronto.
Also headed back to the minors is the Pittsburgh Pirates top pitcher, Jameson Taillon. Taillon, like many starting pitchers slated to start in the minors, will need to get his innings in before being able to throw 90-100 pitches in April outings. Taillon, 22, has given up three runs (but only one earned) in two and two-thirds innings so far this spring with one walk and no strikeouts.
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In other news, Nick Castellanos, projected to be the Detroit Tigers’ third baseman in 2014, had a banner day on Monday, going 3-4 with a home run and two singles, driving in four runs and scoring two. Fellow Tigers’ prospect, 22-year-old Steven Moya, was just a home run shy of the cycle, hitting a single, double and a triple as part of a 3-6 day.
In that same game, Steven Piscotty, a St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect, went 1-1 with a home run and a walk, driving three of the Cards’ five runs in the game.