Minor League Preview, April 7, 2018

Jay Blue
Patrick Murphy

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Welcome to our preview of the April 7, 2018 games for the Blue Jays minor league organization!

 

Rowdy Tellez

After having their opening game against the Rochester Red Wings snowed out on Friday, the Buffalo Bisons look to play their first game of the season on Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm. We’ll have Joe Biagini going up against Aaron Slegers, a 25-year-old, 6-foot-10 righty who got into four games with Minnesota last year.

If I was manager Bobby Meacham, this is how I’d line up my Bisons (NOTE: Not the actual line up!):

 

Roemon Fields CF
Danny Espinosa SS
Dwight Smith Jr.DH
Teoscar Hernandez RF
Rowdy Tellez 1B
Danny Jansen C
Jason Leblebijian 3B
Tim Lopes 2B
Darnell Sweeney LF

 

We’ll see if the Bisons actually play or if they have to postpone their return to baseball another day.

UPDATE: The Bisons game has been canceled due to frozen grounds.

 

 

Nick Tepesch

On Saturday evening, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats sent Nick Tepesch to the hill to face the Hartford Yard Goats and former Blue Jays minor leaguer Jesus Tinoco. Tinoco was sent to the Colorado Rockies as part of the deal that brought Troy Tulowitzki to the Blue Jays. Tinoco had a 4.67 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 107 strikeouts and 50 walks in 140 2/3 innings for the Advanced-A Lancaster JetHawks in the California League last year. The Fisher Cats are 2-0 after their 11-inning, 4-3 victory over the Yard Goats Friday night thanks to a triple from Lourdes Gurriel and a double from Cavan Biggio, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the inning.

UPDATE: The Fisher Cats have revealed their starting lineup and we get to see Juan Kelly for the first time this season.

 

 

In Game #3 of their season, the Dunedin Blue Jays return home (from distant Clearwater) after losing 8-0 in Game #2. Dunedin sends Patrick Murphy to the mound to face McKenzie Mills, a 22-year-old, 6-foot-4 lefty from Marietta, Georgia. Mills had a strong season in 2017 spent mostly with Hagerstown of the Class-A South Atlantic League where he had a 3.01 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with 118 strikeouts and just 22 walks in 104 2/3 innings. The Blue Jays better be swinging as Mills doesn’t walk many batters. The D-Jays’ home opener starts at 6:30pm.

UPDATE: Here’s the lineup from the Dunedin Blue Jays

 

Jesse Goldberg-Strassler

The Lansing Lugnuts also open their season at home with Game #2 after last night’s contest at the Great Lakes Loons was cancelled due to snow. Lefty Zach Logue is scheduled to start and make his Lugnuts debut after pitching very effectively mostly in Vancouver last year. He’ll face righty Riley Ottesen, a fifth-round draft pick from last year who split his minor league time between the Arizona Rookie League and the Great Lakes Loons. He struck out 33 batters in 30 2/3 innings in his professional debut but also walked 14 with 12 of those walks at the higher level. This game is a 5:35 start and you can listen to the dulcet tones of Jesse Goldberg-Strassler on the internet radio to get you through this one.

UPDATE: The Lugnuts have released their lineup and we welcome Cullen Large to the Midwest League as he gets his first start.

 

 

Remember, it’s April! All northern games are tentative depending on weather!

 

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