The celebration injury suffered by Chris Coghlan in Florida opened the door for top prospect Logan Morrison to be recalled from Triple-A. Morrison, a first basemen who had recently begun working in the outfield, got the start in left field while hitting second in the order. He went 1-for-4 in the game with a strikeout. Morrison was hitting .307 in AAA with six home runs and 45 RBI in 238 at bats.

I had a chance to catch Jeff Samardzija’s start for the Iowa Cubs on Monday night against the Round Rock Express. He worked six innings, allowing two hits while walking five and striking out seven. His fastball sat around 90 miles per hour for most of the game at times touching 92. He showed a nice change up at 84 that he recorded several strikeouts with. Even though he is starting, he worked exclusively from the stretch the entire game as if runners were on base. He is going to need to improve his command in order to make it back to the major leagues. In 64 2/3 innings, he has walked 43 batters on the season while holding hitters to a .178 average.

The Atlanta Braves continue churning out arms in the minor leagues as Randall Delgado was promoted to Double-A. Delgado had a 2.76 ERA with 120 strikeouts in 117 1/3 innings before his promotion. The 20-year-old threw five innings allowing two runs with five strikeouts in his first start after being elevated a level. He has struck out more than a batter per innings in every season so far in the minor leagues.  Julio Teheran will be joining Delgado at Double-A, marking his third stop this year in the minor leagues. Between two levels so far Teheran has a 2.28 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings while holding hitters to a .210 batting average. Mike Minor has been better for the Braves since his promotion to Triple-A, posting a 2.55 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. For the season, he now has 136 strikeouts in 111 2/3 innings and a 3.71 ERA.

One of the names in the news recently has been Jake McGee in Tampa Bay as a possible trade chip they may use to acquire some deadline help. McGee has a 3.99 ERA in Double-A with 91 strikeouts in 76 2/3 innings. He missed the majority of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery back in 2008.

Zachary Britton is rumored to be getting a call up to get a start for the Baltimore Orioles this week. Britton has a 2.28 ERA in five starts in Triple-A with 17 strikeouts on 27 2/3 innings. Overall on the year, his ERA is 2.43 while holding hitters to a .236 average with four home runs allowed in 114 2/3 innings.

The Milwaukee Brewers recalled center field prospect Lorenzo Cain from the minor leagues last week, but in typical line up mismanagement that has plagued the team the last few years, for some reason they still want to run out Carlos Gomez and Jim Edmonds to center field. It makes one wonder why Cain was promoted in the first place. Cain has received only three at bats after hitting .326 between two stops in the minor leagues this year with three home runs and 25 stolen bases.

Third basemen Mike Moustakas was promoted to Triple-A by the Kansas City Royals after hitting .347 in Double-A with 21 home runs and 76 RBI. Assuming he fares well at the new level, he should head into the 2011 season as the favorite to start at third base.

The Royals also prom0ted first basemen Eric Hosmer to Double-A. Hosmer is off to a good start with three home runs in his first five games after hitting .354 with seven home runs and driving in 51 runs in A ball. The third overall pick from the 2008 draft, Hosmer has exhibited great plate discipline so far in his career with 46 walks against only 40 strikeouts this season.

Just like the Chicago White Sox did with Daniel Hudson last season, the team is wasting little time in getting Chris Sale headed to the major leagues. Sale was the 13th overall pick just last month and has already been promoted to Triple-A. Between two levels in relief, he has a 2.70 ERA in 6 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts. Right now the tall lefty has a fastball – change up repertoire which will serve him well in the bullpen.

If the Chicago Cubs do move Ted Lilly in a trade, they could dip down into Triple-A for help from Jay Jackson. Jackson is 6-6 on the season with a 3.55 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 101 1/3 innings. Turning 23 in October, he is someone to keep an eye on in NL only keeper leagues.

American League only owners looking for bullpen help should take a look at Jonathan Albaladejo in New York. He was recalled due to the injury suffered by Andy Pettite and will serve in a set up role after serving as a closer in Triple-A. Albaladejo had 31 saves with a 0.96 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings in the minor leagues this season.

Speaking of the Yankees, Jesus Montero is finally starting to show a little life at the plate in Triple-A. After starting the season slowly, Montero has picked up the pace over his last ten games, hitting .441 with four home runs and nine RBI. He is now hitting .271 on the season with 10 home runs and 42 RBI.

Kyle Drabek had been somewhat of a forgotten man down in Double-A for the Toronto Blue Jays until he threw a no-hitter the Fourth of July. With a 3.20 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 107 innings, it was thought he would have been moved up to Triple-A already this year. He has held opposing hitters to a .219 average but still has some work to do on his control with 45 walks on the season.

Making the move up to Triple-A last week was outfielder Lorenzo Cain of the Milwaukee Brewers. He was supposed to be reach this level in 2009 but suffered a hamstring injury along with torn knee ligaments that forced him to miss a good portion of the season. Instead of contending for a starting job this season for Milwaukee, he will have to wait until 2011 for his shot in center field. Cain is hitting .320 on the season with three home runs and 21 stolen bases in 253 at bats.

Desmond Jennings has been making up for lost time in Triple-A, hitting .353 for the month of June with 28 runs scored, 15 RBI and eight stolen bases. He is someone worth stashing for the second half of the season in a one-year league if your team is in need of stolen bases. Tampa Bay should be able to fond a place for him in the line up the second half of the year.

Freddie Freeman continues to plug away in Triple-A for the Atlanta Braves as he works toward getting ready to claim the first base job in 2011. Freeman is currently hitting .288 on the season with 10 home runs and 47 RBI. He has hit .375 over his last 10 games with four home runs and two stolen bases.

If there was ever someone in need of a promotion, look no further than third basemen Mike Moustakas down in Double-A for the Kansas City Royals. Moustakas is hitting .358 with 21 home runs and 75 RBI in only 63 games. With solid plate discipline as evidenced by his 15 walks and 39 strikeouts, there is nothing left for him to show at that level.

Outfielder Jerry Sands of the Los Angeles Dodgers was promoted to Double-A this past week after feasting on Single-A pitching. Sands hit .333 in 243 at bats with 18 home runs and 46 RBI to go with 14 stolen bases. A 25th round pick in the 2008 draft, Sands has started to come on strong after struggling in his first season when he hit just .205 in 46 games.

Also seeing a move up to Double-A was outfielder Brett Jackson of the Chicago Cubs. Jackson hit .316 in 263 at bats with six home runs and 38 RBI coupled with 12 stolen bases. A first round pick in the 2009 draft, Jackson will be appearing in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, July 11.

Speaking of the Futures Game, a couple of changes to the rosters based on promotions and injuries, for the US Team, catcher Hank Conger will replace Tony Sanchez (injury) and pitcher Zack Wheeler will replace Andy Oliver who was recently promoted by the Detroit Tigers.

Zachary Britton of the Baltimore Orioles in on his way up to Triple-A. Britton was 7-3 with a 2.48 ERA in 87 innings with 68 strikeouts. A third round pick in the 2006 draft, Britton has allowed only four home runs this year while holding opposing hitters to a .231 batting average.

Also moving up to Triple-A this week was Mike Minor of the Atlanta Braves. Minor finished Double-A with a 4.03 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 87 innings. With the depth of the Braves rotation, it looks like he might not have a chance this year but is a good candidate for the 2011 rotation.

Dynasty owners should be watching the transaction wire over the next month for the name Jarred Cosart. If the Philadelphia Phillies make a trade for a front line pitcher, Cosart figures to be at the center piece of a deal and could move quickly depending on what organization he goes to. Currently in Single-A, Cosart is 7-3 with a 3.79 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings.

Jordan Lyles continues to hold his own as a teenager in Double-A for the Houston Astros, posting a 6-5 mark with a 2.60 ERA to go along with 85 strikeouts in 93 1/3 innings. He has surrendered seven home runs while opposing hitters are batting .246 against him.

Simon Castro continues to thrive in Double-A for the San Diego Padres, sitting with a 2.69 ERA in 80 1/3 innings with 71 strikeouts. He has allowed only 59 hits with four home runs and should be looking at a promotion in the near future.

Carlos Peguero of the Seattle Mariners might offer the team a power hitting outfielder solution in the near future assuming he can improve his plate discipline. Peguero is hitting .293 in Double-A with 15 home runs and 46 RBI with five stolen bases.

Trystan Magnuson could provide the Toronto Blue Jays with a closer option in the near future. A first round pick in the 2007 draft, Magnsuon was moved to the bullpen after struggling as a starter in his first season. Since then, he has been a much better pitcher in relief and currently has a 2.30 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 43 innings in Double-A.

USA

Pitchers:

Zach Britton – BAL – AA
Jarred Cosart – PHI – A
Christian Friedrich – COL – AA
Jeremy Hellickson – TB – AAA
Dan Hudson – CHW – AAA
Jordan Lyles – HOU – AA
Shelby Miller – STL – A
Mike Minor – ATL – AA
Andy Oliver – DET – AA
Tanner Scheppers – TEX – AAA

Catchers:

Austin Romine – NYY – AA
Tony Sanchez – PIT – High A

Infielders:

Lonnie Chisenhall – CLE – AA
Drew Cumberland – SD – High A
Danny Espinosa – WAS – AA
Dee Gordon – LAD – AA
Grant Green – OAK – High A
Eric Hosmer – KC – High A
Logan Morrison – FLA – AAA
Mike Moustakas – KC – AA

Outfielders:

Domonic Brown – PHI – AA
Brett Jackson – CHC – High A
Desmond Jennings – TB – AAA
Ben Revere – MIN – AA
Mike Trout – LAA – A

WORLD

Pitchers:

Henderson Alvarez – TOR – High A
Simon Castro – SD – AA
Jeurys Familia – NYM – High A
Liam Hendriks – MIN – High A
Trystan Magnuson – TOR – AA
Hector Noesi – NYY – AA
Stolmy Pimentel – BOS – High A
Eduardo Sanchez – STL – AA
Julio Teheran – ATL – High A
Phillippe Valiquette – CIN – AAA

Catchers:

Chun-Hsiu Chen – CLE – A
Wilin Rosario – COL – AA

Infielders:

Yonder Alonso – CIN – AAA
Pedro Baez – LAD – High A
Pedro Ciriaco – ARI – AAA
Luis Jimenez – LAA – High A
Brett Lawrie – MIL – AA
Hak-Ju Lee – CHC – A
Alex Liddi – SEA – AA
Osvaldo Martinez – FLA – AA

Outfielders:

Gorkys Hernandez – PIT – AA
Carlos Peguero – SEA – AA
Francisco Peguero – SF – A+
Eury Perez – WAS – A
Wilkin – DET – AAA

The top pitching prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization, Michael Pineda was promoted to Triple-A this week. Pineda was 8-1 in Double-A with a 2.22 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 78 strikeouts in 77 innings. If Cliff Lee is traded next month, Pineda could possibly see some time in the Mariners rotation this year.

His number one issue that he will encounter in the major leagues will be his plate discipline and his strikeouts rate. His strikeout rate of 28% is somewhat high so his average will likely fluctuate some from year-to-year based on luck, but he will be a solid producer in home runs and RBI for years to come.

With the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox closing in on the Tampa Bay Rays and Wade Davis struggling, there is a good chance we will see Jeremy Hellickson some time in the second half. Hellickson is 8-2 in Triple-A with a 2.42 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 84 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings. He has worked scoreless outings in four of his last seven starts and has allowed only three home runs on the season.

With Jake Peavy struggling with injuries for the Chicago White Sox, Dan Hudson may be getting a call up soon to fill a role in the rotation. He has continued his strong run from May into June, where in three starts this month he has a 2.00 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 18 innings while holding hitters to a .175 batting average.

Third basemen Dayan Viciedo of the Chicago White Sox still has some work to do on his plate discipline before he is ready for a promotion to the major leagues. Viciedo is hitting .288 with 13 home runs and 31 RBI in 233 at bats to go along with only eight walks and 52 strikeouts.

First basemen Chris Carter of the Oakland A’s has struggled for most of the year with hi batting average, which currently stands at .249. In 233 at bats, Carter has 15 home runs and 47 RBI. Like most young power hitters, he needs to work on making contact as a 30% strikeout rate is going to make it hard to maintain a good batting average in the major leagues.

Jay Jackson of the Chicago Cubs started the season in the rotation in Triple-A, switched to relief for a short time as the club got him ready in case they needed bullpen help, but he has now gone back into the rotation. For the season, Jackson has a 2.90 ERA with a .98 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings.

If the San Diego Padres trade Heath Bell at some point, Triple-A closer Ernesto Frieri could be in the mix for saves down the line. Frieri moved to closer in 2010 after being in the starting rotation  in 2009 and part of 2008. Frieri has a 2.00 ERA and a .93 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 27 innings while holding hitters to a .122 average.

Lincoln was 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 68 1/3 innings with 55 strikeouts. It has been a long journey to the major leagues for Lincoln who was the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft and then missed the entire 2007 season following Tommy John surgery in April of that year. Lincoln got the start against Cincinnati on Wednesday night and allowed five runs on six innings with three strikeouts.

Jose Tabata was also promoted today and started in left field and hit lead off for Pittsburgh, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base. Tabata was hitting .308 in 224 at bats with three home runs, 19 RBI and 25 stolen bases. He has already stolen more bases so far this year than in any other season in the minor leagues with a high of 22 occurring back in 2005. He show far has not shown the ability to hit for power, but if your team is in need of stolen bases, he could be a good addition to your fantasy baseball team.

The one name missing from the list of Pittsburgh promotions was third basemen Pedro Alvarez. Alvarez started off slow in April and has been working to improve his plate discipline and performance against left-handed pitching. He was much better in May with a .294 batting average and six home runs and 30 RBI in 102 at bats. He is hitting .417 over his last 10 games and I would expect to see him promoted by the end of the month.

It looks like the Minnesota Twins might have a Denard Span clone in Double-A in the form of Ben Revere. Revere is hitting .303 with one home run, 16 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 208 at bats. A first round pick in 2007, Revere has hit over .300 at four different levels while stealing over 40 bases in both 2008 and 2009.

Outfielder Ryan Kalish was promoted to Triple-A by the Boston Red Sox after hitting .293 with eight home runs, 29 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 150 at bats. Even more impressive was his plate discipline with 28 walks against only 21 strikeouts at the age of 22.

Pitcher Michael Pineda of the Seattle Mariners is off to a great start in Double-A with a 2.10 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in 64 1/3 innings with 70 strikeouts. He still has some work to do against left-handed hitters who are hitting .286 against him compared to right-handed batters hitting only .161 before he moves up to the next level.

Second basemen Reese Havens has New York Met fans dreaming about about an infield of David Wright, Jose Reyes, Havens and Ike Davis around the diamond in 2011. Havens, a first-round pick in the 2008 draft is hitting .344 since being promoted to Double-A with six home runs and 12 RBI in 61 at bats.

1) Stephen Strasburg (WAS) – not much to say about him as he as lived up to the hype. Is expected to get his first major league start on June 8th. It looks like the Washington Nationals are going to limit him to around 100 innings or so in the minor leagues. The only number that is potentially impacted is his win total. For example, if he were to theoretically throw 11 complete games, then he hits the mark and is done in August. If he say averages 6 innings per start, then he would get roughly 16 starts the rest of the way which would give him a chance for five additional wins. His minor league numbers to date show a 1.43 ERA with a .79 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings with a .157 batting average against.

2) Carlos Santana (CLE) – There has been very little chatter out of Cleveland as to when Santana may be recalled but with only Lou Marson in front of him, it should be any day now. Santana is hitting .316 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI in 51 games. He has also walked 42 times and struck out 34 which is pretty incredible for a switch-hitting 24-year-old. On top of that, he has also stolen six bases without being caught.

3) Mike Stanton (FLO) – it seems like every day there is news on when Stanton is coming to the major leagues. While the power is legit, there are still questions I have with a strikeout rate of 28% in Double-A. Jumping Triple-A to the majors gives me concern for his batting average, but not his power numbers. He is not going to steal any bases so home runs and RBI is what he is bringing to the table. Stanton is currently hitting .300 with 20 home runs and 50 RBI in 49 games.

4) Aroldis Chapman (CIN) – Chapman has run off three solid starts in a row after struggling in mid-May. He now sports a 3.42 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP with 60 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings. His control and pitch counts are what is keeping him in the minor leagues and with the Cincinnati Reds rotation pitching decent and the team winning there is no need to rush him despite the talent he possesses. I think with another few starts like his last three in succession though would make it easier for the team to promote him with some momentum.

5) Madison Bumgarner (SF) – it looked like Bumgarner was getting close to a call up but the San Francisco Giants have stuck with Todd Wellemeyer as the 5th starter and he has come up with two solid starts in a row. Bumgarner is pitching tonight in Triple-A and has run off 25 1/3 scoreless innings. His season numbers stand at a 2.04 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP and 40 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings. With Brian Sabean taking forever to promote Buster Posey and his love of veteran players, Bumgarner might be down on the farm a little longer than he should be.

6) Jake Arrieta (BAL) – there are many holes in the Baltimore rotation so he could be called up at any point this season. He has a 1.91 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP to go along with 60 strikeouts in 66 innings. He has improved his control in his last three starts with two walks per start so he is getting closer to getting the call up. He has also held opposing hitters to a .183 batting average so far this season.

7) Brett Wallace (TOR) – with Lyle Overbay starting to hit a little bit and the Blue Jays banging out home runs every night, there has not been much of a swell of support for Wallace despite his performance in Triple-A. Wallace is hitting .282 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI  in 209 at bats. He still needs a little bit of work on his plate discipline, but he could be called up at anytime and up some decent numbers for your team.

Desmond Jennings (TB) – Jennings may have been higher on the list had he not suffered through several injuries to start the season. As it is, with Tampa Bay rolling and the versatility of so many players on the major league team, it is easier to give him more at bats in Triple-A and let him get in a groove which he has yet to find so far this season. Jennings is hitting .248 with 12 stolen bases in 101 at bats.

9) Dan Hudson (CHW) – every time it seems like Freddy Garcia is on the verge of getting bounced from the rotation, he goes out and throws a gem, leaving Hudson to work more in Triple-A. Outside of a bad April, Hudson has turned it around with a solid May, going 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, including 44 strikeouts in 37 innings.

10) Tanner Scheppers (TEX) – not sure how much of a fantasy impact he will have as a set up pitcher, but with all of the volatility we have seen this season at the closer position, you can never go wrong with a power arm in the bullpen. Scheppers has pitched in relief at two levels this year and has a 1.00 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 42 strikeouts in 27 innings. He could serve a set up role for the Texas Rangers the second half of the season.

Arrieta on the other hand at the same level has a 1.86 ERA to go along with a 1.14 WHIP ratio and 55 strikeouts in 63 innings. He is holding hitters to a measly .181 batting average which is almost 70 points lower than that of Tillman. He still needs to harness his control as evidenced by his 4.6 walks per nine innings. He has worked scoreless outings in four of his 10 starts so far this season.

Jeremy Hellickson continues to carve up Triple-A hitters and sits ready for a call up to Tampa Bay. Hellickson tossed a one-hit gem on Monday with eight shutout innings and five strikeouts. He has a 2.79 ERA after 10 starts with a 1.22 WHIP ratio and 60 strikeouts in 58 innings. He has allowed more than three runs in only one start so far this year.

If you break down the numbers of Daniel Hudson in Triple-A it has been really a tale of two different months. He was bombed in April to the tune of a 9.37 ERA with six home runs allowed in 16 1/3 innings. He has completely righted the ship in May and gotten back on track with a 1.97 ERA in five starts with 41 strikeouts in 32 innings. The man ahead of him in the major leagues, Freddy Garcia has been inconsistent with a 5.68 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. With the Chicago White Sox struggling and possible changes around the corner, Hudson should be seeing his ticket punched to the majors early this summer.

Desmond Jennings has returned to action in Triple-A after missing time the first part of the season with various injuries. He has not shown much power in three weeks of at bats, but his speed has been on display. Jennings is hitting .260 with no home runs, five RBI and 11 stolen bases.

Mike Moustakas is punishing Double-A pitching and could be looking at a bump up to Triple-A very shortly. Moustakas is hitting .390 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI with 17 walks against only 18 strikeouts in 118 at bats. He could finally be the long term solution the Kansas City Royals are looking for at third base.

Lars Anderson was promoted to Triple-A several weeks ago by the Boston Red Sox and has slowed down at the plate after a scorching start at Double-A. Anderson is hitting .243 in 70 at bats in Triple-A with two home runs and nine RBI. His overall numbers have him with a .295 average, seven home runs and 25 RBI on the season.

If you are in a one year league and you still are carrying Aroldis Chapman on reserve, it is getting toward crunch time for how much longer you can carry him. I dropped him in my 15-team mixed league this past weekend in order to grab another starter. Chapman has been hit hard in two of his last three starts, allowing 15 runs in 14 innings. Yes, he does throw hard and can rack up strikeouts, but his lack of control (21 walks in 35 innings) means he won’t be lasting too long in games if he was called up to the major leagues.

Jay Jackson looked like he was going to be first in line in Triple-A to fill a spot in the Chicago Cubs rotation. Instead, with relief pitching hard to come by and the failure of the Carlos Zambrano experiment, Jackson has been shifted to the bullpen which kills his value for 2010 if he remains in that role.

Kyle Gibson of the Minnesota Twins was promoted to Double-A last week and sparkled in his debut, tossing 7 1/3 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts. Gibson was the Twins first round pick in 2009 and has a 1.60 ERA through eight starts with 50 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings.

Yonder Alonso was promoted to Triple-A by the Cincinnati Reds despite having less than stellar stats in AA. Alonso was hitting .267 with three home runs and 13 RBI in 101 at bats. Alonso has seen time at first base and in the outfield since he is blocked in the major leagues by Joey Votto.

Kyle Drabek continues to chug along in Double-A with five wins and a 3.06 ERA after eight starts. Drabek has struck out 45 in 47 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .236 batting average.

For those of you in deep dynasty leagues, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels has lived up to his top prospect billing after being a first round pick in 2009. In Single-A, Trout is hitting .372 with five home runs, 15 RBI and 20 stolen bases.