DotF: Littell dominates in Double-A debut

Promotions! A few pitchers are moving up, and it’s all a big chain reaction to RHP Domingo German and RHP Luis Cessa joining the Yankees in the wake of CC Sabathia’s hamstring injury. The moves:

• RHP Domingo Acevedo has been promoted from Double-A Trenton to Triple-A Scranton, reports Brendan Kuty. He only got to Trenton on May 19th. Acevedo has a 3.25 ERA (2.66 FIP) with 27.5% strikeouts and 4.0% walks in 12 starts and 74.2 total innings this year.
• RHP Zack Littell is going from High-A Tampa to Double-A Trenton, according to Matt Kardos. He’d been at High-A since last July, before coming over from the Mariners in the James Pazos trade. Littell has a 1.76 ERA (3.31 FIP) with 20.2% strikeouts and 5.3% walks in 66.1 innings this year.
• RHP Eric Ruth as been released, per Kardos. He signed with the Yankees as an undrafted free agent shortly after the 2013 draft, and he’s been in the system as an organizational depth arm ever since. The Yankees need the roster spot for all the arms moving up the ladder.

Triple-A Scranton (8-2 loss to Rochester)

• 3B Tyler Wade: 3-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 K, 1 SB — hitting streak up to 14 games
• RF Dustin Fowler: 0-5
• 1B Tyler Austin: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
• LF Clint Frazier: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K — threw a runner out at home
• SS Gleyber Torres: 1-4, 1 K
• CF Mason Williams: 1-4, 2 K
• RHP Bryan Mitchell: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 2/3 GB/FB — 43 of 60 pitches were strikes (72%)
• RHP J.P. Feyereisen: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 3/0 GB/FB — 27 of 37 pitches were strikes (73%) … 11/8 K/BB in 8.2 innings at this level

Double-A Trenton (5-1 win over Hartford)

• SS Thairo Estrada: 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 E (fielding)
• CF Rashad Crawford: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
• 3B Miguel Andujar: 1-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 E (throwing) — he’s been red hot for a good month now
• LF Billy McKinney: 2-5, 2 2B, 2 K — two doubles tonight after back-to-back games with a homer
• 2B Abi Avelino: 0-2, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 E (fielding)
• RHP Zack Littell: 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, 1 WP, 10/1 GB/FB — 72 of 108 pitches were strikes (67%) … ties a career high in strikeouts in his Double-A debut
• RHP Colten Brewer: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 0/2 GB/FB — eleven of 19 pitches were strikes (58%)

High-A Tampa (3-1 win over Bradenton)

• LF Tito Polo: 0-5, 3 K
• 2B Nick Solak: 0-4, 3 K
• RF Trey Amburgey: 0-4, 2 K
• SS Kyle Holder: 1-4, 1 K
• LHP Ian Clarkin: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 4/1 GB/FB — 36 of 68 pitches were strikes (53%), plus he picked two runners off first … 5/8 K/BB in seven innings in his last two starts

Low-A Charleston (2-0 loss to West Virginia)

• 2B Diego Castillo: 1-4, 1 E (fielding)
• 3B Oswaldo Cabrera & RF Isiah Gilliam: both 0-3, 1 BB — Gilliam struck out
• SS Hoy Jun Park & C Donny Sands: 0-4 — Sands committed a passed ball
• RHP Jio Orozco: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 7/3 GB/FB — 54 of 91 pitches were strikes (59%)
• RHP Matt Frawley: 2 IP, zeroes, 4 K, 1/1 GB/FB — 19 of 28 pitches were strikes (68%) … organizational debut after coming over from the Pirates earlier this week … 36/4 K/BB in 35.1 innings this season

The short leagues are coming! Short Season Staten Island begins play Monday, Rookie level Pulaski starts next Thursday, and the two Rookie GCL Yanks affiliates begin the Monday after the that. The rosters have not been announced yet.