DotF: Solano and Higashioka have big games in AAA win

Got some notes to pass long, as usual:

• In case you missed it earlier, the Yankees are sending SS Gleyber Torres, SS Tyler Wade, 3B Miguel Andujar, 1B Greg Bird, and RHP Brody Koerner to the Arizona Fall League. They still have three pitching spots to fill. Farm system head Gary Denbo told Chad Jennings that Torres will play some second base and Wade will play some outfield in the desert. Intrigue!
• Another in case you missed it earlier: OF Ben Gamel was traded for the Mariners for teenage pitching prospects RHP Juan DePaula and RHP Jio Orozco. Gamel was named MVP of the Triple-A International League just yesterday. It was only a matter of time until the Yankees traded one of their upper level lefty hitting outfielders.
• Some injury updates from Randy Miller: RHP James Kaprielian (flexor) is still on his throwing program and will get back on a mound soon. The Yankees want to send him to the AzFL but won’t push it. Also, RHP Drew Finley is out with elbow fatigue, but tests showed no structural damage.
• LHP Justus Sheffield and LHP James Reeves have been promoted from High-A Tampa to Double-A Trenton, report Matt Kardos and Nick Flammia. Nice little late season promotions for those two. LHP Nestor Cortes, meanwhile, was sent from Triple-A to High-A, the team announced. He threw 5.2 hitless innings in his spot start with the RailRiders.
• RHP Dillon Tate has been hitting 96 mph out of the bullpen with Low-A Charleston, reports Brendan Kuty. Tate’s velocity had been fluctuating all year with the Rangers, and it looks like it’s starting to come back. The next step is seeing whether he can hold that velocity as a starter.

Triple-A Scranton (14-2 win over Buffalo)

• CF Mason Williams: 2-6, 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 K — hitting .330/.333/.418 in his last 23 games … you’d like to see more walks, but the shoulder seems a-okay
• LF Cesar Puello: 1-4, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 E (fielding) — that’s his 16th hit-by-pitch of the season and it’s not even close to a career high … he has seasons with 20, 21, and 22 hit-by-pitches, plus two others 16 … dude’s a pitch magnet
• 3B Rob Refsnyder: 1-6, 2 RBI, 3 K
• 1B Chris Parmelee: 1-6, 1 R, 1 K, 1 E (fielding)
• DH Donovan Solano: 4-5, 5 R, 3 2B — hitting .317/.345/.434 on the season
• C Kyle Higashioka: 3-4, 4 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB — that’s his 21st homer of the season … his previous career high was eight back in 2011
• RF Jake Cave: 3-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
• LHP Jordan Montgomery: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 6/4 GB/FB — 62 of 86 pitches were strikes (72%) … set a franchise record with a 29.2 innings scoreless streak
• LHP Richard Bleier: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 4/1 GB/FB — 17 of 20 pitches were strikes (85%) … 20 pitches in three innings? huh … guessing this was a tune-up appearance ahead of a call-up Friday

Double-A Trenton (7-2 loss to New Hampshire)

• SS Tyler Wade: 1-4, 1 R
• CF Dustin Fowler: 0-4 — snaps his eight-game hitting streak
• 2B Abi Avelino: 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 E (fielding)
• RF Billy McKinney: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 K — 8-for-26 (.308) with three doubles, a triple, and a homer in his last six games
• RHP Kyle Haynes: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1 HB, 7/2 GB/FB — 53 of 86 pitches were strikes (62%)
• LHP James Reeves: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HB, 0/1 GB/FB — 18 of 31 pitches were strikes (58%) … 113/30 K/BB in 95 innings for last year’s tenth rounder

High-A Tampa‘s doubleheader was rained out. The games were cancelled and will not be made up. Also, the team has already postponed tomorrow’s game due to Tropical Storm Hermine. They’re going to make that game up as part of a doubleheader Sunday.

Low-A Charleston (6-5 win over Hagerstown)

• SS Kyle Holder: 2-4, 1 R — 25-for-74 (.338) in 18 games since coming off the DL
• 3B Mandy Alvarez: 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 K
• RF Jhalan Jackson: 1-4 — threw a runner out at the plate
• C Luis Torrens: 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HBP
• RHP Luis Cedeno: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HB, 5/2 GB/FB — 60 of 95 pitches were strikes (63%)
• RHP Dillon Tate: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0/2 GB/FB — 22 of 40 pitches were strikes (55%)

Short Season Staten Island (5-4 win over Connecticut)

• CF Dom Thompson-Williams: 0-5, 2 K
• 2B Nick Solak: 2-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K — 12-for-28 (.429) in his last seven games
• RF Timmy Robinson: 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K — threw a runner out at third
• 3B Drew Bridges: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
• SS Angel Aguilar: 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K — having a nice finish to the season
• RHP Jonathan Padilla: 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 HB, 3/6 GB/FB — 59 of 87 pitches were strikes (68%)
• RHP Josh Roeder: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 4/0 GB/FB – 26 of 37 pitches were strikes (70%) … 45/6 K/BB in 40.2 innings for last year’s 21st rounder

Rookie Pulaski (8-0 win over Johnson City) their season ends tomorrow … they’ve already been eliminated from postseason contention

• SS Wilkerman Garcia: 0-5, 2 K, 1 E (throwing)
• CF Estevan Florial: 1-3, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB — 5-for-12 (.417) in his last three games after an extended slump
• C Donny Sands: 2-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB — 7-for-15 (.467) with two homers, two walks, and one strikeout in his last four games
• 1B Brandon Wagner: 1-4, 1 BB, 1 K
• RF Isiah Gilliam: 0-5, 1 RBI, 1 K
• DH Leonardo Molina: 1-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
• RHP Spencer Mahoney: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 3/0 GB/FB
• LHP Phil Diehl: 3 IP, zeroes, 2 K, 4/2 GB/FB — 38/6 K/BB in 31.2 innings

Both the Rookie GCL Yanks East & West were rained out. They’re scheduled to play doubleheaders tomorrow, but Tropical Storm Hermine may not allow it. Tomorrow is the last day of the GCL regular season, and the storm means these two clubs may have already played their final games. We’ll see.