Minor Matters

Good morning Fackers. Here are some minor league news and notes to start off your humpday:

• Jesus Montero has begun his AAA career with a six game hitting streak. He's also hitting just .250 as he's picked up just one hit in each game. Such are the trappings of hitting streaks. Montero came up with a big eighth inning hit last night, giving Scranton the lead for good and allowing Kei Igawa to earn a vulture victory in relief of an outstanding Ivan Nova.


• Scranton manager Dave Miley has been rotating infielders Kevin Russo, Reegie Corona, and Eduardo Nunez through the infield positions. All three have seen time at each of second base, third base, and shortstop thus far. Miley is also rotating the outfielders through all three positions and David Winfree started at first base last night. Due to paperwork issues related to the waiver claim, Chad Huffman did not make his Scranton debut until last night.


• Alan Horne, who has missed the majority of the last two years after winning Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors in 2007, has decided against surgery to repair a tear in his rotator cuff. After consulting with Dr. James Andrews, Horne has instead decided to try rest and rehab combined with platelet rich plasma treatments. Let's just hope he stays away from Dr. Galea.


• The official diagnosis is in on Christian Garcia, and it's not good: torn elbow ligament. No course of action has been determined yet, but Garcia is likely staring at a second Tommy John surgery and third overall elbow surgery in the last four years. This could be death blow for Garcia's career. It would easy to write him off as impressive talent who just couldn't stay healthy, but as his comments to Mike Ashmore indicate, Garcia is optimistic and appreciative of the support he's received in the past. That's an awful lot of grace to display in light of what he's facing.


• Garcia's spot in the Trenton rotation has been taken by Lance Pendleton. Pendleton had a strong season between Tampa and Trenton last year, but had been squeezed out of the rotation in the numbers game. He got roughed up in his start last night.


• Pendleton has been replaced in the bullpen by Jon Van Benschoten. The Yankees signed him as a minor league free agent this past off-season and had been in Extended Spring Training. Despite being thirty years old, a former first round, eighth overall draft pick, and having made just one appearance in AA since 2003, Van Benschoten is happy to have a job.


• Top pitching prospect Manny Banuelos was scratched from his scheduled start for Tampa on Sunday. He was later added to the disabled list. No official word has been released yet, but the prevailing rumor is that he had an appendectomy. I'll take a freak appendectomy over an arm injury any day.


• Just as the Yankees shared their Stadium with Pele and the New York Cosmos in the 1970s, the Tampa Yankees will be sharing Steinbrenner Field with FC Tampa this year. (h/t Pending Pinstripes)

We've got another weekday matinee today. Back with more in a bit.