Blue Jays infielder Mark DeRosa was claimed on waivers Wednesday evening, but Toronto will not trade him, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

It has not been reported which team made the claim.

Michael Young Clears Waivers

Philadelphia got the veteran through the waiver wire, but still have to clear the hurdle of Young's no-trade clause if they want to move him.

While it seems odd at first blush that the Jays would be protective of a player they placed on the wire, things are a little different in August. DeRosa is just one of hundreds of players who will go on revokable waivers this month. Most teams put nearly all players on waivers in August to get a sense of what their market would be if they were made available, but have no plans of actually moving the players.

There's always a chance that the Jays did intend to move DeRosa, but if so they were probably hoping he would make it through the wire unclaimed so they could negotiate a trade with anybody and everybody rather than just one team. Now that the Jays have (presumably) pulled DeRosa back from waivers, they cannot do so again. If they put him back on the wire before the end of the season, they'll have to either trade, option or release him.

DeRosa, 38, has rebounded nicely from a down 2012 season. The 16-year veteran is batting .231/.320/.449 with seven home runs in 62 games as the Jays' reserve infielder. Toronto holds a team-friendly $750,000 option on DeRosa for next season, so may end up hanging on to him.

More from SB Nation:

• Spencer Hall: A-Rod should be allowed to take all the drugs

• Is Jose Iglesias this year's Orlando Cabrera?

• How much would you give CC Sabathia now?

• Grading Bryce Harper's unwritten rule-breaking

• Longform: The death of a ballplayer

Bad news for Blue Jays fans who plan to use the TTC to head down to the Rogers Centre this weekend to catch the series with the Oakland Athletics: there will be no subway service in most of the downtown core this Saturday and Sunday. The TTC have announced that the Yonge-University-Spadina line (the yellow line) will be shut down between Bloor-Yonge and St. George stations, meaning that St. Andrew and Union stations--the two that are closest to the stadium--will not have trains running through them. The TTC are shutting down the line for signal installation.

The TTC will be running replacement buses, but they will likely be very crowded right before and after the game.

"Shuttle buses on both Yonge St. and University Ave. will be very frequent," Brad Ross, TTC's head of communications told Bluebird Banter.

Ross also suggested that commuters can choose to take the 6 Bay bus, which can be boarded from the Bay subway station on the Bloor-Danforth Line (which will remain open for the weekend). Traveling southbound, it will drop you off at Bay and Front as well as Bay and Queen's Quay.

Usually, the 510 Spadina streetcar would be a good alternative to get to the ballpark, but because of track installation at Spadina Avenue and King Street, the TTC will be operating a replacement bus service. The 510 replacement bus will actually be travelling right past the Rogers Centre, but it is unknown whether it will make any stops nearby. Ross is working on confirming the details of the 510 re-routing, and we will bring you any updates from the TTC.

Because of the trackwork at Spadina and King, the 504 King streetcar will be diverted on to Queen Street for the stretch between Church Street and Shaw Street.

Also, since the King and Spadina intersection is closed, expect delays even if you are driving to the game. The York-Bay-Yonge exit off the Gardiner Expressway would likely be preferable to the Spadina exit.

GO Transit is not expecting any service disruptions.

UPDATE: TTC communications advisor Jessica Martin tells us that there will be a temporary bus stop at Bremner Boulevard.

Martin adds, "[the] 510 Spadina replacement buses are diverting south on Peter St. – Blue Jays Way, east on Bremner Blvd, south on Rees St., west on Queens Quay, north on Spadina Ave. to northbound routing. [Blue Jays] fans taking the TTC are encouraged to utilize replacement buses from Spadina Station. Customers can board replacement buses on the main bus platform at Spadina Station."

I squint my eyes and twist my tanned toes into the fine sand of a Saharan dune while peering out towards the orange haze of a tumbling afternoon sun. Down in the flats, a nomad leads his weary camels towards town. He wears a white headscarf to shield his face from the harsh desert winds, and a long sky-blue gown collared with bright gold cloth, typical of Mauritania. As he passes, he looks up at the dune where I sit waiting to take a few photos of a mosque long since taken by the sands of time. He waves. I return the gesture.

A foreigner so far out here, in the heart of Mauritania is a rarity. This town was once settled along the great trans-Saharan caravan route where camel convoys once carried goods, slaves, and most of all, ideas. In the old town, there are almost as many Quaranic schools as there are people. Ancient libraries still shelve handwritten text on yellowing scrolls from hundreds of years back. Locals claim that Chinguetti is the seventh holiest city of Islam, and scholars still trek here from around the world.

Tourists used to come by as well. However, fears of terrorism, the departure of the Dakar Rally, and the red flag that so many foreign ministries have leveled on the region means that I’m the only tourist in town. The guestbook at the house I’m staying claims I’m the first visitor in over five months.

Photo courtesy of Brendan von Son.

Soon, the sun settles behind the old mosque, its minaret, and ostrich-egg topped spire, are silhouetted in front of the dramatic sky. I flicker off a couple photos and then just lay back, enjoy the lightshow and the cool reprieve of a summer’s evening breeze. I watch the sand twist as a sandsnake meanders below the surface and realize it’s time to retreat towards town some three kilometers away before the desert wakes.

"I wonder how the Blue Jays did yesterday," I think to myself while using my camera’s tripod as a bat, swinging into the desolate dusk air.

Since leaving Canada to travel the world over four years ago, I stopped following hockey, my former passion of basketball as simmered, but the Jays, I have never stopped following the Jays.

With the heavy blue hue of the evening sky now settled fully over Chinguetti, the call for prayer sings out, muting all other sounds. I walk into the new town, where electricity has been installed only five years ago, and an internet connection is new as of last year. I pass by a couple men bowing in prayer and flip open the door of the internet café.

The monitor from a PC surely built around the same time as the last Blue Jays playoff appearance flickers as I punch bluebirdbanter.com into the toolbar.

"Jays lose third straight," it reads as part of me laughs the other part of me shakes my head.

Some might wonder why I put myself through the agony of being a Jays’ fan. But I’ve always liked a challenge. I’ve always preferred doing things the hard way. Hell, just to get here to Chinguetti I had to stowaway on an iron ore train for 14 hours, and hitchhike in the back of a vendor’s pick-up another eight. Sure I could have taken the bus, but the bus if for Yankees fans, those who marvel in the predictable and uninspiring. Me, I’m seduced by adventure, and teased by the idea that something inspiring might take place.

I hand the 10-year-old boy in charge of the internet café a coin and hike back across to the old town, where there are no road lights and the streets are simple sand. I open the door to my guesthouse, climb to the roof-top terrace where I’ve stowed my mattress. I lay back and stare unblinkingly into the star filled night completely and utterly awed.

A shooting star streams through the heart of the Milky Way and I can’t help but be humbled by the world I live in. What a perfect place.

Well, if the Jays ever start to win again it would be.

Brendan van Son is a travel writer and photographer. He hails from Alberta and has recently completed a long journey from Mali to South Africa on a scooter named Anne Murray. Read about his surreal experiences at www.brendansadventures.com and follow him on Twitter at @Brendanvanson.

Good morning prospect watchers. The top 20 reviews are almost done, just one team left now, the San Francisco Giants, which will be posted tomorrow morning. I'm taking some time away from writing this weekend so posting may be lighter than normal starting tomorrow afternoon, although I will still be around to make sure the discussions are going smoothly. We will be fully operational Monday.


***Yesterday's Minor League Ball Gameday thread.

***Ten strikeouts from Cleveland Indians rookie Danny Salazar yesterday against the Detroit Tigers in his second major league start. Between Double-A, Triple-A, and the majors this year he now has a 146/26 K/BB ratio in 107 innings with just 80 hits allowed. That's like, really good and stuff. That's baseball for you; Trevor Bauer is busy walking the league in Triple-A, while under-the-radar Salazar sneaks up and dominates.

***Excellent game yesterday from Toronto Blue Jays prospect Sean Nolin, with 13 strikeouts over six innings against Bowie. Nolin now has a 2.84 ERA with a 99/34 K/BB in 86 innings on the season.

***Detroit Tigers infield prospect Devon Travis hit two homers and drove in seven yesterday for High-A Lakeland in the Florida State League, where he's now hitting .397/.444/.552 in 29 games since being promoted from Low-A. On the season he's at .365/.434/.505, not bad for a guy who was a 13th round pick. He was an effective player at Florida State University for three years but fell in the draft because he was undersized and not toolsy enough.

***Twelve more strikeouts from Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Tyler Glasnow yesterday, who now has a 140/51 K/BB in 97 innings for Low-A West Virginia. Rolling along.

***Craig Goldstein looks atMax Stassi, the injury-plagued Houston Astros catching prospect who has managed to stay healthy this year and is having a fine season in Double-A.

More from Minor League Ball:

• Prospect of the Day: Andrew Albers, LHP, Minnesota Twins
• Miami Marlins Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Minor League Ball Gameday, August 7
• Chicago White Sox Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Prospect of the Day: Wilmer Flores, INF, New York Mets
• Baseball and radio: the perfect marriage
• Minor League Ball Gameday, August 6
• Kansas City Royals Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Prospect of the Day: Engel Beltre, OF, Texas Rangers
• Minor League Ball Gameday, August 5
• Colorado Rockies Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Prospect of the Day: Marcus Semien, INF, Chicago White Sox

I never want to root for my team to lose, but that doesn't seem to matter for the 2013 Yankees. They are currently one game over .500, fourth in the division, well behind several teams for a wild card spot, and have one of the worst offenses in all of baseball. I would gladly love to see the Yankees turn it around, catch fire, have Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez go on a tear, and Derek Jeter finally stay healthy. That just doesn't seem to be happening.

Instead of rooting for them to lose, I'm using the MLB Reverse Standings as a way to cope with a season of disappointment. Now I can turn loses into positives and hope for a brighter future. Would I rather have a playoff birth in 2013? Yes, of course, but this is better than nothing.

According to Baseball America's Reverse Major League Standings tracker, the Yankees rank No. 16, which means they will have a very high pick in the 2014 draft. It's highly unlikely they will have a protected pick, which go to the ten worst teams in baseball, but the Yankees have not had a pick this high since 1993, when they chose right-handed pitcher Matt Drews 13th overall. Since then they haven't had a pick in the teens since they drafted C.J. Henry 17th overall in 2005. Obviously, neither of those picked worked out, but after the draft they had this year, I have more confidence in what they can do with the 16th overall pick.

This doesn't mean much, but just to get an idea of what kind of talent the 16th overall pick can generate: Brett Lawrie in 2008, Chris Volstad in 2005, Nick Swisher in 2002, Lance Berkman in 1997. This past season, J.P. Crawford was taken 16th overall by the Phillies and Baseball America ranked him as the 15th best prospect in the draft. Lucas Giolito was picked by the Nationals the year before that and ranked No. 67 at the end of the 2012 season. The pick is not in slam dunk top prospect territory, but it gives a mediocre organization the chance at finding some top-rated talent.

There is plenty of time for the Yankees' position to change, since they are only one game "ahead" of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It doesn't look like they will go any higher than this with the Washington Nationals sitting at six games under .500 and then the Toronto Blue Jays at eight games under .500. "Beating out" the Blue Jays would mean finishing dead last in the American League East and I don't see that happening, but there would be a nifty consolation prize if they did.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Yankees prospects: Francisco Rondon is putting himself back on the map
• Michael Young clears waivers, but is it already too late?
• MLB's Other Problem: Umpires
• Johnny Damon: Alex Rodriguez suspension diminishes 2009 World Series Championship
• Three Yankees earn Best Tools designation from Baseball America

Over the past 14 days, the Jays have gone 8-6. There has been some good baseball, and some terrible baseball. Today is their first day off since the All-Star break.

Welcome to waiver season, where teams put their players on waivers and see who is interested. This process is mostly procedural, but sometimes trades can take place. When a team puts a player on waivers, they have 47 hours to be claimed. Once claimed, the claiming team has 48.5 hours to make a deal or the player's team can pull him back or hand him and his salary over for nothing.

• Mark DeRosa was claimed off waivers, but the Blue Jays have no intention of trading him.
• Mike Gonzalez of the Brewers has been put on waivers.
• Aaron Harang of the Mariners has been put on waivers.
• Dan Haren has been put on waivers.
• Brandon League of the Dodgers has been put on waivers.
• Kyle Lohse has been put on waivers.
• Placido Polanco of the Marlins has been put on waivers.
• Alex Rios has been claimed by the Rangers, who previously tried to acquire him at the deadline.
• Jimmy Rollins has cleared waivers, but won't be going anywhere.
• Adam Rosales, freshly claimed by the Rangers from the Athletics has been claimed right back by Oakland.
• Casper Wells was claimed off waivers by the Phillies and will join the team soon.
• Michael Youngcleared waivers, so the Phillies can now trade him to any team as long as he waives his no trade clause.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Donald Trump comments on Alex Rodriguez, doesn't know what he's talking about
• How bad are the Yankees at developing young pitchers? Part Three
• MLB Reverse Standings: One way to cope with the 2013 Yankees season
• Pinstripe Alley Top 100 Yankees: #95 Lou Piniella
• Yankees prospects: Francisco Rondon is putting himself back on the map

Down at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, the Bisons swept a doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Yankees affiliate) on Thursday. The two wins, coupled with losses by the Norfolk Tides (Orioles affiliate) and the Pawtucket Red Sox (guess!), pulled the Bisons into the International League Wild Card lead, percentage points (.5169 vs .5166) above the Tides.

Being a Blue Jays fan, watching standings is a completely new feeling. It is weird, but I like it. There is still a lot of baseball to go for Bisons with 26 games left in the 144-game International League season, but it's still nice to see them in the lead. The 61-57 Bisons are 3.5 games behind the Rochester Red Wings (Twins affiliate) in the North division. Interestingly, the Tides play the Red Wings for four games this upcoming weekend--who should Bisons fans cheer for? The Voice of the Bisons weighs in:

@Minor_Leaguer I say Rochester, #Bisons have 7 more games left with them head-2-head with Red Wings.

— Ben Wagner (@benwag247) August 9, 2013

In game one, the Bisons won 5-2 behind a complete game effort by starter Thad Weber (games are only seven innings long in minor league doubleheaders). Weber only gave up four hits and two runs in seven innings, striking out seven RailRiders while walking two. He gave up one homer, unfortunately it was to Corey Patterson, who has been hitting .173/.198/.263 this season with the RailRiders. The Bison offense was led by Moises Sierra, who went 3-for-3, collecting four RBI by slugging a couple of two-run homers.

Home run 1

Home run 2

In the second game, the RailRiders got the first run on a Randy Ruiz solo shot against starter Bobby Korecky. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's bats were silenced for the rest of the game, only getting six hits off of Bisons pitching. They might have gotten more if not for a catch at the wall by Moises Sierra, who provided some glove after swinging the bat in the first half. The way he fell down after hitting the wall is rather comical. However, his elbow would be treated after the game.

All the Bisons needed (and got) were two runs, delivered on an Andy LaRoche single:

Buffalo is hosting the RailRiders for another game on Friday before both teams travel to PNC Field in Moosic for two more in the home-and-home. On Friday, Drew Hutchison will make the start to continue his rehab process. The Bisons will welcome him as a fresh arm is much needed with another doubleheader scheduled for Monday.

In more worrisome news, Ben Wagner reported on Jeff Sammut's show on Sportsnet Radio that Mike Nickeas was hit by a pitch while batting in the forearm, near the wrist, on Tuesday against the Pawtucket Red Sox. He was diagnosed with a non-displaced hairline fracture. Nickeas was told he could continue to throw and swing, but the Bisons will have to wait for the swelling to go down before evaluating whether he can continue to play. With J.P. Arencibia possibly suffering from a knee injury, Nickeas was one of the backup options.

First baseman Clint Robinson was also hit, on the thumb by an errant throw and is having trouble holding a bat, Mike Harrington reports. Luis Jimenez continues to be plagued by knee tendinitis.

Most of the time, I spend little attention to the Gulf Coast League scores, and even less to the Dominican Summer Leagues. Even more so than at other minor league level, the competition is not very strong and the games are more about the development of the players than winning championships, although winning probably still matters to the players themselves. The statistics we get from these leagues are therefore not very meaningful, and should probably not be used to argue the strength of one farm system over the other, for example. Still, this wouldn't be Aspiring Jays if we didn't take a look anyway, for some almost but not totally baseless speculation about the futures of these kids.

I already noted last week that Matt Smoral, Tyler Gonzales, Jake Brentz, Conner Greene and Evan Smith have not started too brightly because of control problems. Daniel Lietz, the 5th rounder of this year's draft, also has a high ERA at 5.70, but his other stats are solid. Clinton Hollon has started very brightly, while Rowdy Tellez has hit .161/.284/.179 in just 16 games. These 2013 draftees should benefit greatly from fall instructional leagues and extended spring training next year before they likely move up to Bluefield, where the games are played in front of an audience that cares, and the games themselves matter more.

The most interesting names on the GCL Blue Jays stat sheet are Franklin Barreto and Jesus Tinoco. Barreto was rated by Baseball America as the best overall international free agent from last year's class. According to them, he won't stick at shortstop most likely, even though he is very speedy and could possibly play center field. In other words, his defense could be an asset, but could also become a liability, it's just too early to tell. With the bat, he's supposed to hit well, and his .292/.363/.500 slashline doesn't disappoint; Barreto is the best 17 year old hitter in the Gulf Coast League currently, though 2013 draft picks Austin Meadows (.313/.398/.525) and J.P. Crawford (.389/.480/.537) have him beat. Interestingly, both were rumored to be Blue Jays targets, but Meadows was snatched away by Pittsburgh one pick before the Blue Jays could select him. Going back in time, we find that no 17-year-olds could come close to Barreto's performance in the GCL of 2012 or 2011, but Gary Sanchez of the Yankees was better in 2010: .353/.419/.597. However, Miguel Sano wasn't better. Jonathan Singleton was better, but Christian Bethancourt wasn't. Higher level flameouts Michael Almanzar and Jefry Marte were also better...but Ruben Tejada and Jesus Montero weren't. So yeah, anything could still happen, but the combination of age and performance is an encouraging one.

Jesus Tinoco is also young, but less so than Franklin Barreto. Unlike Barreto, Tinoco didn't skip the Dominican Summer League. Right now, Tinoco has just a 4.59 ERA, but with 34 Ks in 33 1/3 innings, to go with 15 walks and a good number of groundballs. It's clear that Tinoco has to get the walks under control, but he would probably also benefit from better defense behind him (his FIP is 2.60).

Here's what minor league pitching coordinator Dane Johnson had to say about Tinoco, in a fantastic interview by Gerry from Batter's Box:

Tinoco is a power righthander, a very interesting kid.  Nice delivery, smooth arm action, another guy at 93-95, sometimes 96, has hit 97.  Comes out good, the lanes on his fastball are good.  Again ne needs to corral the command, which has taken a nice turn for the positive since spring training.  Back then he just got to North America, trying to figure out what's it all about.  His curveball is 12-6, its going to be plus, and he has a good feel for the change-up.  Again it's about consistency and going out there and getting the reps every 5 days, 60 pitches every 5 days and we are seeing progress every time out.  He has a nice body, big physical looking kid.

Among pitchers who struggled a bit more than Tinoco in the Gulf Coast League are such pitchers as Jeff Locke, Chris Archer and Kyle Drabek. Oh and yes, Henderson Alvarez. Man, I didn't know Alvarez was doing so well. Well, that trade is looking better by the minute, just like that Dickey trade...

All in all, the Blue Jays have got themselves a lot of nice lottery tickets. Don't write off older lottery tickets either. Gabriel Cenas, for example, is finally hitting: .298/.378/.536 in the GCL, and he's still only 19. He's far from a top prospect, but it's still nice to see. More interesting than Cenas, though, is last year's number 13 from Baseball America's international free agent list: Richard Urena. This guy is supposed to be able to stick at shortstop and he's hitting a solid .294/.382/.407 in the Dominican Summer League. So yeah, lots of nice lottery tickets. The questions are: will they be winning tickets? And will Anthopoulos give them away or keep them?

The Philadelphia Phillies have designated outfielder Delmon Young for assignment, according to an announcement from the team. The team will now have ten days to waive, trade, release or outright the 27-year old.

Young signed a one-year, $750K contract with the Phillies before the season and has not lived up to expectations. In 80 games in right field, Young has hit .261 with 8 HR and 31 RBI, and has struggled defensively all season. According to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Young was nine plate appearances away from an $150K bonus, so the Phillies likely decided to cut him in order to save some money for the rest of the season.

Young will be replaced in right field by Casper Wells, who the Phillies claimed off waivers from the White Sox on Thursday. Due to waiver claims, Wells has been property of five teams (the Mariners, Blue Jays, Athletics, White Sox and Phillies) since April 1st, but has appeared in a majority of his games with Chicago on the season. In 38 games, the 28-year old has hit .167 with 1 RBI.

Now that he is available on waivers, Wells will see if a team is willing to take a chance on him by putting in a claim. Due to his previous success at the major league level and still-existent power threat, it would not be surprising to seem a team take a flyer for the last month and a half of the season.

We looked at the Blue Jays batters yesterday, now it is time for the pitchers.

• Dustin McGowan is on the DL again,he pitched in 2 games, 2.2 innings total, allowed 2 hits, 1 earned, 3 walks and no strikeouts. Batters hit .200/..385/.200 in 10 at bats.
• Sergio Santos is up now. Pitched in 2 games, 3.1 innings, 1 hit (a triple), 1 earned, 0 walks, 2 k. Batters hit .100/.091/.300 in 10 at bats.

More from Bluebird Banter:

• View from the Other Side: A's questions for Alex Hall of Athletics Nation
• Aspiring Jays: Franklin Barreto and lottery tickets
• Who Are Ya: Jarrod Parker
• Dog Days Friday Aug 9, 2013 Links
• Buffalo Bisons Banter: Bisons grab lead of wild-card, Mike Nickeas fractures arm
• Who's Up, Who's Down On the Blue Jays In the Last Two Weeks, July 25 to August 8: Batters
• A travel writer’s tale: watching the Blue Jays from the Sahara
• No TTC subway or streetcar service this weekend to Blue Jays games at Rogers Centre
• Thursday BBB Links: Avoiding a Happ Pun Edition
• Mark DeRosa Claimed on Waivers (Updated: Not Being Moved)

A's 14 Blue Jays 6

That was tough to watch. SB Nation really doesn't pay enough to watch this crap.

JP would like us to talk about the positive, so.....If you only count innings divisible by 2, the Jays win 6-2.

Esmil Rogers was terrible. 3 innings, 7 earned, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 3 home runs allowed, including Reddick's 1st home run. That was his first start of the season without a strikeout.

Neil Wagner wasn't much better, allowing 2 runs and Josh Reddick's 2nd home runs, in his 2 innings of work. Juan Perez allowed 5 more runs, and Reddick's 3rd home run in his 1.2 innings of work, before leaving with some sort on injury.

On offense? Well, we scored 3 runs in the bottom of the second, to half the A's lead and give us a little bit of hope for a moment. Brett Lawrie doubled to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Colby Rasmus scored from first on it, he is a terrific base runner. That was about it until the 8th when Jose Bautista, solo, and Colby Rasmus, 2-run, homered in the 8th.

Jose Bautista hit 2 doubles and a home run in the game he dedicated to to 9-year-old Derek Lendosky, who was killed in an accident in Wisconsin on Sunday.

No on the field Jays of the Day, I'm going to credit the Sleeman Brewing company for JoD.

Suckage goes to Rogers (-.414 WPA).

It is funny how many levels of rock bottom this season has. It doesn't feel like it should get worse than this, but I'm sure it will.

So we knew it wasn't good when Juan Perez left the game tonight but

Gibbons say elbow injury for Juan Perez " doesn't look good." Will need to go on DL and pitcher brought up

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) August 10, 2013

is worse than I was hoping it would be.

Not sure who the Jays will bring up. At Buffalo we have:

• John Stilson with a 1.85 ERA, 13 walks, 25 strikeouts in 34 innings.
• Jeremy Jeffress with a 2.16 ERA with 12 walks, 14 k in 16.2 innings.
• Mickey Storey with a 2.79 ERA with 17 walks and 62 strikeouts in 51.2 innings.
• Thad Weber with a 2.63 ERA with 17 walks and 69 strikeouts in 82 innings.
• Joel Carreno with a 4.30 ERA with 13 walks and 31 strikeouts in 23 innings.

Or perhaps put one of these in at starter and move Rogers to the pen:

• Marcus Stroman with a 2.93, in 15 starts, 21 walks, 99 k in 83 innings in New Hampshire.
• Sean Nolan with a 2.84 ERA in 16 starts, 24 walks, 99 k in 85.2 innings in New Hampshire.
• Ricky Romero with a 6.18 ERA in 17 starts, 52 walks, 56 k in 83 Buffalo innings.
• Drew Hutchison, who is rehabbing, 6 minor league games, 4.95 ERA, 8 walks, 23 K in 20 innings spread through 3 minor league teams.
• Todd Redmond.....well, you know.

So let's leave it open, tell us in the comments who you would call up?

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs tamed the Fresno Grizzlies (Giants), 6-5.

Jake Arrietapitched the first three innings and to the first four batters of the fourth before he was ejected after walking opposing pitcher Yusmeiro Petit. I'm going to make a wild guess and say he questioned the umpire's strike zone judgement. Arrieta allowed two runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked three.

Casey Coleman was called into the game with the bases loaded and no one out after Arrieta was ejected. A run scored on a force out at second and then he got out of the inning with a double play after he caught a line drive back at him and doubled up the runner at first.

Coleman threw four innings and allowed two runs on four hits, including a two-run home run in the seventh inning. Coleman struck out four and walked two as he got his third win of the season.

Brian Schlitter tossed a perfect ninth inning for his 15th save. He struck out two.

Left fielder Ty Wright hit his ninth home run of the year, and sixth with Iowa, in the bottom of the  second inning with a man on to give Iowa an early 2-0 lead. Wright was 1 for 4.

First baseman Brad Nelson went 3 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored one run.

Right fielder Jae-Hoon Ha went 3 for 5 with a double and a run batted in. Center fielder Julio Borbon was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Shortstop Edwin Maysonet went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored once and had one run batted in.

Catcher Chad Noble was 2 for 4 and scored one run.

Tennessee Smokies

It was a wild one at Smokies Park tonight as the Smokies beat the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays) 11-10.

Starter Dae-Eun Rhee allowed four runs when he gave up back-to-back home runs. But he only gave up one more run the rest of the way and actually exited the game with a 6-5 lead. Rhee's final line was five runs allowed on seven hits over five innings. Rhee struck out four and walked three.

The Smokies scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 10-5 lead, but the bullpen slowly gave it back, giving up one run in sixth inning and two runs in each of the eighth and ninth innings. The Smokies went through three pitchers in the ninth inning trying to nail down the win. Yeiper Castillo who had closed out the eighth inning, walked the first batter he faced and was relieved by Frank Batista. Batista had his second straight bad game as he allowed three hits that scored over two-thirds of an inning that scored two runners--Castillo's and one of his own. Batista struck out one and the other runner he retired was a runner trying to go from first to third on a single to right.

Batista was then replaced by Hunter Cervenka, who walked the first batter he faced and then struck out the next batter to end the inning with the score still tied 10-10. Cervenka got his fourth win when Tennessee came back and scored in the bottom of the inning.

The Smokies loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning on a single, a walk and a single. That brought shortstop Javier Baez to the plate, and Baez fisted an single up the middle and through the drawn-in infield to score pinch-runner Nate Samson from third base and end the game. Baez was 2 for 5 with a walk in this game. He scored once and had two total RBI.

The Smokies banged out 19 hits and everyone had at least one hit. So the list of who did what is going to be long and I'm just going to go in batting order. (Baez batted third--I won't repeat him.)

Center fielder Matthew Szczur was 1 for 3 with three walks. He had one RBI.

Second baseman Arismendy Alcantara went 3 for 6 with two RBI.

First baseman Justin Bour was 1 for 4 with a two-run home run, his 16th of the season.

DH Rubi Silva went 3 for 5 and scored twice.

Third baseman Christian Villanueva hit his fifteenth home run of the season with a man on in the fifth inning. He also had two doubles in a 3 for 5 game. Villanueva scored twice and had three RBI.

Left fielder Brett Jackson went 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored twice.

Right fielder John Andreoli was 2 for 5 with a stolen base. Andreoli scored two runs and knocked one run in.

Catcher Rafael Lopez went 2 for 5 and had the single to leadoff the bottom of the ninth.

Daytona Cubs

You knew three games in a row would be too good to be true. Rain out.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars lost to the Burlington Bees (Angels), 6-5 in ten innings.

Tyler Skulina's second Midwest League start didn't go much better than his first one. He was tagged for three run on four hits over 2.1 innings. One of the runs was unearned. Skulina struck out three and walked one.

Rob Zastryzny had a very successful debut in low-A, however. He threw three scoreless innings of relief, allowing only two hits. He retired the side in order his first two innings. Zastryzny walked one and struck out one.

Michael Hamann pitched the top of the tenth and got the loss when he allowed his first earned run of the season. Hamann gave up the one run on two hits and a walk. He struck out one.

Catcher Carlos Escobar hit his third home run of the year in the fourth inning with a man on. He also had a two-run single for four total RBI in a 2 for 5 game.

Shortstop Marco Hernandez went 3 for 5 with a double and a triple. He scored twice.

Third baseman Jeimer Candelario went 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored one run and had one batted in.

The Cougars game was delayed when a skunk came on the field.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks stunned the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays), 5-4 after trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the 8th.

It was a solid start for James Pugliese, who allowed only one unearned run over four innings. He gave up six hits and he walked one. Pugliese struck out three.

Jasvir Rakkar collected his second win of the season after he didn't allow a run over the final 2.1 innings. He gave up two hits and he walked one. Rakkar struck out two.

Boise scored four runs in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game. In the ninth, third baseman Kris Bryant came to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out and just missed a walk off grand slam. However, it was easily enough to be a walk off sacrifice fly and win the game. Bryant was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored once.

Center fielder Kevin Encarnacion went 3 for 5 and scored a run. Shortstop Carlos Penalver hit a double to leadoff the bottom of the ninth and scored on the Bryant sac fly. Penalver was 2 for 4.

Boise hit into a league record six double plays in this game. Yet they still won.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Angels, 4-3 in 12 innings.

Brian Bogusevic made a rehab appearance. He was 1 for 4 with a walk.

If you happened to watch either of the Twins' games during their doubleheader against the White Sox yesterday, you may have spotted a funny occurrence happening in the bullpen. In Game 1, right as a home run by Chris Colabello hit an awning over the Twins bullpen, we spotted Jared Burton committing a cardinal sin by throwing a punch with his throwing hand. Just as bad was that he struck Brian Duensing in the face.

Then in Game 2, we saw Burton throw yet another punch, again with his pitching hand, but this time it was more violent and unclear if he actually struck someone.

So what was with the violence from Burton? Well, it appeared as though the bullpen guys were doing a video bomb of sorts. Apparently the idea came from Matt Maloney (remember him?) and on Colabello's home run, Brian Duensing was actually shouting "Punch me! Punch me!" to Burton. I mean, if you're going to be on TV, and your other option is to just celebrate the home run like normal human beings, you might as well have some fun with it no?

• David Temple of NotGraphs originally posed an idea that some of us have likely considered before: What if we could change some of baseball's original rules? For example, Temple cited a panel presentation at the SABR convention in Philadelphia that discussed that very thing. Some of Temple's own thoughts ask if home runs were instead outs, or if foul balls didn't count as strikes. He also links to two other articles, of which I found both very interesting. The first is from Craig Robinson of Flip Flop Fly Ball, where he wondered what baseball would be like if there were five bases (a pentagonal infield) instead of the standard four. Robinson looks at how that would affect the foul lines, runners in scoring position, and the defense with the shortstop and second baseman now covering their own base instead of sharing one. The second article is Sam Miller of Baseball Prospectus, and he went a more hilarious route: Adding pits to the field. What do you think, would you make some changes to baseball? Would they be serious considerations or something that would just be for your own enjoyment?
• On the heels of the Biogenesis scandal and the suspensions handed out, we learned something about the demographics of those players involved with Tony Bosch and his clinic. Of the 18 players penalized, nearly all were Hispanic and over half were from the Dominican Republic. Three Dominican-born Blue Jays players (Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, and Edwin Encarnacion) offered up their opinions to the startling statistic, including Bautista who said that turning to PEDs gives a young baseball player the chance to escape poverty on the island and Encarnacion believing that a better support group would help players stay away from steroids. All together, the three players said that would consider speaking with the rest of the Spanish-speaking Blue Jays players within the organization to warn them of the dangers and risks of using PEDs. This, combined with what we've heard from many other baseball players around the major leagues, makes it seem that there has been a definite culture shift in the pros when it comes to using steroids.
• Earlier this week the Twins were in Kansas City, and we're all aware of those fountains that sit beyond the outfield fence at Kauffman Stadium. Well, a female Royals fan chose to go swimming around in one of those very fountains, and it led to one of my favorite pictures from this whole season. Too bad it was caused by her being a drunken hot mess. What's even funnier is that this very woman was shown on the FOX 4 news in Kansas City while she was tailgating before the game. And to top it all off, the best part is learning that she was not only charged with trespassing and resisting arrest, but also soliciting an officer. Fantastic.
• The Matt Garza &Jason Bartlett for Delmon Young and Brendan Harris (and more from each side) trade with the Tampa Bay Rays will go down as one of the poorer decisions in recent franchise history, but Garza managed to remind us that Delmon wasn't the only headcase involved in the swap as he absolutely lost his mind on Twitter. Last Saturday, Garza was pitching for the Texas Rangers against the Oakland Athletics when A's infielder Eric Sogard dropped down a squeeze bunt, which was successful. For the whole game, the A's dropped down 4 bunts on Garza, who took out his frustrations while yelling at Sogard after the squeeze. Something then happened after the game, as Garza was spotted tweeting at... Sogard's wife? Now, it's entirely possible that Kaycee Sogard did tweet at Garza and then deleted it before anyone could screenshot it, but Garza lost his marbles in tweeting both of the Sogards that Eric needed to fight his own battles and shut up his own wife. It was that attitude of Garza's that helped convince the Twins to trade him away and take on a different headache in Delmon Young. Oh, and if you're wondering about that "So no place to eat in Oakland huh!" tweet from Garza, he claimed to the media that he asked for dinner recommendations from Sogard when he yelled at him after the squeeze play.

1. After pitching a game with his zipper down, naturally someone put that picture of Glen Perkinsonto a t-shirt. Also, yes, you can buy it (click the t-shirt link).
2. Mets fans are tough, as David Aardsma blew a save for the Mets and then his bed went missing.
3. Mariners pitcher Oliver Perez made a pickoff attempt by literally running at the runner.
4. Just revel in this box score from a Single-A game between Lancaster and High Desert in which the final score was 30-8. How did these teams - in particular High Desert - score so many runs? Let's let Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage of Mythbusters explain.

Albert Piujols took PEDs?

If you follow me on Twitter, you will see that I retweeted this tweet from Patrick Daugherty yesterday, which links to a column where Jack Clark accuses Albert Pujols of taking PEDs.

Damn, human polish sausage Jack Clark with a #StrongTake on Albert Pujols. http://t.co/eUZ7zd9eTu

— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) August 9, 2013

I read some of the article, and Clark says he was told by Pujols' trainer that he injected Pujols with steroids. Then later yesterday afternoon we got denials from the trainer and Albert Pujols, which was not surprising. Actually, Pujols is now suing Clark, which makes me wonder that he may actually have taken steroids. I am not sure what to make of all this really, but it could get really interesting if one of the names of the games' greatest hitters ever is linked to steroids/PEDs, and how that impacts his Hall of Fame career.

Fake Teams Podcast, Episode 24: The Lost Podcast

Lost podcast, not last podcast. I sat down with Andrew Ball and Daniel Kelley on Thursday night to discuss our recent Midseason Starting Pitcher Rankings, where we discussed Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Kris Medlen, Jose Fernandez and Mike Minor, among others. We also took the opportunity to get into some good ole Zack bashing.

But, due to technical difficulties, some of the podcast was lost, but you can listen to what was recorded in the links below. And here are some of what was lost:

• Jered Weaver│ Both Daniel and Ray think Weaver is being undervalued by the FT staff, citing that he has always outperformed his peripherals and he's finally healthy.
• Francisco Liriano│ Daniel, much like Brian Creagh, has been burned so many times by Liriano that he still can't jump on the bandwagon. Also, Liriano's increased slider usuge this year may make him at risk for an injury.
• Matt Cain and Kris Medlen │ One of the things I really support about Daniel's rankings, even if I don't do it myself, is the fact that he doesn't let a few months of data sway his opinion from the rankings we did in the preseason. Cain and Medlen are both pitchers with track records of success, granted a longer one for Cain, but he is sticking by both of them.
• Mike Minor │ All of us, myself included feel that stripping away Minor's name and simply evaluating the raw numbers makes him an easy top-20 pitcher. Kudos to Ray for the ranking at 13.
• Matt Moore│ Ray thinks Moore is the next Clayton Kershaw, while Daniel is a bit more hesitant citing that Moore is only about a year younger than Kershaw right now. I'm in the middle of the two opinions.
• Zack Smith │ Zack's rankings of David Price at 20, Hiroki Kuroda at 50, and C.C. Sabathia at 16 made all of us say, "huh?"

You can listen to the podcast in two ways:

MP3 LINK
ITUNES LINK (subscribe here)

Josh Reddick shows off his power

A's outfielder Josh Reddick had a breakout season in 2012, hitting 32 home runs after being traded from the Red Sox for Andrew Bailey. This season has been a bit of a downer for his owners as he has struggled for most of the season. Last night, he had his best game as a big leaguer, hitting not one, not two, but three home runs in the A's 14-6 win over the Blue Jays.

He went 3-5 with 3 HRs and 5 RBI, and is now hitting just .210-.292-.363 with 8 HRs, 37 runs, 42 RBI and 8 stolen bases in 281 at bats. His batting average has been brought down by a very low .236 BABIP, but he is walking at a career high 10.3% rate, so he could be a nice buy low candidate in 2014 drafts.

Brandon Beachy: A quick return to his old form?

I didn't know what to make of Braves starter Brandon Beachy's return from Tommy John surgery,as he had struggled with his command in some of his rehab starts before being activated from the DL. Last night, it appeared that he was his old self, as he shut out the Marlins, (yeah, I know, it's just the Marlins, but still) over 8 innings, giving up just 3 hits, walking one and striking out 6.

I traded for Beachy in one of my NL only keeper leagues where I bailed, and now own him at $5 next season. I think he will still have his ups and downs as the season rolls on, but he could come cheap in 2014 drafts.

Round'em Up

Braves outfielder Justin Upton went 1-4 with a HR in the Braves 5-0 win last night, and has been on fire over the past week or so. Upton is now hitting .272-.361-.490 with 22 HRs, 74 runs, 61 RBI and 7 stolen bases. Over his last ten games, Upton has hit 6 HRs, scored 12 runs and driven in 14 runs. Upton started the season on fire, got cold for May and June, but has hit well in July and the first week and a half of August. Even with his two month slump, Upton is on pace for 31 HRs, 100+ runs and 85 RBI.

A's shortstop Jed Lowrie had a big day at the plate on Friday, going 4-4 with a walk, HR, double, 2 runs and 4 RBI, raising his triple slash line to ,.295-.361-.431 with 9 HRs, 51 runs and 48 RBI in 420 at bats. He isn't a top 10 fantasy shortstop, but he helps in the batting average and OBP categories, and provides some pop.

Coming into the season, Astros first baseman/outfielder Chris Carter was getting some sleeper hype due to his strong second half in Oakland last season. This season, he provided his owners with power, but he may not be long for the big leagues. After being benched for a few games after a 4 strikeout game on Monday, Carter returned to the Astros lineup last night and proceeded to strike out twice in three at bats. He has now struck out 20 times in his last 38 at bats, and is on pace to strike out 215 times in just under 500 at bats. Not good.

I am being offered a $38 Adrian Beltre for a $5 Anibal Sanchez in my AL only keeper league right now, and I am leaning toward saying no to the offer because I need wins, and really like cheap starters with an ERA under 3.00. But Beltre is one of my favorite players in the game and love the guy. Last night, he went 2-4 with 3 runs scored and an RBI in the Rangers 9-5 win over the Astros. Beltre raised his triple slash line to .321-.367-.535 with 25 HRs, 68 runs and 71 RBI, and is on pace for 35 HRs, 95 runs and 99 RBI this season. I am not sure there is a better fantasy third baseman after Miguel Cabrera is off the board.

More from Fake Teams:

• Fantasy Fools: You drafted a kicker before the last round? You fool!
• Fake Teams Podcast Episode 24: The Lost Podcast
• Streamer Report: Saturday's Streamers
• Roto Roundup: Yasiel Puig, Tim Lincecum, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Others
• Game Observations: Addison Russell, Mac Williamson, James Simmons
• Danny Farquhar: Emerging relief ace
• Waiting in the Wings: Max Stassi

Bad news about Juan Perez, he has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow and was put on the 60-day DL. It could mean Tommy John surgery.  I was really enjoying watching him pitch, but the windup did look like an injury waiting to happen. Juan made 19 appearances out of the Blue Jays bullpen, putting up a 3.69 ERA in 31.2 innings. He set a team record by going 22 scoreless innings to start his Jays career.

Mickey Storey comes back to the Jays. He pitched twice for us earlier in the season, 3.2 innings, 6 hits, 3 earned, 1 walk, 5 k. In Buffalo he had a 2.79 ERA in 51.2 innings, 35 hits, 13 walks, 62 k.

Along with that news, the Jays announced that they have activated Drew Hutchison off the DL and assigned him to Buffalo. It would be nice to see him in Toronto in September.

Jon Heyman reports that Josh Johnson cleared waivers...which really isn't news, I'd bet that 80% of the guys in the majors have cleared waivers this month.  You would think there would be real baseball stories that Heyman could tell us about.

A's 4 Blue Jays 5

I love it when Jose Bautista is hot. He had 3 hits today, including a 2-run home run. He's hitting everything hard lately. Jose Reyes also homered in the 8th, giving us a needed insurance run. We only had 5 hits today, the Joses 4 and an RBI single by Colby Rasmus.

On the A's side, Josh Reddick hit 2 more homers, giving him 5 over the first two games of the series, doubling his season total. His 9th inning home run made it a 1-run game and had me worrying.

Mark Buehrle had an ok start, not great, unless you compare it to Rogers' start yesterday. 5.1 innings, 7 hits, 3 earned, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. He struck out the side, around a single, in the first inning, but gave up a Reddick 2-run homer in the 2nd.

Our bullpen was great, once again. Brett Cecil came into the game with the tying run on 3rd and 1 out but got a Reddick strikeout and a Alberto Callaspo pop out to get out of the inning. Aaron Loup got the first 2 outs of the 7th and Sergio Santos got the 3rd out. Darren Oliver pitched a perfect 8th.

Then came the 9th. Casey Janssen gave up the Reddick home run to start the inning and make it a one run game. Alberto Callaspo singled. Coco Crisp got a bunt single out of his sac bunt attempt. But Casey got the lead runner at third on Stephen Vogt's sac bunt attempt. Thank you A's for trying it again. And then Jed Lowrie popped one up to Colby in center field to end the game for the second out, before the game ended on a Yoenis Cespedes swinging strikeout. Casey gets his 21st save.

Jays of the Day are Bautista (.196 WPA) and Cecil (.152). I'm going to give one to Reyes too, his WPA was only .074 but we needed the run his homer gave us, and his swing was great.

Suckage: by the numbers, Buehrle gets it at -.107.

The A's helped us out with a couple of errors, one by Josh Donaldson, a throwing error on a attempted force out at second that might have turned into a double play and allowed us to score 2 unearned runs. Alberto Callaspo made an error on a J.P. Arencibia ground ball to second, but that didn't cost the A's any runs.

Brett Lawrie made a couple of really nice plays on defense. He was also saved an error on a throw to second by a very nice play from Maicer Izturis, making a catch on Brett's bad throw.

After yesterday's terrible game, it was nice to get a win.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs shut out the Fresno Grizzlies (Giants), 3-0. It was Iowa's fourth straight win.

Brooks Raley dominated the Grizzlies for eight innings, allowing only two hits. He walked two and struck out three as he improved his record to 7-8.

After Chang-Yong Lim walked two batters in the ninth, he was relieved by Marcos Mateo, who retired the next two batters for his first save of the season. Mateo did not strike anyone out.

Right fielder Ty Wright was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Second baseman Edgar Gonzalez was 2 for 4

Center fielder Jae-Hoon Ha doubled home Raley in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies couldn't put the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays) in the basket, 10-2.

Nick Struck made his first start for Tennessee after being demoted from Iowa and allowed four runs on four hits over four innings. He walked four and struck out two.

The Smokies had five hits. Jonathan Mota had a pinch-hit RBI triple in the bottom of the ninth.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs trumped the Tampa Yankees, 6-3.

Starter C.J. Edwards allowed his first ever home run as a professional when he allowed a two-run home run in the second inning. Edwards pitched 3.2 innings and allowed three runs on two hits and four walks. He struck out eight.

Zach Cates relieved Edwards and got the win when the Cubs took the lead in the fifth inning. Cates pitched two scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. He walked two and struck out two.

Frank Del Valle relieved Cates and went the rest of the way for a 3.1 inning save. He also allowed only one hit. Del Valle walked three and struck out four. It was his eighth save.

Right fielder Bijan Rademacher was a perfect 3 for 3 with a walk. He scored once and had one RBI.

Second baseman Wes Darvill was 2 for 5.

Center fielder Zeke DeVoss had a two-run double that tied the score at three in the fourth inning. He was 1 for 5.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars were harvested by the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), 6-0.

Starter Felix Pena allowed six runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings. Four of the six runs were unearned, however. Pena walked three and struck out three.

First baseman Daniel Vogelbach and right fielder Jose Dore were both 1 for 3. Those were the Cougars only two hits.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks won their fourth straight game, 9-2 over the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays).

Dillon Maples pitched the first five innings and improved his record in Boise to 4-0. He allowed one run on five hits. Maples struck out five and walked only one, which is the most important thing for Maples.

Corbin Hoffner pitched the final four innings for his first professional save. Hoffner gave up one run on four hits. He struck out two and did not walk anyone.

Shortstop Carlos Penalver's first home run of the season was a big one, a grand slam in the second inning. Penalver also doubled in a 3 for 4 night. He scored twice and "just" had the four RBI.

Right fielder Yasiel Balaguert doubled twice in a 2 for 4 game. He scored two runs.

Center fielder Kevin Encarnacion was 2 for 5 with a double. He scored one run and had one batted in.

Left fielder Rony Rodriguez, catcher Lance Rymel and DH Trevor Gretzky were each 2 for 4 with one RBI and one run scored.

Third baseman Kris Bryant doubled in the fourth inning to stretch his hitting streak to 13 games. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. He's expected to be promoted in the next couple of days, probably to Daytona but possibly to Kane County.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Rangers, 5-4.

Brian Bogusevic went 0 for 2 with a walk in a rehab appearance.

The main problem, aside from injuries, for the Yankees this season has been their lackluster offense. However, over recent weeks, it has been their lack of pitching depth that has continued to make life difficult. Aside from Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova, the Yankees really don't have a starting pitcher right now that inspires a whole lot of confidence. CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, and Phil Hughes have all struggled for a while now and injuries to David Phelps, Michael Pineda, and Vidal Nuno certainly haven't helped matters. At the same time, the team does have an arm in Triple-A who might be deserving a look if needed, and that's Brett Marshall.

Marshall's first couple months in 2013 couldn't have been more of a nightmare. The 6' 1" right-hander started off with a 7.40 ERA and 6.60 FIP in his first 11 appearances (10 with Scranton, one with the Yankees) and 54.0 innings pitched. Opposing batters even tagged Marshall for a .318/.418/.565 batting line. It was that bad of a train wreck for Marshall early on.

To his credit, Marshall has turned his year around. Since June 13, the 23-year-old has posted a solid 3.58 ERA and 3.99 FIP in 12 starts and 73 innings pitched. The most encouraging thing about his turnaround is that he has limited the home runs in a big way. In his first 11 appearances he allowed 12 home runs in 54.0 IP (2.0 HR/9), but in his recent run of success he has surrendered just six dingers in 73.0 IP (0.7 HR/9). The strikeouts have been identical before and after his turnaround (7.1 K/9, first 11 appearances, 7.1 K/9 last 12 appearances), but he has cut back on the walks during this stretch as well (6.3 BB/9 vs. 3.9 BB/9).

Though Marshall hasn't been quite lights out during his recent success with the RailRiders, he's been pretty serviceable nonetheless. The Yankees play a doubleheader against the Blue Jays on the 20th and will surely need a sixth starter and Marshall happens to be in line to start that day. I guess they could have Adam Warren start the game and have Marshall sort of be his caddy, but the former has struggled of late (5.83 ERA in his last 12 appearances), so who really knows what will exactly happen.

Starting pitching, among other areas, will be a focus of this team once the season concludes. Assuming Kuroda, Pettitte, and Hughes all depart (and that's another topic for another day) following 2013, the Yankees will need to find three starters just to fill out the five-man rotation. Essentially, the only two starters you can say are guaranteed spots in the 2014 rotation are Sabathia and Nova while the rest of the arms (Pineda, Phelps, Nuno) will be coming off injury. If Marshall continues to make strides with Scranton, he could find himself starting games for the 2014 Bombers.

More from Pinstriped Bible:

• Yankees fine Alex Rodriguez over $150,000
• Yankees prospects: 2013 mid-season top five
• Randy Levine doesn't know if they can make the playoffs
• Give Austin Romine a shot
• Yankees GIFs of the Week: Nova, Nix falls, and fan irritation