Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Lexington Legends Jason Chowning, Adam Bailey, Delino DeShields and Mike Kvasnicka are the team’s Players of the Month for May.

The Houston Astros Player Development Department announced the award winners for each of the minor-league affiliates. The awards are chosen by the field staff of each team.

Several former Legends are among the award winners with Houston’s other affiliates, including Brandon Barnes, Jimmy Van Ostrand, Brandon Wikoff, Jose Altuve, Grant Hogue and Jose Cisnero.

Jason Chowning

Chowning is Lexington’s Pitcher of the Month. The right-hander went 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA in May, striking out 27 over eight relief appearances and 18 innings. He allowed four earned runs and 15 hits, and held opposing batters to a .227 batting average (15-for-66).

Adam Bailey

Bailey, an outfielder, is the Legends’ Offensive Player of the Month. Over 28 games, Bailey went 34-for-111 (.306) with eight doubles, five homers, 18 RBI, 18 runs, a .366 on-base percentage and .532 slugging percentage.

Delino DeShields

DeShields and Kvasnicka share Defensive Player of the Month honors.

DeShields, a second baseman, has a .947 fielding percentage in 36 games this season and has turned 24 double plays.

Mike Kvasnicka

Kvasnicka, a third baseman, has an .894 fielding percentage over 43 games.

Other award winners follow.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Pitcher — Andy Van Hekken (0-1-1, 0.98, 11 games, 18 1/3 innings, 22 strikeouts, 5 walks)
Offensive — Robinson Cancel (27-for-72, .375, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 8 RBI, 21 games)
Defensive — Brandon Barnes, OF (.988 season fielding, 33 games)

Double-A Corpus Christi

Pitcher — Xavier Cedeno (2-1, 2.94, 5 games, 33 2/3 innings, 30 strikeouts, .211 opponent batting average)
Offensive — Jimmy Van Ostrand (31-for-100, .310, 8 doubles, 12 RBI, 14 walks, 11 runs, .393 OBP)
Defensive — Brandon Wikoff, 2B/SS/3B (.981 fielding, 27 games, 9 double plays turned)

Class A-Advanced Lancaster

Pitcher — Jose Cisnero (2-2, 3.90, 6 games, 32 1/3 innings, 34 strikeouts, .209 opponent batting average)
Offensive — Jose Altuve (47-for-121, .388, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 22 RBI, 19 runs, 15 stolen bases, .424 on-base percentage)
Defensive — Grant Hogue, RF (.938 season fielding percentage, 27 games)

The Houston Astros Player Development Department has named Tanner Bushue, Chris Wallace and Jiovanni Mier as the Lexington Legends’ players of the month. The monthly awards are determined by the team’s field staff.

Bushue

Seven of the eight award winners at higher levels within the Astros system are Legends graduates: Jordan Lyles, Koby Clemens, Arcenio Leon, Wladimir Sutil, Kirk Clark, Jose Altuve and Jonathan Meyer.

Wallace

Bushue is Lexington’s Pitcher of the Month. The right-hander went 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA over four starts. He worked 26 2/3 innings, holding opponents to a .214 batting average.

Mier

Mier, a shortstop, is the Legends’ Defensive Player of the Month. In 22 games, he totaled five errors in 101 chances, turning 13 double plays.

Other winners, by club:

Lyles

Triple-A Oklahoma City — Lyles, pitcher (1-2 in five starts, 3.76, 19 strikeouts, five walks); Clemens, offense (.284, 5 HR, 5 doubles, 18 RBI, 20 games); catcher Carlos Corporan, defense (17 games, one error in 136 total chances, .993, caught seven base-stealers in 12 attempts).

Sutil

Double-A Corpus Christi — Leon, pitcher (0-0 in seven relief appearances, 0.00, 11 strikeouts, .211 batting average by opponents); Sutil, offense and defense (.418, 5 doubles, eight runs, seven stolen bases, 15 runs, .480 on-base percentage, 16-game hitting streak; two errors in 100 total chances at shortstop, .980, turning 17 double plays).

Altuve

Advanced A Lancaster — Clark, pitcher (1-0, 0.93, 8 saves, 0 blown saves, .182 opponent average over nine relief appearances); Altuve, offense (.435, 6 doubles, 4 triples, 12 RBI, 19 runs, 12 stolen bases, .485 on-base percentage); Meyer, defense (three errors in 53 total chances at third base, .943, 33 assists).

J.D. Martinez did just about everything he could for the Lexington Legends during his half-season-plus with the team.

J.D. Martinez

He did so well enough that he has been named Most Valuable Player in the South Atlantic League.

Martinez is joined on the SAL post-season all-star team by another since-promoted Legend, second baseman Jose Altuve.

Martinez, a right fielder and designated hitter during his time with the Legends, hit .362 over 88 games, with 15 homers, 31 doubles and three triples among his 126 hits. He drove in 64 runs and scored 83. He finished with a .433 on-base percentage, .598 slugging and 1.030 OPS.

Promoted to Class Double-A Corpus Christi on July 16, Martinez is batting .302 with three homers, 25 RBI and 24 runs scored over 47 games.

Jose Altuve

Altuve stayed with the Legends through July 30, batting .308 with 11 homers, 45 RBI, 75 runs, 39 stolen bases and an .809 OPS.

Since being promoted to High-A Lancaster, Altuve is batting .272 with three homers, 18 RBI, 15 runs and three stolen bases.

The SAL post-season awards were determined by a vote of league field managers, general managers, sportswriters and broadcasters.

Most Outstanding Pitcher honors went to James Fuller (8-3, 1.93 ERA, 19 games) of the Savannah Sand Gnats.

Lakewood BlueClaws first baseman Jonathan Singleton is the Most Outstanding Major League Prospect, hitting .297 with 107 hits and 14 homers over 98 games.

Lakewood’s Mark Parent is Manager of the Year and Marc Valdes of Savannah is Coach of the Year.

All-star selections included Augusta GreenJackets third baseman Chris Dominguez, out of the University of Louisville.

2010 South Atlantic League All-Star Team

Manager – Mark Parent (Lakewood BlueClaws)
Coach — Marc Valdez (Savvanah Sand Gnats)
Right-handed pitcher — Jorge Bucardo (Augusta GreenJackets)
Left-handed pitcher — James Fuller (Savannah)
Catcher — Sebastian Valle (Lakewood)
First baseman — Jared Clark (Asheville Tourists)
Second baseman — Jose Altuve (Lexington Legends)
Shortstop — Jonathan Villar (Lakewood)
Third baseman — Chris Dominguez (Augusta GreenJackets)
Utility infielder — Robert Lyerly (Charleston RiverDogs)
Outfielder — J.D. Martinez (Lexington Legends)
Outfielder — Eliezer Mesa (Asheville)
Outfielder — Jeremy Hazelbaker (Greenville Drive)
Utility outfielder — Destin Hood (Hagerstown Suns)
Designated hitter — Justin Bloxom (Hagerstown)

Most Valuable Player – J.D. Martinez (Lexington Legends)
Most Outstanding Pitcher — James Fuller (Savannah)
Most Outstanding MLB Prospect — Jonathan Singleton (Lakewood)

Baseball

South Atlantic
     League

UPDATED ROTATIONS (Monday p.m.)

Lexington Legends vs. Hagerstown Suns

What: Four-game series

When: Monday through Thursday (7:05 each night)

Where: Municipal Stadium (Hagerstown, Md.)

Affiliations: Houston Astros (Legends), Washington Nationals

Note: After four games at Hagerstown, the Legends move to Salisbury, Md., for five games against the Delmarva Shorebirds.

Jose Cisnero

Luis Cruz

Zach Grimmett

Tanner Bushue

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Jose Cisnero (5-5, 4.03) vs. RH Paul Demny (6-3, 3.58); Tuesday, LH Luis Cruz (5-2, 3.25) vs. LH Graham Hicks (1-4, 4.85); Wednesday, RH Zach Grimmett (4-1, 4.00) vs. RH Garrett Mock (rehab start, from Nationals); Thursday, RH Tanner Bushue (5-6, 4.32) vs. LH Josh Smoker (3-10, 7.38).

Justin Bloxom

Sun to watch: 1B Justin Bloxom (6-foot-1, 205 pounds, from Phoenix) ranks fifth or better in SAL batting (.310), RBI (68), hits (126), doubles (29) and total bases (193) through Saturday’s games. He’s also among the top 10 in runs (65), slugging (.474) and OPS (.829). Bloxom also has 10 homers, four triples and 10 stolen bases over 101 games. A 2009 11th-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals, out of Kansas State University, Bloxom broke in as a pro last year with the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Penn League, hitting .228 with three homers, 24 RBI and 31 runs scored over 67 games.

Jimmy Paredes

Legend to watch: 2B Jimmy Paredes (6-1, 178, from Haina, Dominican Republic) joined the Legends on Saturday, moving from the Charleston RiverDogs as part of the Houston Astros’ trade of Lance Berkman to the New York Yankees. (The Astros also got pitching prospect Mark Melancon.) Paredes takes over for  all-star 2B Jose Altuve, who has been promoted to High-A Lancaster of the California League. Paredes made his first start for the Legends on Sunday, contributing an RBI double. He played 99 games with the RiverDogs, hitting .282 with five homers, 48 RBI, 59 runs, 24 doubles, six triples and 36 stolen bases. Paredes signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Yankees on July 2, 2006. He spent 2007 with the Dominican Summer League Yankees, 2008 with the Gulf Coast League Yankees and last year Staten Island of the New York-Penn League. With the DSL Yankees, he led the club with 42 RBI over 64 games, ranking second in hits (69) and doubles (14). A year later, he led the GCL Yanks in hits (45) and stolen bases (6). He earned NYPL all-star honors last year, batting .302 with two homers, 17 RBI, 36 runs and 23 stolen bases over 54 games.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Coming up

South Atlantic League
           Baseball

Lexington Legends
                    vs. Greensboro Grasshoppers

What: Four-game series

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 Friday, Saturday and Monday nights, 2:05 Sunday afternoon)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call   (859) 422-7867   or lexingtonlegends.com

Affiliations: Houston Astros (Legends), Florida Marlins

Juan Minaya

Jose Cisnero

Tanner Bushue

Brandt Walker

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Juan Minaya (0-4, 5.73) vs. LH Edgar Olmos (1-1, 5.14); Saturday, RH Jose Cisnero (1-1, 4.81) vs. RH Curtis Petersen (0-2, 6.00); Sunday, RH Brandt Walker (1-2, 8.14) vs. RH Matt Montgomery (2-3, 2.86); Monday, RH Tanner Bushue (2-1, 2.48) vs. RH Bryan Evans (4-0, 4.44).

Sandy Rosario

Grasshopper to watch: RHP Sandy Rosario (6-foot-1, 170 pounds, from Salcedo, Dominican Republic) has been lights out in the bullpen. In eight relief appearances spanning 19 innings, Rosario is 2-0 with one save, three holds and a 2.84 ERA. He has struck out 34 and walked only three. Signed by the Marlins as a non-drafted free agent July 2, 2004, Rosario split last season between Greensboro (seven games) and Jamestown (nine games) of the New York-Penn League, combining to go 7-4 with a 3.38 over 16 starts. He struck out 77 and walked 14 over 82 2/3 innings.

Jose Altuve

Legend to watch: 2B Jose Altuve (5-5, 148, from Maracay, Venezuela) is hitting .317 with a homer and 10 RBI over 24 games. He has scored 18 runs and stolen seven bases in 10 attempts. Altuve also has drawn seven walks, striking out 10times. He is 16-for-47 (.340) over his last 10 games, with seven multi-hit efforts. Signed as a non-drafted free agent Sept. 27, 2006, Altuve was an Appalachian League all-star and MVP of the Greeneville Astros last season. He batted .324 with three HR, 18 RBI and 21 SB over 45 games. He had more walks (26) than strikeouts (16), and 25 of his 58 hits were for extra bases. He also played 21 games with Tri-City of the New York-Penn League, batting .250 with seven RBI and seven SB. He led all Astros minor-leaguers with 28 SB.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

John Calipari

Promotions, etc.: Friday, Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick will entertain; post-game fireworks. … Saturday, bring your dog to Bark in the Park; entertainment by Jake the Diamond Dog; Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari will sign empty Maker’s Mark bottles (available for $35), 5-6:30 p.m., then throw out a ceremonial first pitch; Sunday is Kid’s Club Day and will feature the world’s largest Mother’s Day card; Monday, is Kid’s Eat Free Night.

After beginning the season with an eight-game road trip, the Lexington Legends will play their 2010 home opener Friday night at Applebee’s Park. The Legends will take on the Greenville Drive at 7:05 p.m.

Here’s a Who’s Who of the home team.

COACHING STAFF

Rick Aponte

Stubby Clapp

Rodney Linares

Rodney Linares, 32, becomes the eighth manager in the Legends’ 10th season, succeeding Tom Lawless. Linares, a Dominican native, spent the last three seasons as manager of the Greeneville Astros in the Appalachian League, going 74-127. He served as hitting coach for the Legends in 2005 and 2006. Before coming to Lexington, Linares spent six seasons with the Astros’ Dominican Republic operations, serving as a scout and hitting coach. Before joining the Astros coaching staff in 1999, he played three seasons of minor-league ball as an infielder in the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros organizations. His father, Julio, has been in the Astros organization since 1973 and is in his sixth season as special assistant to the general manager, for Dominican scouting and development. … Stubby Clapp, 37, returns to the Legends after spending one season on Linares’ staff at Greeneville. In 2008, his stay with the Legends was cut short so that he could play second base for Team Canada in the Beijing Summer Olympic Games. He also played for Canada in the 2004 Athens Olympics. From Windsor, Ontario, Clapp played for Texas Tech University. As a pro, he played from 1996 through 2004, reaching the big leagues in 2001 for 23 games with the St. Louis Cardinals. His No. 10 was retired in 2007 by the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. … Rick Aponte, 54, joins the staff after serving one season as pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Astros. The previous two seasons, he was pitching coach for the Washington Nationals. Before going to Washington, he spent 32 years with in the Astros organization as a player, coach or scout, including 10 seasons as a minor-league pitching coach.  

Outfielders (Ht., wt., bats/throws, age, hometown, acquired)

Jake Goebbert

Grant Hogue

Jake Goebbert (6-0, 200, L/L, 22, Hampshire, Ill., 13th round June 2009 draft) hit .238 with 18 RBI over 59 games for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League last season. Played for Northwestern University. … Grant Hogue (6-1, 190, S/R, 23, Hattiesburg, Miss., 35th round June 2009 draft) is familiar to University of Kentucky fans. He patrolled center field for Mississippi State before turning pro. Hogue hit .284 with a homer, 14 RBI and 17 SB over 53 games with the Greeneville Astros last season. He was the team’s Defensive Player of the Month in July and August …

J.D. Martinez

Brian Kemp

Brian Kemp (5-9, 180, R/R, 21, East Rockaway, N.Y., 19th round June 2009 draft), out of St. John’s University, earned New York-Penn League all-star honors last year. In 66 games with Tri-City, he hit .259 with 11 RBI, 35 runs and 16 SB. He was Tri-City’s Offensive Player of the Month for July. … J.D. Martinez (6-3, 215, R/R, 22, Pembroke Pines, Fla., 20th round June 2009 draft) led the New York-Penn League in batting (.326) and OPS (.920 combined on-base and slugging percentages). Out of Nova Southeastern University, he earned NYPL all-star honors, with seven HR and 33 RBI over 53 games with Tri-City. He began the season at Greeneville, hitting .403 with five homers and 23 RBI in 19 games.

Infielders (Ht., wt., bats/throws, age, hometown, acquired)

Jose Altuve

Miguel Arrendell

Jose Altuve (5-5, 148, R/R, 19, Maracay, Venezuela, non-drafted free agent September 2006) was an Appalachian League all-star and MVP of the Greeneville Astros last season. He batted .324 with three HR, 18 RBI and 21 SB over 45 games. He had more walks (26) than strikeouts (16), and 25 of his 58 hits were for extra bases. He also played 21 games with Tri-City, batting .250 with seven RBI and seven SB. Overall, he led all Astros minor-leaguers with 28 SB. … Miguel Arrendell (6-0, 165, L/R, 22, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent July 2006) hails from his manager’s hometown. In 2008, Arrendell was MVP of the Dominican Summer League, hitting .284 with 14 RBI, 37 runs and 20 SB over 57 games. He drew nearly twice as many walks as strikeouts (57-30). Last year, he hit .235 with three HR, 14 RBI, 24 runs and four SB for Greeneville. His .394 on-base percentage ranked No. 5 among Astros minor leaguers. …

Kody Hinze

Aaron Bray

Aaron Bray (6-0, 187, L/R, 22, Charlotte, N.C., 27th round June 2009 draft), out of N.C.-Charlotte, was Greeneville’s Offensive Player of the Month last August. Over 48 games with the team, he hit .278 with 20 RBI and 28 walks. … Kody Hinze (6-0, 225, R/R, 22, Houston, non-drafted free agent October 2007), out of Angelina College (Texas), split last season between the Gulf Coast League Astros and the Legends. In 32 GCL games, Hinze hit .262 with a homer and 14 RBI. In 27 games with the Legends, he .175 with four HR and 14 RBI. Including 2008 at Greeneville, Hinze’s career totals: .247, 13 HR, 60 RBI, 114 games. …

Jonathan Meyer

Andy Simunic

Jiovanni Mier

Jonathan Meyer (6-1, 195, S/R, 19, Simi Valley, Calif., supplemental third round June 2009 draft), in his first season beyond high school ball, hit .190 with three HR and 27 RBI over 62 games with Greene-ville. Yet, he led the Appalachian League with 36 walks. Baseball America likes his potential, rating him the 18th-best prospect in the Astros system. … Jiovanni Mier (6-2, 175, R/R, 19, Pomona, Calif., first round (21st overall) June 2009 draft) signed out of Bonita (Calif.) High School for a $1.358 million bonus. He played 51 games for Greeneville last season, batting .276 with seven HR, 32 RBI and 10 SB. While earning Appalachian League Player of the Year and all-star honors from Baseball America, he led the league in triples (6). Baseball America also tagged Mier as the second-best prospect in the Houston organization, best defensive player and best pro debut by a high school draft pick. … Andy Simunic (6-0, 170, R/R, 24, Collierville, Tenn., 17th round June 2008 draft) played 1B, 2B, 3B, LF and RF for the Legends last season. He hit .287 with six RBI and eight SB. He finished the year with Lancaster of the High-A California League, playing 21 games, hitting .286, with four RBI and two SB. His combined on-base percentage of .398 ranked fourth among Astros minor-leaguers. The former Tennessee Vol was team Defensive Player of the Month in July of the last two seasons — with Lexington in 2009 and Tri-City in 2008.

Catchers (Ht., wt., B/T, age, hometown, acquired) & Staff

Jonathan Fixler

Rene Garcia

John Patton

James Farrar

Jonathan Fixler (6-1, 205, R/R, 23, Park Ridge, Ill., 19th round June 2007 draft) divided last season among Lancaster, Corpus Christi and Round Rock. He played 80 games for the Legends in 2008, batting .248 with eight HR and 50 RBI. He was Lexington’s Defensive Player of the Month in April 2008. His three-year totals after leaving Indiana University: .223, 18 HR, 85 RBI, 147 games. … Rene Garcia (6-1, 172, R/R,20, Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, 35th round June 2008 draft) hit .295 for Greeneville in 2008 and .202 for Tri-City last year. Over 70 professional games, Garcia is batting .221 with two HR and 15 RBI. … James Farrar, 28, joins the Legends as strength and conditioning coach. From Templeton, Mass., and a graduate of Lasell (Mass.) College, he has worked five years as a personal trainer. This is his second season in the Astros organization, having been with Tri-City in 2009. … “General” John Patton returns for his third season as Legends trainer and his seventh year in the Astros organization. He served one season with former Astros affiliate Martinsville, then three seasons with Tri-City. Before joining the Astros, he spent one season as an intern in the Baltimore Orioles organization. A graduate of Manchester (Ind.) College, he works during the off-season for Orthopedics Northeast in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Pitchers (Ht., wt., bats/throws, age, hometown, acquired)

Wander Alvino

Tanner Bushue

Jose Cisnero

Kirk Clark

Wander Alvino (5-11, 166, R/R, 23, Nizao, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent February 2006) spent two seasons with the Dominican Summer League Astros, then one each with Greeneville and Tri-City. Over those four seasons, he is 8-19 with a 4.37 ERA. He has 157 strikeouts to 70 walks over 204 innings. … Tanner Bushue (6-4, 180, R/R, 18, Kinmundy, Ill., second round June 2009 draft), out of South Central High School in Illinois, was named by Baseball America as the ninth-best prospect in the Gulf Coast League last season. In five starts for the GCL Astros, Bushue went 1-0 with a 2.42 ERA, with 19 strikeouts to five walks over 22 1/3 innings. Baseball America rates him the seventh-best prospect in the Astros system. … Jose Cisnero (6-3, 185, R/R, 21, Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent December 2007) won back-to-back Pitcher of the Month honors (July-August) at Greeneville last season. Overall, he made starts, going 4-2 with a 3.56 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 30 walks over 55 2/3 innings. … Kirk Clark (6-2, 202, R/R, 21, Moline, Ill., free agent August 2009) made 10 relief appearances spanning 19 innings for Tri-City last season. He finished 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA, 24 strikeouts and three walks. …

Robert Donovan

Arcenio Leon

David Duncan

Robert Donovan (6-5, 195, R/R, 23 next week, Royal Palm Beach, Fla., 23rd round June 2009 draft), out of Stetson University, debuted with Tri-City last season. In 19 games, including four starts, Donovan was 2-5 with four saves, 3.74 ERA, 28 strikeouts and 21 walks over 33 2/3 innings. He was the team’s Pitcher of the Month in August. … David Duncan (6-9, 230, L/L, 23, New Richmond, Ohio, fifth round June 2008 draft), out of Georgia Tech, begins the season on the disabled list due to a sore arm. He split last season between Tri-City, Lexington and Lancaster, going a combined 4-14. With the Legends, Duncan was 4-4 with a 4.29 ERA, 52 strikeouts and nine walks over 56 2/3 innings. … Arcenio Leon (6-1, 162, R/R, 23, Maracaibo, Venezuela, non-drafted free agent February 2005) appeared in 41 games, including four starts, for the Legends in 2009. He finished 4-2 with a 5.86 ERA, 52 strikeouts and 49 walks spanning 70 2/3 innings. He spent the previous two seasons with Greeneville, which came after two years in the Venezuelan Summer League. His five-season totals: 10-16, 13 saves, 4.42 ERA, 167 K, 125 BB, 228 IP. Baseball America pegs him as the 19th-best prospect in the Astros system, noting “He sits at 93-95 mph with his fastball, topping out at 96. He mixes a slider than can be an electric pitch at 86-88 mph, a swing-and-miss offering with sharp, late break and depth.” …

Juan Minaya

Colton Pitkin

Daniel Sarisky

Juan Minaya (6-4, 185, R/R, 19, Maimon, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent September 2008) broke in last season with the GCL Astros, making 12 starts. Over 52 2/3 innings, he went 3-3 with a 4.27 ERA, while striking out 18 and walking 30. … Colton Pitkin (6-3, 210, R/L, 20, Baytown, Texas, 41st round June 2007 draft), selected out of Sterling High School in Texas, was Greeneville’s Pitcher of the Month in June and August of 2008. After two seasons with Greeneville, Pitkin moved up to Tri-City last year, compiling a 4-8 record with a 4.21 ERA. In 14 games, including 13 starts and one complete game, he worked 68 1/3 innings, striking out 49 and walking 32. … Daniel Sarisky (6-1, 175, R/R, 21, Duluth, Ga., 40th round June 2009 draft), out of Oglethorpe University, made 10 relief appearances for Greeneville and 10 for Tri-City last season. At Greeneville, he was 2-1 with a 4.73 ERA, 17 strikeouts and four walks over 13 1/3 innings. With Tri-City, he had no decisions, a 3.27 ERA, 24 strikeouts and nine walks over 22 innings. …

Michael Schurz

Jose Trinidad

Brandt Walker

Michael Schurz (6-2, 205, R/R, 23, Portsmouth, Va., 44th round June 2009 draft), out of the University of Iowa, sparkled in 23 relief outings last season. In 15 games with the GCL Astros, Schurz was 2-0 with six saves and a 2.25 ERA. He struck out 22 and walked six over 16 innings. Then, in eight outings for Tri-City, Schurz was 1-0 with a 0.66 ERA, 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 13 2/3 innings. … Jose Trinidad (5-11, 150, R/R, 22, Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic, non-drafted free agent February 2006) led all Astros minor-leaguers in 2008 with a 2.73 ERA (17 earned runs in 56 innings). With the Legends last year, he was shut down after 13 relief stints and 21 innings due to injury. He was 0-3 with a save and a 4.71 ERA. His four-season minor-league totals, beginning with two years in the DSL: 9-11, 10 saves, 2.92 ERA, 134 strikeouts, 51 walks, 160 1/3 innings. … Brandt Walker (6-1, 165, R/R, 22, Austin, Texas, eighth round June 2009 draft), in his first season out of Stanford University, went 1-7 with a save and 7.92 ERA for Tri-City last season. He pitched in 16 games, including 11 starts, and totaled 50 innings, 39 strikeouts and 36 walks.