We haven’t spent much time discussing Henry Urrutia in these parts, and that’s a factor of two items: (1) I really don’t know that much about the guy. The Cuban-born prospect signed with Baltimore way back in 2009, but defection issues followed by visa troubles delayed his stateside debut until this season. (2) What I do know about Urrutia — or at least what I’ve seen reported most consistently about the 26-year-old — is that he’s a defensive liability, a well below-average outfielder with game instincts that probably mirror yours and mine. Those reports, I thought, didn’t bode well for a hasty arrival in the bigs. Don’t get me wrong, I knew the O’s had planned to use him in a DH/PH capacity this season, but I was thinking that’d be more of a September thing. In any case, Nolan Reimold’s injury has sped up the timetable, and beginning yesterday, Henry Urrutia is Baltimore’s DH. The fantasy implications of this arrival are tough to gauge. Urrutia hit .365/.427/.531 with 28 XBH (7 HR) through 288 PA between Double- and Triple-A, which is a nice line, reflective of an advanced approach and modest power. That skill set should help him adapt quickly to big league pitching, but there’s little upside here outside of OBP and AVG. Still, Urrutia is a guy to keep an eye on, and he’s maybe even worth a speculative grab now if you have room. He’s certainly not another Puig, but his stick is probably advanced enough to provide some help to those in need.
Kyler Zimmer | RHP, Royals — We talked about Zimmer last week, who, at the time, was coming off of two brilliant High-A starts. The Royals have since promoted the 21-year-old. He’ll bring his filthy fastball/curve combo to the Double-A Texas league.
Mike Olt | 1B/3B, Rangers — I chatted some yesterday about how Olt could be a key piece in deal that would send Matt Garza to Texas. I’m hearing now that the deal has stalled because of concern on Chicago’s part regarding the medical records of a player involved in the swap. It’s probably worth noting that Olt suffered from an eye ailment that kept him out for a month earlier this season. The 24-year-old hit his 11th home run yesterday.
Oscar Taveras | OF, Cardinals — The Cardinals are shutting down Taveras for another 10 days. The chances of him arriving in St. Louis this season grow slimmer with yet another setback in his recovery from a high ankle sprain.
Taylor Guerrieri | RHP, Rays — Guerrieri, a 2011 first round pick, had been outstanding in his first year of full-season baseball, posting a 2.01 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and a K/BB at 4.25 through 14 starts at Low-A Bowling Green. Popping up in the past week, however, there are big time concerns about the 20-year-old’s health. He left his most recent outing due to elbow soreness, and there were shoulder concerns before that. Rays fans and dynasty league owners will hold their breath until future notice.
Adam Brett Walker | OF, Twins — Walker has been torching Midwest League pitching over the past couple weeks, hitting .341/.391/.902 with 7 homers through his last ten games. As if the Twins needed another primo outfield prospect…
Jonathan Gray | RHP, Rockies — The third overall pick last month, Gray was awful in his first pro outing, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits through 3 innings. The 21-year-old was far better in his second start, however, allowing 1 hit and 1 ER through 2.2 frames while whiffing 4 and walking zero.
Robert Stephenson | RHP, Reds — The Reds bumped their top pitching prospect to High-A this past week. In his debut, Stephenson lasted 6 IP, allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, and posted a 5/0 K/BB.
Brock Peterson | 3B, Cardinals — Matt Holliday is headed for the DL, and the Cardinals have called up Brock Peterson to fill the roster void. Peterson, age 29, is a Minor League journeyman who was playing indy league baseball as recently as last season. He’s a good story, but his role with the Cardinals will likely be limited to pinch hit duties. There’s no fantasy appeal here.
Colin Moran | 3B, Marlins — Miami drafted Moran 6th overall last month. Not long after the draft, I discussed his fantasy potential in a Scouting the Unknown post. The 20-year-old homered on Wednesday in what was his first professional game.
Victor Sanchez | RHP, Mariners — No-hitters happen occasionally in the Minor Leagues, but they’re usually of the combined variety. A 9-inning no-no is almost unheard of, given the strict workload caps placed on prospects these days. But Victor Sanchez, an 18-year-old in the Mariners organization, tossed a complete game no-hitter in Midwest League action on Wednesday. It’s a hugely impressive performance given his age, and a rare thing to see at the Low-A level.
