Recent Minor Moves: NL East

Atlanta:

Demoted INF JC Holt from Richmond to Mississippi. Holt, a 2004 3rd rounder out of LSU, started the season in AAA, but hit just .215/.333/.228 in 26 games for the RBraves, and became expendable when Brent Lillbridge was returned to the minors.

Promoted P Tommy Hanson from Myrtle Beach to Mississippi. Hanson, drafted in the 22nd round in 2006 out of Riverside CC in Redlands, CA, is the probable starter for the MBraves on Tuesday night against Montgomery. In seven high-A starts in 2008, Hanson was 3-1 with a 0.90 ERA and 49 Ks/11 BBs in 40 innings, and didn’t allow an earned run until his fifth start.

DL’d OF Gorkys Hernandez (hamstring) at Myrtle Beach. Hernandez will probably be out about another week.

Sent 3B Jon Gilmore from extended spring training to Rome. Gilmore, a supplemental first-rounder a year ago out of Iowa HS ball, hit well in the GCL a year ago, but failed to show the power potential that pushed him into the 1st round, and the Braves held him back after he struggled in spring camp.

Florida:

Signed OF George Lombard as a free agent and assigned him to Albuquerque. Lombard, 32 (believe it or not), started the season in Las Vegas, but was released on April 25 after hitting just .163/.294/.279 for the 51s.

DL’d P Todd Doolittle at Carolina, Doolittle, a nondrafted free agent, opened the season as the Mudcats’ closer and converted his first six save opportunities, but had been increasingly less effective before being shut down.

Mets:

Demoted OF Caleb Stewart from New Orleans to Binghamton. For some reason, the Mets like Stewart, who has yet to do anything above A-ball; perhaps another sojourn in AA will get him untracked.

DL’d P Jake Ruckle at Binghamton. Ruckle has some shoulder tendonitis, perhaps brought on by his Dontrelle Willis-like mechanics; lets’ just say he has a lot of moving parts in his delivery and leave it at that.

Added P Casey Hoorelbeke to the St. Lucie roster. Hoorelbeke (it’s pronounced HURL-beck) is a sidearming right reliever who made it all the way to AAA in the Dodgers’ organization before being let go. He has all of the usual problems that sidearmers have, but until hitting AAA a year ago he’d been effective just about everywhere he’d gone. He doesn’t have much shot at a major league career, given that he’s 28, but in the right situation he could be useful.

Sent P Brant Rustich from extended spring to Savannah. Rustich, drafted in the second round in 2007 out of UCLA, was hit hard in his low-A debut after a solid debut in 2007 split between KIngsport and Brooklyn.

Philadelphia:

Promoted P Antonio “That” Bastardo from Clearwater to Reading. Bastardo blew away high-A ball hitters, allowing on 20 hits and fanning 47 in 30 innings for the Threshers. He’s had one good outing and one indifferent effort since being promoted, and he needs better command of his secondary pitches, but there’s no denying the talent.

Traded INF Gookie Dawkins, who had been playing at Reading, to the White Sox for a PTBNL. Dawkins was assigned to Charlotte.

Promoted P Tyson Brummett from Lakewood to Clearwater. Brummett, the 2007 7th rounder out of UCLA, was dominant in six low-A starts and pitched seven innings in his high-A debut, allowing two ER and seven hits.

Washington:

Released INF Tony Batista from Columbus. Batista hit just .226/.273/.306 in 17 games for the Clippers.

Promoted Ps Zech Zinicola and Jordan Zimmermann from Potomac to Harrisburg. Are the Nats trying to corner the market on Zs? Zinicola spent all of 2007 in AA at age 22, but went back down a level to start 2008. After dominating A-ball hitters (3 hits, 3 walks, 15 K in 12 1/3 innings), he came back up and picked up 2 saves in his first three outings for the Senators. Zimmermann, a second-rounder a year ago out of that noted baseball hotbed, Wisconsin-Stevens Point, did well in short-season ball a year ago, then dominated the Carolina League in five starts and picked up his first AA win today.

Sent 3B Steven Souza from Hagerstown back to extended spring. Souza was drafted in the 3rd round a year ago, out of HS in Everett, WA, and wasn’t performing all that poorly for the Suns at age 19, hitting .266/.348/.392. I’m a little surprised he went down.