Rays prospects and minor leagues: Schultz begins rehab assignment

Jaime Schultz missed three months with a groin injury, but he’s starting his road back to at least Durham, if not the big leagues soon. He dazzled in spring training with a 35.5 percent strikeout rate, and he could be a big addition to the bullpen if he’s healthy. Adding relief help is likely a key objective this month, and the team’s second-worst strikeout rate from relief pitchers would benefit from the internal addition of Schultz.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (55-34)

Durham was off.

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (10-8)

Home runs from Justin Williams and Joe McCarthy weren’t enough in Montgomery’s 5-4 loss to Tennessee. Williams’ two-run shot in the fourth gave the Biscuits a 2-1 lead, but that lead was brief. The Smokies answered with two of their own in their half of the inning off Jose Mujica, who allowed five runs in seven innings. McCarthy’s home run in the fifth was his fourth this season.

OF Joe McCarthy: 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 K, 1 SB
OF Justin Williams: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
IF Riley Unroe: 0-for-5, 2 K
IF Grant Kay: 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB

RHP Jose Mujica: 7 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (8-8)

Charlotte’s game was canceled.

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (12-7)

Bowling Green rolled over Great Lakes by a 9-1 score to earn its ninth straight win. Eleardo Cabrera and Miles Mastrobuoni each drove in two in the four-run second, and the rout was on when the Hot Rods scored three more an inning later. Starter Willy Ortiz allowed just a run in seven innings. It was his second straight seven-inning start.

CF Josh Lowe: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 K
OF Garrett Whitley: 1-for-5, 1 R, 2 K
OF Jesus Sanchez: 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K
3B Adrian Rondon: 0-for-3, 1 R
IF Michael Brosseau: 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB

RHP Willy Ortiz: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K

Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades (6-13)

Hudson Valley was off.

Rookie Princeton Rays (5-12)

Princeton was on the wrong side of the slugfest in a 14-8 loss to Bluefield. After falling behind 4-0 in the first, Princeton battled back for for of its own in the second, including getting a three-run home run from Trey Hair. In the third, Andrew Miller tripled in two more runs in a three-run frame, but it was all downhill from there. Bluefield scored 10 of the final 11 runs of the game. Starter Joel Peguero was charged with 10 runs — eight earned — in 3 1/3 innings.

C Ronaldo Hernandez: 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 K
SS Zach Rutherford: 0-for-5, 1 K
1B Devin Davis: 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 K
2B Trey Hair: 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB

RHP Joel Peguero: 3 ¹⁄₃ IP, 12 H, 10 R (8 ER), 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Jeffrey Rosa: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

Rookie Gulf Coast League Rays (3-10)

A 3-0 lead in the first inning wasn’t enough for the GCL Rays in their 5-3 loss to the GCL Red Sox. After a run scored on an error, Roberto Alvarez drove in two with a single, and the offense checked out for the afternoon. On the mound, Jaime Schultz made his first appearance in three months. He struck out one and allowed an unearned run in 1 2/3 innings. Francisco Sanchez allowed three runs -- two earned — in the seventh.

3B Kevin Padlo: 0-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB
SS Carlos Vargas: 1-for-4, 1 R
OF Yerson Santana: 0-for-4, 2 K
OF Tony Pena: 0-for-4, 3 K

RHP Jaime Schultz: 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 1 K
LHP Francisco Sanchez: 2 ¹⁄₃ IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K

The preceding stories were not generated by the Associated Press computer using data from, and in cooperation with, MLBAM.

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Today's games (probables courtesy of milb.com)

Durham is at its All-Star break

Montgomery @ Tennessee 12 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Logan Darnell* (1-0, 1.29) v. Duane Underwood Jr. (7-4, 5.03)

Charlotte is off

Bowling Green is off

Hudson Valley v. West Virginia 7:05 PM (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA v. Sergio Cubilete (2-1, 3.24)

Princeton is off

GCL Rays v. GCL Red Sox 12 PM

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Tennessee Smokies (Cubs)
10-8 (T-2nd in SL North)
Offense: 343 R (4th) .700 OPS (4th)
Pitching: 3.79 ERA (6th) 1.31 WHIP (7th)
Top 30 Prospects: RHP Trevor Clifton (8), RHP Duane Underwood (15), 2B David Bote (26)

West Virginia Black Bears (Pittsburgh)
13-7 (1st in NYPL Pinckney)
Offense: 92 R (T-5th) .660 OPS (8th)
Pitching: 2.37 ERA (1st) 1.04 WHIP (2nd)
Top 30 Prospects: 3B Dylan Busby

GCL Red Sox
8-5 (2nd in GCL South)
Offense: 47 R (12th) .675 OPS (11th)
Pitching: 3.49 ERA (6th) 1.29 WHIP (7th)
Top 30 Prospects: OF Cole Brannen, manager Tom Kotchman, coach Angel Berroa