Rays prospects and minor leagues: McKay promoted to Triple A, per report

Brendan McKay will be promoted to Triple-A Durham and start for the Bulls on Tuesday, according to Marc Topkin. In 41 ²⁄₃ innings this season, he has a 1.30 ERA, 39.7% strikeout rate, and 5.8% walk rate. He’s ready to pitch in Triple A.

His bat? Well, he’s ready to pitch in Triple A.

Triple-A Durham Bulls (28-17)

Christian Arroyo and Mike Brosseau powered Durham to a 9-5 win over Norfolk. Arroyo’s solo homer in the second cut the Bulls’ deficit to 2-1. In the fourth, Nick Ciuffo tied the game with an RBI single, and Jason Coats’ two-run double put them ahead. In the sixth, Brosseau extended their lead to 9-4 with a two-run home run. Aaron Slegers allowed four runs — three earned — in four innings.

1B Nate Lowe: 1-for-6, 1 K (.853)
2B Nick Solak: 0-for-1, 1 R, 4 BB, 1 K (.869)
SS Jake Cronenworth: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB (.993)
LF Mike Brosseau: 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI (.985)
3B Christian Arroyo: 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB (.988)

RHP Aaron Slegers: 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 3 K (6.21)
LHP Colin Poche: 1 ¹⁄₃ IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (6.75)

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (29-17)

Montgomery was shut out by Jackson, 5-0. All three Biscuits hits were singles. Riley O’Brien allowed four runs in four innings.

CF Josh Lowe: 1-for-4, 2 K (.757)
RF Jesus Sanchez: 0-for-4, 1 K (.759)
SS Lucius Fox: 0-for-3 (.634)

RHP Riley O’Brien: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (4.87)
LHP Matt Krook: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (5.12)

Class A-Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs (25-22)

Charlotte rallied to tie the game in the ninth before falling to Palm Beach, 5-4, in 10 innings. The Cardinals scored in the top of the ninth to extend their lead to two, but they couldn’t hold the lead. Jim Haley’s RBI single made it 4-3, and Ronaldo Hernandez’s pinch-hit RBI single tied the game. In the 10th, Palm Beach’s free baserunner scored, but Charlotte made three straight outs. Tanner Dodson allowed three runs in 1 ¹⁄₃ innings.

2B Vidal Brujan: 1-for-5, 1 R, 2 K, 1 SB (.752)
SS Taylor Walls: 0-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB (.704)
LF Moises Gomez: 0-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K (.685)
C Ronaldo Hernandez: 1-for-1, 1 RBI, 1 SB (.669)
PR Garrett Whitley: did not bat (.757)
CF Thomas Milone: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 3B, 2 BB (.867)

RHP Tanner Dodson: 1 ¹⁄₃ IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (5.29)
RHP Paul Campbell: 6 ²⁄₃ IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K (4.70)

Charlotte’s site offers this recap.

Class-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (27-20)

Bowling Green won a 9-7 slugfest against West Michigan. Osmy Gregorio and Wander Franco had RBI extra-base hits in the first, but the big swing of the game came in the fourth when Chris Betts hit his second grand slam of the season, giving the Hot Rods a 7-0 lead. Bowling Green piggybacked starters Thursday. Cristopher Sanchez allowed three runs in 3 ²⁄₃ innings, and Shane McClanahan was responsible for four runs — three earned — in five frames.

SS Wander Franco: 2-for-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 SB (.846)
2B Osmy Gregorio: 3-for-5, 3 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 HBP (.570)
1B Kaleo Johnson: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HBP (.733)
C Chris Betts: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K (.783)
RF Tony Pena: 4-for-5 (.684)

LHP Cristopher Sanchez: 3 ²⁄₃ IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (5.40)
LHP Shane McClanahan: 5 IP, 3 H, 4 R (3 ER), 5 BB, 6 K (3.43)

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Friday’s games (probables courtesy of milb.com)

Durham @ Charlotte 7:04 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
TBA vs. TBA

Montgomery vs. Jackson 7:35 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Sam McWilliams (3-1, 2.88) vs. TBA

Charlotte vs. Palm Beach 6:30 p.m. ET (radio stream)
Michael Plassmeyer (1-0, 2.84) vs. TBA

Bowling Green vs. Dayton 7:35 p.m. ET (MiLB.TV, radio stream)
Alan Strong (3-1, 1.83) vs. Jhon De Jesus (1-3, 4.96)

*Listed as TBA on milb.com

Scouting the opposition

Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
25-19 (3rd in IL South)
Offense: 271 R (1st) .840 OPS (2nd)
Pitching: 5.87 ERA (14th) 1.68 WHIP (14th)
Top-30 prospects: RHP Dylan Cease (3), C Zack Collins (12), RHP Ian Hamilton (13), C Seby Zavala (15), RHP Jordan Stephens (19), RHP Spencer Adams (20), OF Joel Booker (27), RHP Zach Thompson (28)

Jackson Generals (Arizona)
25-20 (2nd in SL North)
Offense: 195 R (T-1st) .730 OPS (1st)
Pitching: 3.45 ERA (5th) 1.25 WHIP (6th)
Top-30 prospects: SS Jazz Chisholm (1), C Daulton Varsho (3), 2B Andy Young (12), 1B Pavin Smith (17), 3B Drew Ellis (21), C Dominic Miroglio (23), RHP Emilio Vargas (25)

Palm Beach Cardinals
29-17 (1st in FSL South)
Offense: 191 R (5th) .687 OPS (4th)
Pitching: 2.38 ERA (1st) 1.15 WHIP (1st)
Top-30 prospects: RHP Griffin Roberts (18), 1B Luken Baker (23)

Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati)
15-32 (8th in MWL East)
Offense: 174 R (15th) .627 OPS (15th)
Pitching: 4.96 ERA (16th) 1.55 WHIP (16th)
Top-30 prospects: OF Mike Siani (8), OF Mariel Bautista (13), RHP Lyon Richardson (14), RHP James Marinan (16), 3B Juan Martinez (19), LHP Jacob Heatherly (20)

Daily news and links

MiLB.com wrote about Brendan McKay’s continued dominance.

Baseball America subscribers can read about the best tools in this year’s draft.

ESPN subscribers can read Keith Law’s expanded list of the top prospects in the draft.