Brusdar Graterol & Michael Grove might rejoin Dodgers this week
Graterol and Grove on their respective rehab assignments have each pitched on back-to-back days and pitched in multiple innings in a game, as they near a return.
A pair of Dodgers relievers are nearing a return from the injured list, having both pitched for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday night in El Paso.
Brusdar Graterol got the final out of the fourth inning and the first two outs of the fifth inning. He allowed a single and struck out a batter in the eighth game of his rehab assignment, and the first of those games in which Graterol pitched in multiple innings.
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Michael Grove, who got four outs on Friday night, struck out his only batter faced to relieve Graterol and get the final out of the fifth inning. Grove has pitched six rehab games with Oklahoma City.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters earlier Saturday in Oakland that both Graterol and Grove could be activated by the Dodgers during their homestand which runs from Monday to next Sunday. From Bill Plunkett in the Orange County Register, Roberts added, “Those two guys have checked the boxes they need to check.”
Player of the day
Rancho Cucamonga right fielder Samuel Muñoz hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning on Saturday, then delivered the walk-off single in the 10th inning.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Ben Casparius needed 34 pitches to get only two outs in the first inning, and his five runs allowed set the tone in Oklahoma City’s loss to the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres). Four of the five runs were earned for Casparius, with three walks and a wild pitch to go with his one strikeout.
Diego Cartaya homered in defeat.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers lost a lopsided affair to the Springfield Cardinals. Tulsa’s two runs came on solo home runs by the best two prospects on the team. Shortstop Alex Freeland and catcher Dalton Rushing hit back-to-back solo shots in the sixth inning.
Rushing has five home runs and three doubles over his last 10 games.
High-A Great Lakes
Four Loons pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts and just one run allowed to beat the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins).
Peter Heubeck started and struck out four in his 4⅔ scoreless innings, and allowed only a single, walk, and hit batter. The right-hander has a 1.67 ERA over his last 27 innings, dating back to mid-June.
Four different Great Lakes players stole a base, including Chris Newell, who also had a two-run single. Luis Rodriguez had a two-run double. Sam Mongelli, who stole a base, had two hits. Noah Miller also had two hits.
Low-A Rancho Cucamonga
Up three in the ninth, Christian Ruebeck allowed a three-run home run with two outs in the ninth to send the game to extras. But Muñoz delivered the game-winner in the 10th inning to cap a three-RBI night and beat the San Jose Giants.
Catcher Carlos Ruiz and outfielder Zyhir Hope each also had two hits in the win.
