Blogs > Minor Matters

Run by The Trentonian's Nick Peruffo, this blog will provide daily multimedia coverage of the Trenton Thunder.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Hughes-a-Palooza

Thanks to Ben Youngerman for the title. It kicks butt. Way better than Phil-anthropy, or whatever nonsense I would have come up with.

Anyway ...

The main story today is obviously Phil Hughes and his second rehab start with the Thunder. He's slated for around 85 pitches today. Shaeffer Hall will be his caddy. No word just yet on if he will need another start. That, obviously, will be determined by how he performs today.

The Fisher Cats are a feisty bunch, and could shake his confidence terribly. Even Adeiny Hechavarria. Especially Adeiny Hechavarria.

The Hughes will meet with the media following his start, and I'll have a livestream video of the press conference. I'll tweet the link to the livestream, but if that fails to work for some reason, go to www.ustream.com and look for jnorris427's channel.

More updates later.

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Monday, June 20, 2011

Hughes to start for Thunder on Friday in New Britain, Horne coming, Adams rehabbing, Maruszak and Lyerly promoted

TRENTON -- The Thunder could be getting quite a bit of reinforcements in the coming days. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed yesterday that Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes’ next rehab start would come with Trenton on Friday, when the team opens its set with the New Britain Rock Cats.

Hughes struck out seven in 4 1/3 innings with the Short-Season Staten Island Yankees on Sunday, and reached as high as 95 miles per hour with his fastball.

Also in the arms department, Alan Horne confirmed to The Trentonian that he will be joining the Thunder and is scheduled to start on Wednesday against the Portland Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field.

Horne was the 2007 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year, and last pitched for Trenton in 2009, when he went 0-3 with an 11.15 ERA in 15 1/3 innings before succumbing to a rotator cuff injury. He had surgery to remove a bone spur in his shoulder, and underwent platelet-rich plasma therapy to heal the rotator cuff.

Second baseman David Adams, who last played on May 22, 2010, with Thunder, was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the Gulf Coast League yesterday, a sign that he is getting closer to returning to action.

When he is fully healed from plantar fasciitis and the aftereffects of a broken foot he suffered in that May contest, it is likely he’ll return to the Thunder.

Trenton utilityman Addison Maruszak has been promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to Scranton Times-Tribune beat writer Donnie Collins. Maruszak has spent time at catcher, first base, third base and in right field this season, and was hitting .218/.335/.306 before the promotion.

To account for his absence, Trenton is receiving Rob Lyerly from Tampa. Lyerly was hitting .315/.363/.462 with four homers and 46 RBIs.

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Friday, April 15, 2011

Phil Hughes going on DL, Lance Pendleton coming up

Per the New York Post's Brian Costello, Phil Hughes is being placed on the disabled list and Lance Pendleton, last year's Thunder ace in the second half, is being called to New York to take his place.

Pendleton was a Rule 5 pick of the Houston Astros this offseason, and was returned to the Yankees during the last week of spring training. The 27-year-old right-hander from Rice University is 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA in two appearances out the Scranton bullpen this season.

With the Thunder last year, Pendleton was 10-4 with a 3.43 ERA over 23 appearances (22 starts.)

This comes after Hughes had been shellacked for three straight starts, including last night's effort against the Orioles in which he allowed five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Overall this season, Hughes has given up four home runs in just 10 1/3 frames.

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