Dustin Ackley, 2B, Mariners (Triple-A Tacoma): 2-for-4, R, RBI. This is likely Ackley's final appearance here, as after the game, he spent time calling his family to let them know he's been summoned to the big leagues. After another slow April, the second overall pick in the 2009 draft hit .352 after the first month of the year and sits at .303/.421/.487 after 66 games. He's not a very good second baseman, but he's fine there, he doesn't have a ton of power, but there will be plenty of doubles and the occasional ball flying over the fence. He's not a burner, but he's fast enough to steal 15-20 bases a year. His minor league career line of .280/.387/.435 looks just about right to me as far as a big league projection goes, and while he might not be the superstar some projected for him out of college, he's going to represent a major upgrade in the middle of the infield for Seattle.

Others Of Note:

• Mike Aviles, SS/2B, Royals (Triple-A Omaha): 2-for-3, 2 HR (3), 2 R, 4 RBI. 5-for-18 (.278) but three home runs in five games since demotion.
• Dellin Betances, RHP, Yankees (Double-A Trenton): 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 8 K. Other than the occasional control problems, everything else has been on target; 1.76 ERA in 11 starts, 66 strikeouts in 56.1 innings and an opponents batting average of .176.
• Christian Bethancourt, C, Braves (Low-A Rome): 2-for-4, R, RBI. Hitting .420 in 12 June games and .303/.321/.436 overall.
• Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox (Low-A Greenville): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2 K. 18-year-old earned surprised assignment to Low-A last week; .273/.385/.364 in first six games.
• Rushun Dixon, OF, Athletics (High-A Stockton): 3-for-4, 2 R, CS. Hitting .356 in 12 June games and up to .253/.335/.414 overall; still young and toolsy, so every time he gets hot you take notice.
• Chris Dwyer, LHP, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K. Best start in otherwise disappointing year; 6.12 ERA in 12 starts with command issues the primary culprit.
• Jonathan Garcia, OF, Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes): 4-for-5, 2 2B, HR (10), 3 R, 2 RBI, K. Home runs in back-to-back games but approach issues have undone fast start; .249/.293/.475 in 60 games.
• Jedd Gyorko, 3B, Padres (High-A Lake Elsinore): 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB. Eight straight multi-hit games (22-for-39) and .386/.448/.664 in 66 games.
• David Holmberg, LHP, Diamondbacks (Low-A South Bend): 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K. Best start of career by hottest pitcher in the lower levels; 27 shutout innings in last four starts while allowing just nine hits.
• Casey Kelley, RHP, Padres (Double-A San Antonio): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. Still inconsistent, just a better good/bad ratio than last year; 3.72 ERA in 14 starts.
• Hak-Ju Lee, SS, Rays (High-A Charlotte): 3-for-5, 2 R, K, 2 SB, CS. Hasn't been in the update for a while but still hitting; .353/.430/.488 in 52 games.
• Francisco Martinez, 3B, Tigers (Double-A Erie): 3-for-5, R, RBI, K. 10-for-19 in last four games and .294/.341/.452 overall as one of the youngest hitters in the Eastern League.
• Tommy Mendonca, 3B, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 3-for-4, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB. Six straight multi-hit games (18-for-27) has raised batting average 43 points to .329/.378/.583.
• Shelby Miller, RHP, Cardinals (Double-A Springfield): 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K. 1.35 ERA in three Texas League starts; Still think it's doubtful we'll see him in th ebig leagues this year, but he keeps improving his chances.
• Wily Mo Pena, OF, Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno): 4-for-5, 2 2B, HR (21), 2 R, 5 RBI. Now tied for the minor league home run lead.
• Wily Peralta, RHP, Brewers (Double-A Huntsville): 7 IP, 4 H, 3 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 5 K. First career complete game; 24 IP, 15 H, 4 ER, 11 BB, 29 K in last four starts.
• Charles Shirek, RHP, White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 3 K. Groundball specialist with fringy stuff has moved back to starting; 10-1 ground ball rate last night.
• Travis Snider, OF, Blue Jays (Triple-A Las Vegas): 4-for-4, 3 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB. 16-for-28 in last six games and .330/.400/.478 in 44 games; how long to we keep the faith?
• Michael Taylor, OF, Athletics (Triple-A Sacramento): 3-for-5, HR (6), R, 2 RBI, CS. Matches last year's home run total in 127 games; .302/.368/.509 in 26 games.
• Eric Thames, OF, Blue Jays (Triple-A Las Vegas): 3-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB. 10-for-20 with 20 total bases in last four games and .348/.418/.624 overall; hardly looked over-matched in the big leagues . . .
• Tyler Thornburg, RHP, Brewers (Low-A Wisconsin): 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 9 K. Don't forget about him just because he's short; 1.57 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 68.2 innings thanks to plus fastball/curve combination.
• Arodys Vizcaino, RHP, Braves (Double-A Mississippi): 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K. Best Double-A start since end-of-May promotion; 27 Ks in 25.2 innings with .202 opponent's average.

Andrew Miller, LHP, Red Sox (Triple-A Pawtucket): 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 10 K. He was a cheap risk to take, and now the Red Sox are on the verge of fixing a second North Carolina first-round pick whose career went south due to control problems, with Daniel Bard being the first. After walking 32 batters over 40.1 innings in his first nine games, he's given up just three walks over 25.1 in his last four, while giving up just 17 hits and striking out 26. His fastball has been in the 91-95 mph range, his slider has always been a quality pitch, and with the ability to opt out of his deal today if he's not in the big leagues, the Red Sox are now forced to decide if he's ready. [Late note: Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe reports that Miller and his agent will meet with Red Sox brass with a plan of promoting him next week.]

Others Of Note:

• Christian Bethancourt, C, Braves (Low-A Rome): 3-for-4, K. Hitting .413 in 11 games and up to .300/.318/.435 in 51 games with outstanding defense.
• Jesse Biddle, LHP, Phillies (Low-A Lakewood): 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 9 K. Career-high strikeouts; 7.16 ERA in April but 3.02 since.
• Kyle Blanks, 1B/OF, Padres (Triple-A Tucson): 2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 R, BB, K. 8-for-12 in last three games and mixing in more outfield play now that Rizzo is at first base in the big leagues.
• Lorenzo Cain, OF, Royals (Triple-A Omaha): 2-for-4, 2B, HR (6), 2 R, RBI, 2 K. Up to .299/.368/.498 in 55 games after home runs on back-to-back nights; just waiting for the July clearinghouse to begin.
• Chris Carter, 1B, Athletics (Triple-A Sacramento): 2-for-3, 2 HR (4), 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB. Second game back since missing six weeks with a thumb injury; .211/.378/.474 in 16 games.
• Nick Castellanos, 3B, Tigers (Low-A West Michigan): 2-for-4, HR (4), R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K. Fourth straight multi-hit game, .362 in June and .278/.322/.417 overall.
• Michael Choice, OF, Athletics (High-A Stockton): 2-for-3, HR (13), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K. Contact issues remain but power and patience are outstanding; .245/.350/.481 in 60 games.
• Christian Colon, SS, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 3-for-3, 4 R, 2 BB. Picking things up with .327 June; still just .256/.333/.332 in 57 games.
• Taylor Green, 3B, Brewers (Triple-A Nashville): 3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, BB. 23-for-43 (.535) during 12-game hitting streak and .318/.394/.575 overall; finally healthy and hitting at a time when Casey McGehee isn't.
• Jedd Gyorko, 3B, Padres (High-A Lake Elsinore): 2-for-3, R, RBI, BB. As if he couldn't get hotter, he's now 20-for-35 in last seven games and .384/.445/.663 overall; not sure what we're learning from having him still in High-A.
• Reese Havens, 2B, Mets (Double-A Binghamton): 2-for-5, HR (2), R, RBI, 2 K, SB. Oft-injured former first-rounder has been just so-so since return to Double-A; .259/.323/.448 in 15 games.
• Drew Hutchinson, RHP, Blue Jays (Low-A Lansing): 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K. 18 shutout innings over last three starts with 25 strikeouts; not monster stuff, but low-90s fastball, average changeup and very good slider.
• Scott Kazmir, LHP, Angels (Triple-A Salt Lake): 1.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 3 BB, K. 17.02 ERA in five starts while allowing 48 base runners in 15.1 innings.
• Jason Kipnis, 2B, Indians (Triple-A Columbus): 2-for-4, 2 3B, 2 R, RBI, K. 11-for-22 with 20 total bases in last five games and up to .296/.368/.505; in other words, get him up already.
• Kyle Lotzkar, RHP, Reds (Low-A Dayton): 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K. Season-debut for oft-injured power righty.
• Barret Loux, RHP, Rangers (High-A Myrtle Beach): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K. 3.48 ERA in 13 games with 74-to-19 K/BB ratio in 67.1 innings.
• Carlos Martinez, RHP, Cardinals (Low-A Quad Cities): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K. It's taken seven starts (or less) for him to be seen as having the best stuff in the league; 2.48 ERA in seven games with 43 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.
• Francisco Martinez, 3B, Tigers (Double-A Erie): 3-for-5, RBI, K, CS. 20-year-old Venezuelan hit .179 in April but .344 in 32 games since; .286/.334/.448 overall and one of the better hitting prospects that nobody seems to know about.
• Tommy Mendonca, 3B, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB, K. 14-for-23 in last five games and .322/.367/.572 on year; with 71 Ks in 236 at-bats, how can it be sustainable?
• Mike Montgomery, LHP, Royals (Triple-A Omaha): 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 8 K. Season-high in strikeouts but control problems persist.
• Wil Myers, OF, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 3-for-4, 2 2B, 4 R, BB, K. OPS is up 68 points in two days; up to .282/.346/.410 in 31 games.
• Keyvius Sampson, RHP, Padres (Low-A Fort Wayne): 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 9 K. Fastball has been outstanding while secondary pitches come and go; 2.60 ERA in 12 starts with 72 strikeouts in 62.1 innings.
• Dave Sappelt, OF, Reds (Triple-A Louisville): 5-for-5, 2B, HR (5), 2 R, 2 RBI. 11-for-25 in five games after missing a month with an oblique injury and .365/.426/.600 overall in 28 games; some scouts believe that fourth outfielder projections are too conservative.
• Blake Smith, OF, Dodgers (High-A Rancho Cucamonga): 3-for-3, HR (14), 2 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, CS. Athletic outfielder combines power with a big arm and a propensity for strikeouts; .276/.345/.522 in 59 games.
• Travis Snider, OF, Blue Jays (Triple-A Las Vegas): 3-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R. Hitting .362 in June and .315/.385/.449 overall; lack of power (2 HR in 178 ABs) has been shocking.
• Jameson Taillon, RHP, Pirates (Low-A West Virginia): 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K. Career-high in strikeouts; opposing batters 4-for-31 against him in last two starts.
• Julio Teheran, RHP, Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K. Stuff has been at its best in the last two starts; 92-98 mph fastball while sitting comfortably at 95, with both his curveball and changeup looking plus.
• Eric Thames, OF, Blue Jays (Triple-A Las Vegas): 3-for-3, 3B, HR (7), 2 R, 4 RBI. Hitting .323 since return to minors; .339/.409/.605 in 45 games.
• Mike Trout, OF, Angels (Double-A Arkansas): 2-for-4, HR (8), 2 R, RBI, BB, K, SB (23). From hot to crazy hot; 10-for-17 with 18 total bases in last four games and .330/.434/.565 overall.

Michael Taylor, OF, Athletics (Triple-A Sacramento): 2-for-4, 2 HR (5), 2 R, 2 RBI, K

Acquired straight up for Brett Wallace prior to the 2010 season, Taylor's .272/.348/.392 campaign was one of last year's bigger downturns among prospects, but after having his season delayed by injury, he's showing signs of a rebound. Numbers are great, but when they are back up by scouting information, they are even better, and Taylor has worked hard to get a load back into his swing while being more aggressive in his approach. At .296/.355/.490 in 24 games, the early returns are promising.

Others Of Note:

• Dustin Ackley, 2B, Mariners (Triple-A Tacoma): 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI, K. Snaps out 0-for-12 slump and up to .297/.415/.487 on the season; should be up any day now.
• Kyle Blanks, 1B, Padres (Triple-A Tucson): 3-for-5, 2B, HR (1), 3 R, RBI, K. Back-to-back three-hit games and first Triple-A home run in five games.
• Andrew Brackman, RHP, Yankees (Triple-A Scranton): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K. New role (bullpen), same results; 6.92 ERA in 53.1 innings while allowing 104 batters to reach base.
• Lorenzo Cain, OF, Royals (Triple-A Omaha): 2-for-4, HR (5), R, RBI. Almost seems to be forgotten about, but hitting .295/.365/.478 in 54 games with good center field defense.
• Brett Cecil, LHP, Blue Jays (Triple-A Las Vegas): 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K. Second dominant complete game in last two starts; unfortunately gave up eight runs over 3.1 innings in between them.
• Colin Cowgill, OF, Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno): 3-for-4, HR (12), 2 R, 3 RBI, BB. 30-for-56 (.536) in last 13 games and .375/.440/.621 overall in 62; not sure how he gets a look as long as the big league club remains enamored with Gerardo Parra.
• Zack Cozart, SS, Reds (Triple-A Louisville): 3-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB. Now hitting .491/.532/.737 in 14 June games will wondering what else he has to do to get noticed by the big league brass.
• Mat Gamel, 1B, Brewers (Triple-A Nashville): 3-for-5, 2 HR (13), 2 R, 3 RBI. Hitting .310/.377/.548 in 62 games; hard to get worked up when he made his Triple-A debut in 2008.
• Johnny Giavotella, 2B, Royals (Triple-A Omaha): 2-for-4, HR (5), 2 R, 2 RBI. Hitting .407 in June and up to .310/.372/.441 overall; deserves to be up.
• Jason Hagerty, C, Padres (High-A Lake Elsinore): 2-for-6, 2B, HR (7), 2 R, 3 RBI, 3 K. Three home runs in last two games and .332/.400/.582 on the season; once again old for his level as bat remains ahead of the glove.
• Matt Harvey, RHP, Mets (High-A St. Lucie): 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K. 36 strikeouts over 23 innings in his last four starts and has given up one or fewer earned runs in nine of 13; 2.44 ERA over 70 innings with 88 whiffs.
• Slade Heathcott, OF, Yankees (Low-A Charleston): 0-for-4, 3 K. Hit .370 in April, has hit .209 since with 36 strikeouts in 129 at-bats.
• Jason Heyward, OF, Braves (Triple-A Gwinnett): 1-for-3, 2B, R, BB. Rehab, back soon.
• Marc Krauss, OF, Diamondbacks (Double-A Mobile): 2-for-4, 2B, HR (10), R, RBI, 2 K. June signs of life continue; .244/.345/.475 overall.
• Ryan Lavarnway, C, Red Sox (Triple-A Pawtucket): 2-for-4, 2 2B, R. Triple-A debut after .284/.360/.510 line at Double-A; bat remains ahead of glove.
• Charles Leesman, LHP, White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K. Mild sleeper as big, physical lefty with solid three pitch mix but control issues; 3.36 ERA in 13 games.
• Jake McGee, LHP, Rays (Triple-A Durham): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Starting to find his groove back in the minors; 7.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 9 K in last five appearances.
• Deck McGuire, RHP, Blue Jays (High-A Dunedin): 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 8 K. Like Harvey, looking more and more like he's ready for a second half at Double-A; 3.07 ERA over 70.1 innings with 70 Ks.
• Tommy Mendonca, 3B, Rangers (Double-A Frisco): 4-for-6, 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI, K. 12-for-19 in last four games and .315/.356/.565 overall; scouts don't think approach will keep working as he moves up.
• Jermaine Mitchell, OF, A's (Double-A Midland): 3-for-5, 2B, RBI. It's hard to get too worked up about a 26-year-old outfielder whose prospect star has faded, but he's hitting .405 in his last 16 games and .372/.479/.657 in 60 games.
• Jesus Montero, C, Yankees (Triple-A Scranton): 2-for-4, HR (5), R, 3 RBI, BB. Back in the lineup after hitting the bench for undisclosed purposes; .293/.339/.424 in 51 games.
• Wil Myers, OF, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 1-for-4, HR (3), 2 R, RBI. First home run in ten games since return from DL; just .265/.328/.381 in30 games.
• Andy Oliver, LHP, Tigers (Triple-A Toledo): 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 5 BB, 9 K. That's everything to like and be concerned about when it comes to Oliver in one neat game line; 3.82 ERA in 11 games.
• Rafael Ortega, OF, Rockies (Low-A Asheville): 3-for-4, 3B, R, BB, K, SB. 20-year-old Venezuelan speedster with gap power is hitting .366/.395/.537 in June to up season line to .279/.314/.393 in 53 games.
• Wily Mo Pena, OF, Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno): 2-for-5, 2 HR (20), 3 R, 2 RBI, K. Now second in the minor leagues in home runs, and that's just cool.
• Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers (Low-A Hickory): 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB, K. .280/.389/.503 line in 51 games remains one of the most impressive in the minors considering age and position.
• Trayvon Robinson, OF, Dodgers (Triple-A Albuquerque): 2-for-3, 3B, HR (14), R, RBI, BB, K. Three home runs in last six games, .409 in June, .304/.363/.567 overall and Tony Gwynn Jr. keeps getting big league starts.
• Cody Scarpetta, RHP, Brewers (Double-A Huntsville): 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K. Follows up 3 IP, 8 R outing with best star of the year; inconsistent doesn't really do it justice.
• Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Phillies (High-A Clearwater): 0-for-4, BB, 3 Ks. One of the biggest disappointments in prospect land; outfielder experiment didn't work and hitting just .251/.370/.333 in 54 games.
• Mike Trout, OF, Angels (Double-A Arkansas): 2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, K, SB. Since dropping to .294 on May 29, he's 20-for-45 (.444) in 13 games with four triples and 11 stolen bases; .327/.430/.551 overall.
• Dayan Viciedo, OF, White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte): 3-for-5, R. 12-for-29 during seven-game hitting streak and .318/.365/.518 overall.