Sidney Ponson of the Kansas City Royals was placed on the disabled list this week with an elbow strain. The right-hander, who impressed the baseball world with his performances at the World Baseball Classic this March for the Netherlands, had an ERA of 7.27 in eleven games. He had lost his spot in the starting rotation a few weeks ago and was demoted to the bullpen. He probably would have got another shot at starting this Saturday, but Luke Hochevar will be recalled and Ponson is beginning a rehab assignment. It is not known how long he will be sidelined, though he isn’t eligible to return for two weeks.
Around the Minors:
- Reliever Loek van Mil is finally back in action. The tall right-hander was injured in preparation for the Olympics last summer and was reassigned to the Fort Myers Miracle at the end of May to continue his professional career. He already made two appearances in the Florida State League, allowing three hits and a walk in three scoreless innings, striking out one.
- Catcher Kai Gronauer of the Savannah Sand Gnats is mired in a slump. He just has four hits in his last 33 at-bats and he is now hitting .216 (OBP .276/SLG .315) with two homeruns, eleven runs scored and eight RBI in 34 games this season.
- Shortstop Hainley Statia of the Los Angeles Angels Double-A affiliate in Arkansas impressed on May 29th with a four-for-four outburst with a homerun, three runs scored and three RBI. He is still batting just .189 (OBP .288/SLG .254) in 39 games though.
- Catcher Kenley Jansen, who threw out Willy Taveras trying to steal third in the Dutch upset of the Dominican Republic during the WBC, received a glimpse of Triple-A ball, as he was called up to fill in with the Pacific Coast League affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Albuquerque. He took the spot of AJ Ellis, who was promoted to the Major League club. It was only a temporary assignment. He had one hit in two at bats in his only game in the PCL. Jansen usually is playing for the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League, batting .202 (OBP .268/SLG .303) with one homerun, seven runs scored and eleven RBI in 26 games.