Cubs Minor League Update: Smokies Split with Trash Pandas

The Arizona Complex League is set to kick off on Saturday, prompting some roster adjustments within the Cubs’ minor league affiliates. Among the notable changes, right-hander Vince Velazquez has opted for free agency, while several players have made the jump to Triple-A Iowa from lower levels.

Jace Beck was promoted to Iowa from Double-A Knoxville, joined by outfielders Jeury Ramirez and Freiker Betencourt, both of whom were elevated from the Dominican Summer League Cubs-Red. Additionally, right-hander Jubrayker Salaya also moved up from the DSL to Iowa. On the other hand, right-hander Ben Johnson was demoted to High-A South Bend from Knoxville, and second baseman Darlyn De Leon was promoted to Low-A Myrtle Beach from the ACL Cubs. Outfielder Derik Alcantara was sent down to Mesa from Myrtle Beach.

It’s important to clarify that these players were not flown directly from the Dominican Republic to Iowa; they were already in Arizona preparing for Saturday’s season opener for Mesa when the Cubs decided to bolster their Iowa roster. It’s likely that many of them will return to Mesa shortly, and none of the DSL players participated in Iowa’s game on this night.

In a tough outing, the Iowa Cubs fell to the St. Paul Saints, 3-1. Charlie Barnes took the loss despite a solid performance, allowing three runs on just two hits over five innings, though he walked three and hit a batter while striking out four. The I-Cubs managed to outhit the Saints 8 to 2 but struggled to convert runs. First baseman Jonathon Long provided a brief highlight, singling home third baseman James Triantos in the eighth inning, with both players finishing the game at 2 for 4.

Meanwhile, the Knoxville Smokies faced the Rocket City Trash Pandas in a doubleheader, splitting the two games. They lost the first game 3-1, with Grant Kipp taking the loss after giving up three runs on four hits over 1.2 innings. The Smokies only managed two hits in that contest, with center fielder Jordan Nwogu scoring their only run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Game two was a different story as the Smokies bounced back to win 6-1, thanks to a strong pitching performance from Dawson Netz, who threw four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Luis Rujano followed, allowing one run while Vince Reilly closed out the game without allowing a hit. Offensively, Jefferson Rojas led the way with a 2 for 5 performance that included an RBI double. Other contributors included first baseman Edgar Alvarez and second baseman Ed Howard, both of whom had solid outings at the plate.

In South Bend, the Cubs were defeated by the Ft. Wayne TinCaps, 6-1. Koen Moreno took the loss after allowing four runs over 4.2 innings. Leonel Espinoza shone in a later appearance, going 2 for 2 with a double and a solo home run in the eighth, marking his second home run of the season.

Lastly, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans triumphed over the Columbia Fireflies, 4-2. Edwardo Melendez started strong, allowing only an unearned run in four innings, while Victor Zarraga and Braylon Myers combined to secure the win. Alexey Lumpuy highlighted the offense with a two-run double, and the Pelicans scored all their runs in a single explosive second inning. Notably, right fielder Josiah Hartshorn’s impressive 21-game on-base streak came to an end as he went 0 for 4 in this contest.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.