Cubs Name Inf Dan Vogelbach, Rhp Matt Loosen Minor League Player, Pitcher Of The Month For July

CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs today named Single-A Kane County first baseman Dan Vogelbach and Double-A Tennessee right-handed pitcher Matt Loosen the organization's minor league player and pitcher of the month for July, respectively. 

Vogelbach, 20, batted .330 (31-for-94) with four doubles, four home runs, 19 RBI, a .417 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging mark - good for a .917 OPS - in 27 July contests. The left-handed hitter drew 17 walks compared to just 12 strikeouts and scored 15 runs.

In his second full pro season, Vogelbach is hitting .290 (115-for-397) with 20 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBI in 104 games for Kane County. Among Midwest League hitters, Vogelbach ranks tied for third in home runs, tied for fourth in total bases (183) and ninth in RBI.

Originally selected by the Cubs in the second round of the 2011 draft, Vogelbach owns a .302 batting average (201-for-666) with 44 doubles, three triples, 34 home runs and 136 RBI in 171 career minor league contests. He has 89 walks and 117 strikeouts in 767 plate appearances while compiling a .912 OPS thanks to a .382 on-base percentage and a .530 slugging mark.

Loosen, 24, combined to go 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA (4 ER/37.1 IP) in six July starts between Single-A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee, holding opponents to a .162 batting average (21-for-130) while striking out 33 compared to 14 walks. On July 8 at Dunedin, he spun Daytona's first nine-inning no hitter in 17 years, walking two and striking out nine, and earned Florida State League Pitcher of the Week honors.

Loosen, who started the year with Tennessee, was 5-2 with a 1.83 ERA (11 ER/54.0 IP), two complete game shutouts and 56 strikeouts in nine starts with Daytona from June 7-July 26 before he began his second stint at the Double-A level, July 27. He closed out his stretch with Daytona by going 5-0 with a 0.60 ERA (3 ER/45.0 IP) in his final seven starts, allowing just three extra-base hits in that span (two doubles, one triple).

Selected by Chicago in the 23rd round of the 2010 draft, Loosen is 23-18 with a 3.90 ERA (143 ER/330.0 IP) and two complete game shutouts in 73 career minor league games (60 starts). He has 315 strikeouts, good for an average of 8.6 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched, compared to 129 walks.

2013 CUBS MINOR LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

Month              Player                               Pitcher

April                  INF Rock Shoulders              LHP Eric Jokisch

May                  INF Dustin Geiger                RHP Kyle Hendricks

June                  INF Javier Baez                   LHP Chris Rusin

July                   INF Dan Vogelbach              RHP Matt Loosen