Pipeline preview: Puk seeks first win

Pipeline preview: Puk seeks first win

August 14th, 2016

Here's a look at top prospects to watch in Sunday's Minor League action:
Mejia streak watch:Indians No. 4 prospect Francisco Mejia looks to extend his 50-game hitting streak as Lynchburg hosts Winston-Salem at 4 p.m. ET.
Hitter to watch: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers' No. 1), Tulsa vs. Frisco (2:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
Bellinger homered for the fourth time this month on Saturday, going deep for Double-A Tulsa in a 7-3 win over Frisco. The Dodgers' top prospect (No. 38 overall) went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk; it was his fourth multi-hit effort over his last seven games and 23rd of the year. Bellinger is now batting .261 with 17 homers and 49 RBIs with the Drillers this season. 

Pitcher to watch: A.J. Puk (Athletics' No. 2), Vermont vs. Tri-City (5:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
The No. 74 overall prospect -- and the sixth overall pick by the A's in this June's Draft -- will make his seventh professional start for Class A Short Season Vermont. Puk owns a 3.31 ERA through 16 1/3 innings since his Minor League debut on July 12. He took a no-hitter into the fifth inning his last time out but didn't record an out in the frame, yielding back-to-back singles before exiting. The 21-year-old is seeking his first professional win as he continues to pitch further into games.

Duel of the day: (Brewers' No. 4) vs. (Rockies' No. 3), Colorado Springs vs. Albuquerque (3:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV)
A pair of top National League pitching prospects will share the same mound in a Triple-A bout between Colorado Springs and Albuquerque. Hader and Hoffman rate as the No. 40 and 41 overall prospects, respectively, according to MLBPipeline.com. 
Hader is seeking his first win in more than two months. The southpaw has struggled since, allowing 30 earned runs in 50 innings across 10 starts, raising his ERA from 0.95 to 5.40 in that span. Hader has shown signs of turning the corner of late, limiting his opponent to three or fewer runs in each of his past four starts.

Hoffman has also endured his share of tough outings this year, surrendering six or more earned runs in three starts, including one at the beginning of this month. That Aug. 1 loss, however, was bookended by two scoreless outings of five and four innings.

More top prospect probables

(Indians' No. 13), Columbus vs. Syracuse (Triple-A)
(Dodgers' No. 14), Oklahoma City vs. El Paso (Triple-A)
(Pirates' No. 15), Indianapolis at LeHigh Valley (Triple-A)
(D-backs' No. 20), Reno at Nashville (Triple-A)
(Giants' No. 26), Sacramento vs. Omaha (Triple-A)
Taylor Clarke (D-backs' No. 6), Mobile at Montgomery (Double-A)
(Rangers' No. 12), Frisco at Tulsa (Double-A)
Ryan Yarbrough (Mariners' No. 13) vs. (Brewers No. 14), Jackson vs. Biloxi (Double-A)
Nick Travieso (Reds' No. 15), Pensacola vs. Tennessee (Double-A)
Dinelson Lamet (Padres' No. 18), San Antonio vs. NW Arkansas (Double-A)
Jack Flaherty (Cardinal's No. 4), Palm Beach vs. Charlotte (Class A Advanced)
(Pirates' No. 17), Bradenton vs. Fort Myers (Class A Advanced)
Matt Hall (Tigers' No. 23), Lakeland at Tampa (Class A Advanced)
Zach Thompson (White Sox No. 23), Winston-Salem at Lynchburg (Class A Advanced)
Justin Donatella (D-backs' No. 28), Visalia at Rancho Cucamonga (Class A Advanced)
Beau Burrows (Tigers' No. 2), West Michigan vs. Lansing (Class A)
Jacob Nix (Padres' No. 15), Fort Wayne vs. Bowling Green (Class A)
A.J. Puckett (Royals' No. 17), Lexington at Augusta (Class A)
Brian Gonzalez (Orioles' No. 19), Delmarva at West Virginia (Class A)
Matthias Dietz (Orioles' No. 7), Aberdeen vs. Lowell (Class A Short Season)
Dane Dunning (Nationals' No. 7), Auburn vs. Batavia (Class A Short Season)
Bryan Hudson (Cubs' No. 10), Eugene at Spokane (Class A Short Season)
Logan Shore (Athletics' No. 14), Vermont vs. Tri-City (Class A Short Season)
Hansel Rodriguez (Padres' No. 19), Tri-City at Boise (Class A Short Season)
Juan Hillman (Indians' No. 12), Mahoning Valley vs. Williamsport (Rookie)
Yennsy Diaz (Blue Jays' No. 21), Bluefield vs. Elizabethton (Rookie)