San Antonio players snag Padres' Minor League awards

CINCINNATI -- The Padres announced the club's Minor League Players of the Month for July, led by three players from Double-A San Antonio.

Missions first baseman and designated hitter Tommy Medica earned Hitter of the Month honors by batting .301 with nine doubles, two triples and 19 RBIs in July. He returned to the lineup on July 3 for the first time since April after missing time with a left oblique strain.

The Defensive Player of the Month was San Antonio's Cory Spangenberg, who did not record an error in 25 games at second base. Since being promoted to Double-A on June 7, Spangenberg has committed just two errors in 471 innings.

July marked Keyvius Sampson's second consecutive Pitcher of the Month award. The right-hander went 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA in six July starts. After going 10-4 with a 2.26 ERA on the season, Sampson was promoted to Triple-A Tucson earlier this week.

Rounding out the honors was Class A Fort Wayne Tin Caps outfielder Mallex Smith, who stole 16 bases in 18 attempts on the way to being named Baserunner of the Month. For the season, he's swiped 50 bases in 61 tries, good enough to be tied for the Midwest League lead in steals.