Solid offensive work continues for Justus; Howard suffers injury off liner; Seigler settles in at Pu
Connor Justus continued his successful return to the Inland Empire 66ers of the California League this week with another multi-hit game on Sunday and the Pulaski Yankees of the Appalachian League welcomed Cartersville’s Anthony Seigler to his second professional club.
Meanwhile, Sam Howard left Sunday night’s game with Triple-A Albuquerque after being hit by a line drive in the opening frame.
SAM HOWARD — Albuquerque Isotopes (5th yr. pro; LHP; Colorado Rockies organization; Triple-A Pacific Coast League; Georgia Southern; Cartersville HS)… Since returning to the Isotopes July 28 following a second stint with the MLB Rockies, the Bartow southpaw has made a pair of brief starts and left Sunday’s game in the first inning after being struck by a line drive. Howard went only two innings in a start against Colorado Springs on July 30. He allowed a walk and a second inning, two-run home run before being lifted. In Sunday’s start against New Orleans, Howard left the game with only one out in the first inning after he was hit in the left shoulder by a liner off the bat of Baby Cakes’ second baseman Isan Diaz. The latest report by Rotowire and CBS Sports indicated Howard’s injury was still being evaluated. Howard has a 3-6 mark this season in 16 starts at Albuquerque with a 5.50 ERA and 70.1 innings pitched. The Isotopes are in fourth place in the PCL’s Pacific Southern Division, trailing El Paso by 10.5 games.
CONNOR JUSTUS — Inland Empire 66ers (3rd yr. pro; SS; L.A. Angels organization; Advanced-A California League; Georgia Tech; Cartersville HS)… the offensive success for Justus since returning to the 66ers from Double-A Mobile on June 22 continued this past week. The 23-year-old has now hit safely in 29 of 40 games at Inland Empire and now has a dozen multi-hit games including another Sunday night. The middle infielder has a .288 batting average in the 40-game stretch with the 66ers that includes over 150 at-bats. He has six home runs and 27 RBIs with a robust .380 on-base percentage. After hitting only .186 in 57 games in the Southern League, Justus has now raised his 2018 batting average to .230 in 97 games and 341 official at-bats. His defensive work has continued to impress. He sports a .955 fielding average in 374 total chances with both clubs. He has played 528 defensive innings and been part of 49 double plays with his two teams in 2018. Inland Empire (26-18, second half standings) is currently third in the California League’s South Division. The 66ers trail Rancho Cucamonga by six games.
ANTHONY SEIGLER — Pulaski Yankees (1st yr. pro; C; N.Y. Yankees organization; Rookie Appalachian League; Cartersville HS)… since joining the Appalachian League Pulaski Yankees last Tuesday, Seigler has hit safely in three of four starts and is 3-for-14 (.214) with four walks in that stretch of games against Burlington and Elizabethton. He has also scored a pair of runs hitting in the two-hole of the order in each of his starts. Seigler started his professional career in the Rookie Gulf Coast League with Yankees West before moving last week to the slightly higher level rookie league. In his first 50 official at-bats in the pro ranks, he has a .300 batting average with one homer and four RBI. Pulaski (20-25) is currently in fourth place and 8.5 games behind the Princeton Rays in the Appy League East Division. The Yankees continue a three-game series at Princeton Monday through Wednesday nights before traveling to Burlington for three games Thursday through Saturday and host a three-game series with the Danville Braves Sunday through August 14.
