Athletes Beyond Bartow: Howard makes three MLB appearances, Anderson keeps scoreless string going, S
As the month of July winds down, the summer grind for local professional baseball players continues. Sam Howard made three relief appearances for the MLB Colorado Rockies during the week while first year pro Elliott Anderson continued his string of appearances without allowing an earned run in the Rookie Advanced Appalachian League. Pitcher Luke Schiltz contributed to the AZL Rangers’ first half division title that secured a post-season berth in the Rookie Arizona League playoffs and Connor Justus made seven starts during the week for his Double-A Mobile team. Meanwhile, Anthony Seigler was placed on the 7-Day Injured List by the Class A Charleston RiverDogs. The 2018 first round draft pick reportedly took a foul tip off his knee on July 19.
ELLIOTT ANDERSON — Burlington Royals (1st yr. pro; LHP; Rookie Advanced Appalachian League; Kansas City Royals’ organization; Auburn; Cartersville HS)… continued an amazing start to his professional career with two more appearances without allowing an earned run. He also picked up his second win and third save of the year in his ninth and tenth appearances of the season. In a two inning home stint Wednesday night against the Bristol Pirates, Anderson worked the seventh and eighth innings of a 5-4 loss. He did not allow a hit, but yielded a walk and recorded two strikeouts. Saturday, the 21-year-old fanned one in a spotless ninth inning to earn a save in a 3-1 victory at the Princeton Rays. Anderson has now worked 13 and 1/3 innings of relief without allowing a run. He has 15 strikeouts, only three walks, and opponents have a mere .136 batting average against him. Burlington (20-18) is in second place in the Appy League’s East Division trailing the Pulaski Yankees by 3 and 1/2 games.
SAM HOWARD — Colorado Rockies (6th yr. pro; LHP; Georgia Southern; Cartersville HS)… After being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque last Sunday, the 26-year-old made one inning relief appearances Tuesday and Thursday at Washington along with a one inning stint Sunday at Cincinnati. He allowed four total earned runs on five hits, two walks, and one hit batsman. He struck out two. Prior to joining the MLB club, Howard was 2-1 with a 3.83 ERA in 36 appearances (44.2 IP) as a reliever at Albuquerque. Colorado (49-57) is in the NL West cellar 19 and 1/2 games behind Los Angeles.
CONNOR JUSTUS — Mobile BayBears (4th yr. pro; Infielder; Double-A Southern League; L.A. Angels’ organization; Georgia Tech; Cartersville HS)… in seven games over the past week Justus was 3-for-21 at the plate with a run scored and one RBI. For the season, he has a .192 batting average across 90 games and 266 official at-bats with two home runs and 20 RBI. Defensively, the 24-year-old carries a .949 fielding percentage in 313 total chances. He has been part of 37 of the BayBears’ double plays. Mobile is 14-22 in the Southern League’s second half and trails Biloxi by nine games in the South Division. The BayBears are 41-63 for the 2019 season.
LUKE SCHILTZ — AZL Rangers (1st yr. pro; RHP; Cartersville native; Rookie Arizona League; Texas Rangers’ organization; Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS)… gave up three earned runs in a two inning appearance at the AZL Dodgers Mota last Wednesday but was credited with the pitching win in a 9-8 Rangers’ come-from-behind effort. Schiltz, who fanned three, worked the seventh and eighth innings allowing the runs on a walk, two triples, and a wild pitch and exited with his team trailing 8-4. The Rangers rallied for five runs in the top of the ninth making him eligible for his first win as a professional. The 19-year-old has now made five appearances. He has a 4.00 ERA in nine total innings. The AZL Rangers went 19-9 to win the first half West Division title and clinch a post-season berth. They are currently 3-1 in the second half standings.
ANTHONY SEIGLER — Charleston RiverDogs (2nd yr. pro; Catcher; Class A South Atlantic League; N.Y. Yankees’ organization; Cartersville HS)… the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2018 has been placed on the 7-Day Injured List after appearing to take a foul tip off his knee July 19. In 30 games with the RiverDogs this season after spending time in extended Spring Training, Seigler has a .175 batting average in 97 official at-bats. He has 20 walks, three doubles, a stolen base, and six RBI. Defensively, the 20-year-old has a .984 fielding percentage in 183 total chances with three passed balls. He has thrown out eight of 23 stolen base attempts. After barely missing the first half divisional title, the RiverDogs are 14-22 in the second half and in last place in the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division.
