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MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE:

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GLENDALE — The following are updates on area players in minor league baseball.

Jason Hirsh (St. Francis High, 2000) Colorado Springs Sky Sox, starting pitcher: While working up his strength for a return from injury to the big leagues and the Colorado Rockies, Hirsh has had some ups and downs over four starts with the Triple-A Sky Sox.

The latest outing for the former Golden Knights pitcher resulted in a statistical line of four earned runs allowed on six hits and three walks with one strikeout in six innings pitched on Sunday against the Tucson Sidewinders.

Hirsh received a no decision and the Sky Sox won the game, 12-9, in 11 innings.

In his June 10 start against the Fresno Grizzlies, Hirsh pitched five scoreless innings and allowed just two hits, while striking out three.

That appearance was a step up from his preceding start, a June 5 outing against the Salt Lake City Bees, in which he struck out six, but allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings, including a pair of home runs.

Hirsh suffered a broken fibula on August 7, 2007 while playing for the Rockies and has not pitched in a Major League game since.

He was placed on the Rockies’ disabled list on March 30 with a right shoulder strain and optioned to Colorado Springs for a rehab assignment on May 29. Hirsh was added to the Sky Sox regular roster upon completing his minor league rehab assignment on Monday.

He has an earned-run average of 4.42 and 12 strikeouts to 14 walks in 18 1/3 innings this season with Colorado Springs and is yet to factor in a decision.

Trevor Bell (Crescenta Valley High, 2005) Cedar Rapids Kernels, starting pitcher: Bell packed his bags June 12 for a return to the Single-A Kernels after beginning the season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Single-A Advanced affiliate, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

The former 37th overall pick in the 2005 Major League Baseball first-year player draft made his first appearance of the season for Cedar Rapids on June 15 in a 3-2 victory over the Kane County Cougars.

Bell entered the game as a reliever to begin the seventh inning with the Kernels ahead, 3-0, and surrendered one run on a hit and a walk in one inning pitched.

For Bell, the demotion from Rancho Cucamonga, where he posted a 5-6 record with 5.08 ERA in 12 starts, takes him back to a familiar place.

Last season with the Kernels, he was 8-4 with a 4.14 ERA in 21 starts.

Marco Estrada (Glendale Community College, 2003) Columbus Clippers, starting pitcher: Estrada’s solid pitching as of late resulted in a promotion from the Double-A Harrisburg Senators to the Washington Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers.

On June 16 — four days after pitching six scoreless innings of four-hit ball for Harrisburg in a start against the Binghamton Mets — the former Vaquero was recalled to Columbus, where he made his debut on Tuesday.

Estrada, selected by the Nationals in the sixth round (174th overall) of the 2005 first-year player draft, started and pitched six innings against the Indianapolis Indians.

He allowed three runs on 10 hits, but struck out seven and picked up the win, 6-5.

Estrada’s season line for the Senators includes a 6-3 record with a 2.66 ERA in 13 starts with a total of 67 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings pitched.


 GABRIEL RIZK covers sports. He can be reached at (818) 637-3226 or at gabriel.rizk@latimes.com.

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