MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE:
GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes playing minor league baseball.
Doug Slaten (Glendale Community College, 1999) Reno Aces relief pitcher: For the second time this season, Slaten finds himself demoted to Reno, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Slaten, who was the only left-hander in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen last season, was first sent down April 26. He returned to the Major League club on May 20, where he appeared in three games, allowing one earned run in 1 2/3 innings without recording a decision, before being optioned back to the Aces on May 29.
Since then, Slaten has played in eight games for Reno. After allowing a combined four earned runs in his first 1 1/3 innings of work over two appearances since returning to Reno, Slaten has not allowed an earned run in his past 6 1/3 innings on the mound.
In his last outing on Thursday, Slaten pitched 1 1/3 innings and picked up the save in the Aces’ 8-5 road victory over the Tacoma Rainiers.
In both of his minor league stints combined, Slaten is 1-1 with an earned-run average of 4.08 with 17 strikeouts to five walks for Reno, which is currently in third place in the Pacific Coast League Pacific South Division with a record of 32-36, as of Friday.
Bill Spottiswood (Glendale Community College, 2005) Reno Aces relief pitcher: Working his way up the Arizona Diamondbacks’ farm system, Spottiswood earned a promotion from the Single-A Visalia Rawhide to the Triple-A Aces on May 10.
Going back to May 26, Spottiswood was riding a streak of four appearances in which he did not allow an earned run over six innings. But in his last two outings, he’s had an ERA of 9.00 after allowing two runs in a 5-1 loss to the Portland Beavers on June 9 and a single run in a 14-6 win over the Salt Lake Bees on Sunday.
In his 12 appearances for the Aces, Spottiswood hasn’t recorded a decision, while amassing an ERA of 4.96 with nine strikeouts to eight walks.
On the season, including his time in Visalia, Spottiswood is 3-1 with an ERA of 4.60.
Michael Valadez (Glendale Community College, 2006) Lake County Captains catcher: Valadez has batted .388 (seven for 18) for the month of June, as of Friday, as he attempts to raise his batting average after a slow start.
During that span, Valadez has scored three times and stolen a base, but has driven in just one run and hasn’t homered since hitting a three-run shot on May 21, his second of the year.
In 29 games this season with Lake County, which is the Class-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, Valadez is batting .221 with 11 runs batted in with nine runs scored and three stolen bases. The Captains entered play Friday in seventh place in the South Atlantic League Northern Division with a record of 30-34.