CBN Player of the Week XIV

By George Farelli

Canadian Baseball Network

Kyle Thomas entered his second pro game with a stride in his step. The date was June 30, 2017. And then he injured his arm.

He returned 717 days later -- one year, 11 months and 18 days -- on June 16, 2019.

Thomas, who was born in Alliston, Ont. and lives in Mississauga, Ont. pitched for the Oakville Royals, Iowa Lakes Community College Lakers and the University of Northwestern Ohio Racers on his way to being drafted by the Detroit Tigers.

Thomas put up five zeros this week for the class-A Connecticut Tigers to earn Canadian Baseball Network minor-league Player of the Week for Week XIV.

His first outing he took the ball in the seventh and worked the eighth as well as Connecticut edged the Vermont Lake Monsters 6-4 before 5,176 fans at Dodd Stadium. He gave up two hits while striking out two.

And two days later, he took over in the sixth with a 1-0 lead before the Staten Island Yankees he threw three scoreless in a 2-1 loss before 920 fans at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Thomas allowed three hits protecting the 1-0 lead. After the starter Xavier Javier and Thomas combined for eight scoreless, Staten Island scored a pair in the bottom of the ninth.

Thomas has six relief appearances for Connecticut in the Single A New York-Penn League and is now 0-0, with one save, and an 0.82 ERA.

Playing right and hitting fourth, Jacob Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.) was hitless.

Highlights of the Week: OF Demi Orimoloye, Orleans, ON - Active with Dunedin Blue Jays, is named the Single A Florida State League’s Offensive Player of the Month for June 2019.

RHP Phillippe Aumont, Gatineau, QC - Active with Ottawa Champions is named to the 2019 IND Can Am League All Star Team, which will play the IND Frontier League All Stars in Rockland, NY on July 10.

RHP Dustin Molleken, Regina, SK - Active with Quebec Capitales named to the 2019 IND Can Am League All Star team which will

play the IND Frontier League All Stars in Rockland, NY on July 10.

RHP Karl Gelinas, Iberville, QC - Active with Quebec Capitales is named to the 2019 IND Can Am League All Star team which will play the IND Frontier League All Stars in Rockland, NY on July 10. Currently on the Injured List he will not play, but will serve as the pitching coach for Can Am League team.

Top offensive performances

Player/Class/Team AB R H HR RBI AVG

Abraham Toro - AA Corpus Christi 30 8 15 1 4 .500

Kellan Deglan - AA Trenton 12 1 5 - - .417

J.D. Osborne - A Clinton 16 2 6 - 1 .375

Morgan Lofstrom - A Dayton 11 3 4 - 2 .364

Gareth Morgan - A Inland Empire 30 4 10 2 4 .333

Wes Darvill - IND Winnipeg 24 7 12 1 4 .500

David Glaude - IND Trois Rivieres 20 10 8 1 4 .400

Raphael Gladu - IND Trois Rivieres 21 5 8 1 6 .381

Aiden Brook - IND High Desert 13 4 4 1 4 .308

T.J. Bennett - IND Fargo-Morehead 20 2 6 - 2 .300

Riley MacDonald - FGN Dornbirn (AUS) 17 3 5 - 5 .294

Jamie Romak - FGN SK Wyverns (KBO) 24 5 7 3 7 .292

(Minimum 10 ABs)

Best pitching week

KYLE THOMAS RHP - A CONNECTICUT TIGERS

APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA

2 5.0 5 - - 1 2 - - 1.20 0.00

Kyle Thomas was selected in the 30th round of the 2017 draft by the Detroit Tigers, and the now 24-year-old Mississauga resident soon experienced the extreme unpredictably of pro ball, as he was injured after pitching in only two games. He missed the balance of the 2017 season and all 2018, but is now healthy and pitching well in 2019 for the Detroit’s Single A affiliate, the Connecticut Tigers.

This week he had two very good outings, the first of which was July 4 in a 6-4 win over Vermont Lake Monsters as he pitched two scoreless, allowing two hits while striking out two Vermont batters, and was credited with this third hold of the season. On July 8 in a late inning 2-1 loss to the Staten Island Yankees he threw three scoreless, allowed three base hits to earn his fourth hold of the year. His overall record in six relief appearances for Connecticut in the Single A New York-Penn League, is now 0-0, with one save, four holds and an 0.82 ERA.

ROB ZASTRYZNY LHP - AAA OKLAHOMA CITY DODGERS

APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA

1 6.0 5 1 - - 4 1-0 - 0.83 0.00

It has not been a very enjoyable season thus far for Dodgers pitcher Rob Zastryzny, but I guess three different seven day stints on the Injured List will do that to you. Now active again, this week he had an excellent start on July 6 in a 7-3 win over Round Rock Express. He pitched six scoreless allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out four hitters, to earn his third win of the season. His record with Oak City in 15 Pacific Coast League appearances, is now 3-3 with a 6.05 ERA.

ROWAN WICK RHP - AAA IOWA CUBS

APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA

2 2.0 1 - - - 3 1-0 - 0.50 0.00

Business as usual this week for Rowan Wick the closer for Iowa Cubs, as he made two more excellent relief appearances for his team. On July 4 in a 5-4 win over Memphis Redbirds he pitched one scoreless inning, gave up no base hits while striking out two Memphis hitters, to secure his first win of the season. He followed that up on July 6 in a 5-4 loss to the Redbirds he again put up a zero, allowing one hit while striking out one batter, but was not involved in the decision. His overall record for Iowa in 22 Triple A Pacific Coast League appearances, now stands at 1-0, with four saves and a 2.08 ERA.

Previous Players of the Week

Week 1 _ INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) Double A Frisco Roughriders (Rangers).

Week II _ RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) Triple A El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres).

Week III _ RHP R.J. Freure (Burlington, Ont.) Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits (Astros).

Week IV _ INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.) Class-A Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles).

Week V _ RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) Class-A Fort Myers Miracle (Twins).

Week VI _ RHP Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, BC) double-A Montgomery Biscuits (Rays)

Week VII _ RHP Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC) triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies) and 3B Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) double-A Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros).

Week VIII _ 1B Jim Adduci (Burnaby, BC) triple-A Iowa Cubs (Cubs).

Week IX _ INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.) Class-A Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles).

Week X _ RHP R. J. Freure (Burlington, Ont.) class-A Quad Cities River Bandits (Astros).

Week XI _ OF Gareth Morgan (North York, Ont.) class-A Inland Empire ‘66s (Angels).

Week XII _ OF Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.) class-A Dunedin Blue Jays (Jays).

Week XIII _ OF Jacob Sanford (Cole Harbour, NS) class-A Staten Island Yankees (Yankees).

Week XIV _ RHP Kyle Thomas (Mississauga, Ont.) class-A Connecticut Tigers (Tigers).

Updated Minor League Stats