Both players named Twins minor league players of the week, Poppen earns league honor.
ROCHESTER, NY – Rochester Red Wings right-handed pitcher Sean Poppen has been named the International League Pitcher of the Week and Minnesota Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Week. Outfielder Jake Cave also earned the Twins MiLB Player of the Week.
Poppen made one start during the league’s award period (June 3-9) and fired 7.0 scoreless innings with two hits, a hit batter, and two walks allowed with eight strikeouts on June 6 at Syracuse to earn his third win with Rochester. He faced three over the minimum in the longest Triple-A outing of his career. During the period for the organizational award (June 1-7), Poppen also pitched on June 1 vs. Buffalo, surrendering two runs, one earned, on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Poppen is now 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA (4 ER, 23 IP) with 14 hits, five total runs, two home runs, one hit batter, 11 walks, and 25 strikeouts in four Triple-A appearances. Opponents are batting .173 against him with the Red Wings.
Cave tallied a hit in all eight games while batting .429/.474/.857 (15-for-35) with eight doubles, two triples, a homer, nine RBI, and 12 runs scored during the Twins period (June 1-7). He led all minor leaguers in doubles, extra-base hits (11), runs, tied for second in hits, and ranked third in total bases (30). Cave doubled four times on June 6 at Syracuse and at one point recorded seven doubles in 11 plate appearances from June 6 to both games on June 7. In June 7th’s doubleheader at Pawtucket, he extended his hitting streak to 15 games. That is the third-longest stretch in the IL this season and the second-longest hitting streak of his career (19 with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2017).
Poppen is the second Rochester pitcher to be named IL Pitcher of the Week this season, joining Lewis Thorpe on April 29.
*NOTES — The Minnesota Twins have announced the following roster moves: ADD: LHP Devin Smeltzer was optioned by Minnesota (on June 7), and RHP Cody Stashak was transferred from Double-A Pensacola; DELETE: RHP Randy Dobnak and INF Randy César were transferred to Double-A Pensacola.