Notre Dame baseball: Irish in the MLB and minor leagues

As we enter the dog days of summer, it’s time to check in with all the Notre Dame baseball alums in the MLB and minors and see who’s heating up and who’s not.

When we last checked in with the former Irish players, many had endured a tough opening to the month of July after starting the season on a tear. Since then, the major leaguers have gone off in a couple different trajectories. Still, it seems likely Notre Dame will have at least two alums in the playoffs.

The biggest Notre Dame news from the majors as of late came Wednesday, as the San Francisco Giants played the Miami Marlins in Florida.

What’s more, the two didn’t pitch that badly! Samardzija went 5.2 innings, giving up no runs on three hits and three walks, while Phelps lasted five, giving up one run on four hits while striking out five. Not exactly a pitchers duel, but not too shabby either.

Jeff Samardzija – RHP – San Francisco Giants

Unfortunately, beyond that one start it’s been a rough go of it for Samardzija in the past few weeks. Since the All-Star break, the former Irish football star has had a 5.52 ERA in five starts. He has thrown 29.1 innings over that span, which isn’t terrible, but he’s given up six home runs and 12 walks.

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David Phelps – RHP – Miami Marlins

On the other hand, Phelps has been on a roll in the past four weeks, racking up 10 appearances and making the leap into the starting rotation. Over that stretch, he’s pitched 17.2 innings, struck out 22 and racked up a 2.04 ERA. His stint in the rotation, while not sterling, has certainly been respectable, as he has given up just one earned run over nearly 10 innings.

Jeff Manship – RHP – Cleveland Indians

Manship came off the All-Star break on a roll, enjoying perhaps the best season of his career on an Indians team primed to make a pennant run.

Since then, things have gone off the rails for him, even as Cleveland has maintained its AL Central lead. In eight appearances since July 16, Manship has lasted just four innings, given up nine hits (two home runs) and five runs and seen his ERA rise from 2.05 to 3.26. He didn’t even play for a stretch of 10 games to start August.

John Axford – RHP – Oakland Athletics

Axford stayed put past the trade deadline, despite his value as a solid reliever for a non-contender. That was likely due in part to his struggles through June and the first part of July.

Still, he has managed to put together a string of workmanlike performances in the interim, even as his team slides farther and farther back in the AL West. In five games in the month of August, Axford has given up just three hits and no earned runs while earning a hold and a save. His ERA, at 4.44, is at its lowest point in six weeks.

A.J. Pollock – CF – Arizona Diamondbacks

Pollock, working his way back from a fractured elbow, has far outpaced the recovery schedule many projected at the beginning of the year, when most were saying he would not play in 2016. Now, with more than a month left in the season, Pollock has begun a rehab assignment, and Arizona manager Chip Hale said he will rejoin the team before Sept. 1.

In the minors, Pollock has been tearing things up in High-A ball, going 7-for-13 with three RBIs and a stolen base. The D-Backs could certainly use the center fielder as soon as he gets back to full speed.

Minor Leaguers

Trey Mancini – 1B – Norfolk Tides (Baltimore Orioles)

Mancini has continued to swing the bat well for Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate, hitting .295 with a .448 slugging percentage since mid-July. Those numbers are pretty much on par with how he’s been doing all season, and while the O’s don’t really seem to need help at first base, where they have Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis, Mancini could be up for a quick cup of coffee should someone get hurt.

In the meantime, he’ll remain in the minors and continue to wear stuff like this:

I’m so sorry, Trey.

Eric Jagielo – 3B – Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Cincinnati Reds)

Jagielo, who progressed not quickly but relentlessly through the minor league ranks early in his career, is in danger of regressing this year, as he is currently stuck at AA ball. His average (.203) hovers around the Mendoza line, his slugging percentage isn’t much better, and he’s committed 10 errors. In a new organization this season with the Reds, Jagielo could find himself falling down the ladder instead of moving up very soon.

Dan Slania – RHP – San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants)

The trade deadline has thrown Dan Slania for a loop, even though he didn’t switch organizations. After a strong July in which he pitched 27.2 innings and gave up just two runs for AA Richmond, Slania was promoted to AAA Sacramento on July 31, where he pitched seven innings, gave up two hits and one run and struck out five.

But a trade within the Giants organization forced some roster shuffling, with the result being that Slania was thrown back down in Advanced A ball in San Jose. He’s pitched decently there in two starts, but no word on whether he might be back in AAA anytime soon.

Cavan Biggio – 2B – Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays)

Biggio, who was drafted in early June by the Blue Jays, got off to a hot start in his professional career, hitting .393 through his first eight games.

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Since then, he’s come down to earth some, hitting .270 in July. His ability to draw walks, however, has remained as sharp as it was at Notre Dame, with his on-base percentage hovering near .400.