Lohman gets a hit off Zito for the Blaze

The highlight from our latest minor league update comes from San Jose. Recently promoted to the Bakersfield Blaze of the Single A California League, Cincinnati Reds prospect Devin Lohman faced Barry Zito on Monday night, who took a rehab start for the San Francisco Giants affiliate San Jose Giants.

The infielder from Righetti High School went 1-for-3 with two fly outs, a double and a run scored against Zito, a former UCSB Gaucho. He finished the game with a third fly out in the eighth off a reliever.

Through Sunday, Lohman had played 12 games for the Blaze and is batting .333 with three doubles, a triple and four RBI. The third round pick from the 2010 draft, Lohman started the season at Single A Dayton, batting .208 in 62 games. He played 29 games at Rookie League Billings, batting .322 before his promotion back to his home state of California.

Brian McConkey

St. Joseph/Cuesta/Riverside

A free agent signee by the Florida Marlins last summer, McConkey did well in short season A ball last year. This season McConkey started in Single A with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. In 63 games, he batted .263 with some power. McConkey hit 13 doubles and five home runs with 26 RBI.

There was a lot of movement by the Marlins after sending two players from the big club to Greensboro and McConkey ended up being sent to the short season Class A Jamestown Jammers on July 28. In 11 games, the first baseman is batting .225 in 40 at-bats.

Drew Bernier

St. Joseph/Oral Roberts

The longest tenured local in pro ball, Bernier is currently in his 10th season. This year after signing a free agent contract with the New York Yankees, the dependable infielder is batting .274 with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees of the Triple A International League.

In 71 games, Bernier has nine doubles and three triples. He has driven in 26 runs and scored 27 times.

JImmy Van Ostrand

Hancock/Cal Poly

The Canadian national is batting .308 for the Corpus Christi Hooks, a Double A affiliate of the Houston Astros in the Texas League. Drafted in the eighth round of the 2006 draft, Van Ostrand has played in 97 games this season with 21 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 46 runs batted in. He ranks second on the team in homers, RBI, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Paul Smyth

Atascadero/Kansas

Also playing in the Texas League, Smyth, a pick by Oakland in 2009, is pitching for the Midland Rockhounds. In 33 games, he has pitched 52 innings, recording 48 strikeouts with an ERA of 5.19. Smyth is 5-2 with one save.

Chance Chapman

San Luis Obispo/Oral Roberts

An eighth round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007, Chapman last pitched on June 20 for the Reading Phillies of the Double A Eastern League. On June 26, he went on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain.

In five games before his injury, Chapman was 0-0 with one save and seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Before Reading, Chapman was 2-2 in 17 games for Lehigh Valley of the Triple A International League.

Jeff Farnham

Hancock/New Mexico State

Picked by the New York Yankees in the 25th round of the 2009 draft, the former Hancock catcher is playing for the Charleston Riverdogs in Single A.

In 25 games Farnham is batting .227 with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBI. On Sunday, Farnham had two hits, including a double with one runs scored and one run batted in.

Brandon Creath

Righetti/Hancock

Creath spent one season at Embry-Riddle University before being drafted in the 44th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. As a member of the Gulf coast Cardinals, Rookie League team, Creath is 3-2 with an ERA of 3.24. In 16.2 innings he has 11 strikeouts.

Erik Morrison

Arroyo Grande/Kansas

Morrison has only played one game this season due to an injury to his left thumb. On the roster of the Frisco Roughriders of the Texas League, the 46th round pick of the Texas Rangers in 2008, Morrison played on April 14, going 0-for-2.