Chiefs Roster Moves: May 18 & 19

[Chris]

From Nate:

 

Add IF Ryne Malone, Activate RHP Al Alburquerque from DL, Send OF Andrew Lopez to Extended Spring Training.

 

Full Release:

 

Malone, Alburquerque Return to Chiefs

Lopez heads to Extended Spring, roster back to 25

 

Peoria, IL- The Peoria Chiefs in conjunction with the Chicago Cubs announced that IF Ryne Malone and RHP Al Alburquerque have been activated to the roster while OF Andrew Lopez has been sent back to Extended Spring Training in Mesa, AZ.

 

One of the Chiefs original five starters, Alburquerque went on the DL with right bicep fatigue on April 22nd after losing at Kane County. In three starts he was 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA. In 12 innings he struck out five and walked three. The Dominican Republic native is expected to throw out of the Chiefs bullpen on Friday night against Beloit.

 

Malone joined the Chiefs June 27th last season and picked up a pinch-hit, game-tying double and extra inning game-winning double in his first game against Wisconsin. He hit .284 with two homers, 16 doubles and 29 RBI for the Chiefs in 51 games before tearing his ACL against Quad Cities on August 25th. He missed the rest of the season including the playoffs and was not ready for the start of spring training. A Gainesville, FL native, Malone was drafted in the 49th round last season out of Florida State University. Malone played both second and third base for the Chiefs last season and will be used as a utility player again in 2007.

 

Lopez injured his quad in the South Bend series at home in early May and did not play at all on the Chiefs recent 11 game road trip. In 17 games, the Sacramento, CA native hit .258 with one homer, five doubles and nine RBI.

Edited May 20, 2007 by Chris

[biittner77]

He either needs to change his last name to Burquerque or just be known as Alburquerque.

[Chris]

Not sure if this has been discussed or not but here goes:

 

Chiefs Add RHP Hernandez, Billek Released

Hernandez will start tonight at Beloit

 

Peoria, IL- The Peoria Chiefs in conjunction with the Chicago Cubs announced that RHP Robert Hernandez has been added to the roster while the Cubs have released RHP Mike Billek.

 

Hernandez is a promising young pitcher who will be making his 2007 and full-season debut tonight at Beloit at 6:30 PM. Last season, Hernandez went 5-2 in 14 outings for Mesa in the Arizona Rookie League. He started five games and finished with a 3.20 ERA over 39 1/3 innings. The Venezuelan native struck out 18 and walked 16 with opponents batting .266 against him. He tossed a career high five innings against the A’s on July 24th and allowed less than two earned runs in 11 of his 14 outings.

 

Hernandez becomes the youngest player on the Chiefs roster at 18. He will not turn 19 until October and is the latest born player (10/7/88) to ever appear in a game for the Chiefs. Hernandez signed with the Cubs as a 16 year old in 2005. When he takes the mound tonight, Hernandez will become the 11th different pitcher to start a game for the Chiefs already in 2007. Peoria is 20-19, sitting in fourth place 4.5 games behind first place Beloit.

 

Billek made an appearance in a Chiefs uniform for the third straight season going 0-1 with a 24.75 ERA. In two outings, one start he allowed 11 earned runs over four innings. In his first outing in 2005, also against Dayton on July 25 he picked up the win working five innings while allowing just one run on five hits. The right-hander was also on the mound when the Chiefs turned the first and only triple play in the history of O’Brien Field that day.

 

A former third round pick in 2005 out of the University of Central Florida, Billek spilt the 2006 season between Peoria, Daytona and Boise. With the Chiefs he finished 4-5 with a 5.66 ERA in 15 appearances last season, five of which were starts. He struck out 25 while walking 11 in 35 innings pitched with Peoria. He also went 0-1 with an 8.84 ERA with Daytona in five appearances and 3-3 with a 6.67 ERA in Boise.

[illiniguy]

We cut Billek already?

[Guest]

We cut Billek already?

 

Yes.

 

http://cubs.scout.com/2/645236.html