Yankees Promote RiverDogs' Shawn Semple to Tampa

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The New York Yankees have announced that right-handed reliever Shawn Semple has been called up to the Class-A Advanced Tampa Tarpons
Semple started the 2019 season on a dominant tear, striking out 32 of the first 75 opposing hitters he faced after opening the season with Charleston. As of April 30, that mark is good for the third-best strikeout rate in Minor League Baseball (42.7 percent), including a torrid stretch when the South Jersey product fanned 21 of 32 that stood in against him to start the season. At the time of his callup, Semple is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in five appearances with the Charleston RiverDogs this season, converting all three save opportunities he was given in 21 innings. He allowed just nine hits, five of which came in his last outing on April 26, good for a .127 batting average-against.
He was roughed up in that last outing, allowing three runs in four innings and striking out only two, but until that point Semple's ERA was a sterling 0.53 through his first four games.
2019 was Semple's second stint with the RiverDogs; he appeared in two games for the Holy City last year. He went 2-0 in 12 total innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out 17 en route to South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week accolades.
Semple becomes the first pitcher to get the call up from Charleston to Tampa this season and joins teammate Max Burt, an infielder, as the only two RiverDogs now among the Tarpons' ranks this season.
Taking Semple's place in the bullpen is Dominican right-hander Wellington Diaz, who appeared in 12 games between Staten Island and the Dominican Summer League Yankees last season, posting a 4.57 ERA with 48 strikeouts to 20 walks in 45 1/3 innings of work. In another pair of moves, the Yankees also reassigned outfielder Junior Soto to Extended Spring Training and reinstated OF Frederick Cuevas from the 7-day injured list.
The Semple-less RiverDogs begin their third road trip of the season Tuesday night to face the Kannapolis Intimidators, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, for the second time this year. 19-year-old Roansy Contreras (2-1, 3.32) will take the mound for Charleston in the series opener, looking to lead the Dogs to their first win over Kannapolis of the season following the home sweep Charleston suffered at the hands of the Intimidators last week. Catch the game on WTMA 1250 AM in the tri-county area and online streaming via the RiverDogs TuneIn Radio station. First pitch is at 7:00pm ET.

Fans can "Make Fun" with the RiverDogs all season long down at The Joe. Single-game tickets, including options to the Riley Park Club, are now available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). A full schedule and list of game times for the 2019 season is available at riverdogs.com.
--RIVERDOGS--