Jose Ministral returns to Indy for 2007 campaign

INDIANAPOLIS -- Jose Ministral, who served as trainer for the Indianapolis Indians in 2005, is returning to the club for the 2007 campaign. He replaces Jason Palmer, who resigned his post with the Pittsburgh Pirates in December after serving as the Tribe's trainer in 2006.

Ministral enters his 10th year as a trainer in the Pirates farm system. The 32-year-old spent the 2006 campaign with Pittsburgh's Gulf Coast League affiliate in Bradenton, Fla. He has three years of Triple-A experience -- 2003-04 with Nashville and 2005 with Indianapolis.

Ministral is a 1996 graduate of Springfield College (Mass.), where he picked up a bachelor's degree in athletic training. Ministral and his wife, Kristin, have two daughters -- Caeli (16) and Gillyan (4).

Palmer was a Pirates employee for six seasons. The 29-year-old spent 2001-02 with Low-A Hickory (N.C.), 2003-05 with Double-A Altoona (Pa.) and 2006 with the Tribe.