Feeling Green, Yankees Call up Nick Green to Help Faltering RiverDogs
AUGUSTA, GA- The New York Yankees have announced that RHP Nick Green has been called up to Class A Charleston. After making two starts to begin his Yankees career with Staten Island, the former Rangers prospect will make his Class A debut on Wednesday night as the RiverDogs take on Augusta, filling the open spot vacated by RHP Eduardo Rivera who was called up to High-A Tampa.
Green, 21, joins the RiverDogs on their road trip after being acquired by the Yankees as one of three prospects sent to New York by the Rangers who traded for veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran at the non-waiver deadline on August 1. The 6'1" hurler out of Fountain, CO joins former Rangers farmhands Erik Swanson and Dillon Tate who were also assigned to the RiverDogs after the same trade.
Green began the season with Short Season Spokane in the Northwest League where he accrued a 2-2 record with a 4.98 ERA in seven starts. He struck out 44 batters while walking 14 in 34.1 innings of work while inducing a high rate of ground balls, averaging 5.56 ground outs for every air out. In two starts with Staten Island after the trade, the former 7th round pick by the Rangers allowed three runs, two earned, in 10.2 innings with seven strikeouts.
Originally selected by the Rangers in the 2014 draft out of Indian Hills Community College, Green is now in his third season in the minors, compiling 119 career innings across rookie ball and Short Season A levels with a 4.84 ERA. Across his career, Green has averaged nearly 3.5 ground outs for every air out in his career.
Receiving the call to Tampa in a corresponding move, Rivera's dominance out of the bullpen was on display in his brief time with Charleston. Across six relief appearances, Rivera recorded nearly half his outs via the strikeout (21 Ks in 14.1 IP) while walking five. The native of La Romana, Dominican Republic posted a 1.26 ERA with opponents hitting just .140 against him.
Prior to joining the RiverDogs, the 6'5" righty did not allow a run in 12.1 innings across seven appearances with Staten Island, yielding eight hits and six walks with striking out 13. Rivera spent last season at rookie-level Pulaski where he went 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA in 15 appearances and ranked fourth amongst Pulaski relievers with an 11.72 strikeout per nine innings ratio (46/35.1). Rivera was originally signed by the Yankees out of the D.R. as a non-drafted free agent in 2010 as a 17-year-old.
With the call up of Rivera, the RiverDogs now have 15 pitchers currently playing at the higher levels of the Yankees system that spent time this season with Charleston.
With their retooled roster, the RiverDogs continue their three-game series with Augusta, taking on the GreenJackets with Green on the hill on Wednesday night. The GreenJackets come in as the hottest team in the league, having won nine in a row while the RiverDogs have lost 10 of their last 12.
Ticket information for the RiverDogs homestand and any of the remaining home games can be secured by contacting the box office at (843) 577-DOGS (3647) or online at www.riverdogs.com. Tickets for Game Two of the SAL Divisional Series on Friday, September, 9 at 7:05pm are now available. Those that can't make it to the park can follow every pitch of the RiverDogs season on WTMA 1250 AM and streaming online at riverdogs.com.
--RIVERDOGS--