Minor League Hot List: Bogusevic, Nola, Leibrandt, Tocci, Crawford notes

We're back at it with another rundown of all the top performers from the Phillies' developmental ranks.

Triple-A Lehigh Valley-

OF Brian Bogusevic currently sports a seven-game hitting streak and is batting .346 during that stretch. The 31-year-old is hitting .310 with a home runs and five RBI through 21 games this season. Bogusevic batted .306 in 22 spring games with the Phillies this year.

Infielder Chase d'Arnaud is batting .324 and has four multi-hit games in nine games played this year. The righty batting 28-year-old is the older brother of former Phils prospect Travis d'Arnaud.

Double-A Reading Fightins-

Righty starter Ben Lively has a 2-0 record with a 2.16 ERA while striking out 24 and walking seven in 25 innings over four starts thus far this season. The 23-year-old struck out nine while allowing three earned runs in six innings when he notched his second win of the season on Sunday. Lively was acquired last off-season from the Reds in the trade for Marlon Byrd.

Infielder Gustavo Pierre is 9-for-17 (.529 avg) in his last six games. The 23-year-old Dominican is batting .281 with two homers, three RBI and three steals in 17 games this year. Pierre was acquired from Toronto in a deal for John Mayberry Jr. last year.

After giving up four earned runs over 4 2/3 innings in his season debut, last year's top draft pick Aaron Nola has allowed three earned runs in 20 innings (1.35 ERA). Overall, the 21-year-old has a 2-2 record with a 2.55 ERA and a .222 batting average against in four starts.

Class A Advanced Clearwater-

Last year's sixth round draft pick Brandon Leibrandt has a 2-1 record along with a 1.74 ERA while striking out 28 and walking six in 31 innings through five starts. The 22-year-old lefty is also holding opponents to a .185 batting average against.

Catcher/DH Andrew Knapp has a six-game hitting streak during which he's batting .375. Overall, the 2nd round pick from 2013 is batting .280 with four doubles, three triples and 11 RBI in 22 games.

In an additional note, shortstop prospect J.P. Crawford will be activated from the disabled list (oblique strain) this week for the Threshers. The 20-year-old expects to be in their lineup on Wednesday after competing steadily for the extended spring training team for the past week.

Class A Lakewood-

Righty reliever Matt Hockenberry had his streak of seven scoreless appearances to open the season interrupted on Sunday when he notched his South Atlantic League leading sixth save. Overall, the 23-year-old Temple University product has a 0.75 ERA and a .158 batting average against to go along with no decisions this season.

Outfielder Carlos Tocci has recorded four straight multi-hit games. Through 23 contests this season, the 19-year-old Venezuelan is batting .400 (league best) with a homer, 12 RBI and nine steals.

First baseman Rhys Hoskins has a nine-game hitting streak during which he has tallied a .417 average. In 23 games for the BlueClaws, last year's 5th round draft choice is batting .345 with four home runs and 15 RBI.

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...

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