Twins minor league report: Ex-Gopher DeVries has come on of late

By LA VELLE E. NEAL III, Star Tribune

Last update: July 12, 2008 - 6:13 PM

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Former Gophers righthander Cole DeVries is on a big run for Class A Fort Myers.

DeVries, 23, pitched a complete-game victory Wednesday, improving to 7-6 with a 2.45 ERA for the Miracle. But his best work has come since May 11. He is 5-2 with a 0.61 ERA during that period, with 43 strikeouts and 13 walks.

"He competes and battles and has done a nice job despite not getting a lot of run support," said Jim Rantz, Twins director of minor leagues.

DeVries, from Eden Prairie, wasn't in the rotation the first week of the season because Francisco Liriano was with Fort Myers to finish his preparation for the regular season. Once Liriano was called up, DeVries became the least-heralded member of a starting rotation that included righthanders Jeff Manship and Deolis Guerra and lefthander Tyler Robertson.

But DeVries slowly made a name for himself by keeping his walks down and using his 12-6 curveball effectively. He hits 88 to 90 miles per hour on his fastball and also uses a changeup.

"He's definitely a prospect," Rantz said.

System check

• Terry Ryan recently traveled to Elizabethton, Tenn., to check out prospects and was impressed watching righthander Shooter Hunt in a bullpen session. "He looks good," the former Twins GM said. "He's got good size. a good presence and he really knows how to throw a breaking ball.'' Hunt, the Twins' supplemental pick between the first and second rounds of last month's draft, struck out six in three innings in his pro debut on July 4; Friday, he pitched five no-hit innings, with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

• Class A Beloit outfielder Joe Benson flew to the Twin Cities last week to have his back examined and was given a cortisone shot. The Twins' second-round pick in 2006 is out indefinitely because of a stress fracture.

• A National League scout who recently stopped through Class AA New Britain said Manship still looks like a good prospect, but righthander Anthony Swarzak has taken a step backward.

• Lefthander Jose Mijares, who fractured his left elbow and injured his shoulder in a January traffic accident in the Dominican Republic, entered Saturday having thrown five scoreless innings for the Twins' Gulf Coast League rookie team as he attempts his comeback.

• Class AAA Rochester first baseman-outfielder Randy Ruiz is smoking hot. He entered Friday with a 19-game hitting streak, during which he was batting .389 with three homers and 10 RBI. His hitting streak was the second-longest in the International League this season and longest by a Red Wings player since Chris Heintz hit in 18 consecutive games in 2005.

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