There will be a fleet of player transactions before the full-season squads return to action on Friday. Until then, the Arizona Complex League squad got back to work in the sweltering heat of the desert.
ACL Padres 12, ACL Rangers 10
Key Statistics: LHP Luis Gutierrez 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 4 K, 1 BB; RHP Jose Luis Reyes (W, 1-0), 2.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; DH Lamar King Jr., 4-for-5, R, 3 RBI; RF Juan Murillo, 3-for-6, 2B, R, RBI; 2B Alain Camou, 1-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB; CF Estuar Suero, 2-for-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Alain Camou is in his first season stateside. (Photo: Jerry Espinoza)
Prospect Watch: Where else but the Arizona Complex League can you commit five errors and allow 10 runs on 13 hits and not only win but not even cause a stir by doing so? The Padres did just that tonight, in the latest iteration of the rookie-level league that is not to be taken at face value by the box score, especially by wins and losses. On the mound, the win went to Jose Luis Reyes, who threw two innings of three-run ball, scattering five hits, walking one, and striking out three. The 20-year-old Reyes, a native of Mexicali, is now 1-0 with an 8.40 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 15 innings in 2023 after posting a 2.08 ERA and striking out four in only 4.1 innings of work in the desert in the 2022 season. … Taking a night in the DH role, Lamar King Jr. more than did his duty with a four-hit night. The 2022 fourth-rounder is off to a solid start at the plate, batting .340 with a .908 OPS in 50 at-bats. King has made six starts as the designated hitter and eight starts behind the plate so far this year as he continues to work to refine his catching game. … Making his case to graduate to Lake Elsinore after the draft class reports to Peoria, Juan Murillo recorded three hits, including a double, and drove in a run. The 20-year-old Cuban, who has played primarily the outfield corners in his minor league career, is slashing .322/.397/.525 in 59 at-bats in 2023, his second season in the desert. … Another second-year professional making a name for himself in the Complex League is 19-year-old infielder Alain Camou, who worked a pair of walks, doubled, scored two runs, and drove in a pair. Camou, who is in his first season stateside after playing 2022 in the Dominican Summer League, is slashing .302/.404/.396 in 96 at-bats in 2023. The Phoenix native, who moved out of the country in 2021 to become eligible as an international free agent, will need to add muscle as he moves up, but shows strong bat-to-ball skills and on-field awareness. … Estuar Suero also enjoyed a two-hit night, including a double, and scored a pair of runs while driving in a run. One of the youngest players in the league, the 17-year-old Suero is a 6-foot-5 center fielder from San Pedro De Macoris in the Dominican Republic. While his .660 OPS shows he has room for development before the next level, his three home runs in 100 at-bats and six stolen bases on eight attempts show the tools the youngster brings to the table.
