KENSING BACK IN MAJORS, KINNEY LIKELY ON THE WAY

One more former Independent Baseball player has made his way back onto an active major league roster, and it seems safe to say another one will be added any day now.

The new name is Logan Kensing, who has 134 major league appearances to his credit but not a single one since 2009 when he had time with both Florida and Washington. Kensing lost his major league status with shoulder woes, and ended up for a time in the Atlantic League (Bridgeport, CT) in ’11.

Colorado activated the soon-to-be 31-year-old Sunday after he had saved seven games for Triple-A Colorado Springs while posting an 0-1, 2.57 record. He is a combined 8-9 with two saves for his previous major league outings, which started with Florida in ’05.

The next name to watch for is longtime reliever Josh Kinney, who has yet to pitch for Seattle this season because of a stress reaction on the left side of his rib cage. Kinney, who started his professional career in the Frontier League (River City, O’Fallon, MO), made one rehab appearance with Tacoma May 17, then had to be shut down again, but he has thrown a shutout inning three times in the last week without even allowing a hit or a walk.

Meanwhile, the New York Mets have sent righty reliever Greg Burke, another who started in the Independent game (Atlantic City, NJ, Atlantic League), back to Triple-A Las Vegas for the second time this season.

RABEN GETS FIRST ROUND-TRIPPER IN ROYALS SYSTEM

I have been wanting to see what first baseman-outflelder Dennis Raben would do once he reported to Kansas City’s high-A farm club in Wilmington, DE after he had pounded 10 homers in only 23 games in the American Association (Lincoln, NE).

It took three games for Raben to hit one out in the Carolina League. The left-handed hitter is 4-for-14 (.286) for four games, and has a .375 on-base percentage. The other hits have been singles.

SHAWN HILL MUST BE BREATHING EASIER

The good news for Shawn Hill, who meteorically climbed from the York (PA) Revolution of the Atlantic League to one appearance for the Detroit Tigers last season, is that the Toledo Mud Hens have kept the right-hander in the starting rotation all season despite an 0-8 start.

That drought ended over the weekend when the 32-year-old, making his 15th start of the year, limited Syracuse to four hits and one run in seven innings to claim a victory. He is now at 1-8, 5.82 for Toledo.

THOSE DREADED RELEASES

Right-handed pitchers Andrew Aizenstadt (Wichita, KS, American Association) and Erik Arnesen (Somerset, NJ, Atlantic League) have been handed pink slips. Aizenstadt was in the Philadelphia organization, Arnesen with Oakland after starting the year with the Patriots.

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