In the first of several stories catching up with former D-III players in MLB and minor league baseball, D3baseball.com looks at those players in MLB and Triple-A

By Ricky Nelson

Major League Baseball
Jarrod Washburn (UW-Oshkosh) has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts. After three years of losing records and an ERA well into the 4s, the soon-to-be 35-year-old is 8-6 with a 2.64 ERA through Aug. 1. Washburn was the Tigers' key deadline addition in their push for the playoffs. Included in Washburn's rebound year is a complete-game one-hit shutout vs. Baltimore on July 6. He is also in the top 10 among AL starters in WHIP (1st), hits/9 (1st), earned run average (2nd), shutouts (4th), home runs/9 (9th) and walks/9 (9th). The 34-year-old veteran was recently named the AL Pitcher of the Month for July with a 4-1 record and 1.44 ERA in 43 2/3 innings, the first monthly honor of his career.

A year after helping the Phillies to a World Series title, catcher Chris Coste (Concordia-Moorhead) has found a new home with the Astros, who claimed him off waivers. The author of the autobiography "The 33-Year-Old Rookie" is now getting regular playing time at first base and contributing toward Houston's surge in the NL Central standings while all-star Lance Berkman and Darin Erstad are on the disabled list.

Jordan Zimmermann, named by many as the No. 1 prospect in the Nationals organization, made his MLB debut this season. Zimmermann (UW-Stevens Point) won his first two starts in April and is 3-5 on the year with a 4.63 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 91.1 innings. Now on the disabled list with a sore right elbow, Zimmermann recently had a successful bullpen session, according to mlb.com. The Nationals do not have a timetable for his return, but Zimmermann is expected to pitch again this season.

Billy Wagner (Ferrum) has been on the disabled list the entire season but is reportedly nearing a return to the Mets bullpen and has been throwing off a mound since mid-April. Wagner had Tommy John surgery in September and is expected to pitch some time this summer. Wagner, who ranks sixth on the all-time saves list, would move to a setup role in front of Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Triple-A
Not many players have created more buzz this season than outfielder Chris Heisey (Messiah), who dominated the Double-A Southern League and earned a promotion to the Reds Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. Heisey's list of 2009 accolades include being selected for the Futures Game, two Hitter of the Week awards (one in the Southern League and one in the International League) and being named the Topps Southern League Player of the Month in May. Heisey is batting .276 with three home runs, 19 runs batted in, 15 runs and three steals in 31 games at Triple-A after batting .347 with 13 HR, 40 RBI, 54 R and 13 SB in Double-A.

Whenever a Mets starting pitcher has been injured or ineffective this season, the name Nelson Figueroa (Brandeis) is nearly always mentioned. In fact, he is scheduled to duel with Arizona ace Dan Haren tonight. Although Figueroa has only one start before tonight for the Mets this year -- a six-inning, three-earned-run loss -- the 35-year-old's numbers at Triple-A Buffalo merit the speculated call-ups. At Triple-A, Figueroa is 7-5 with a 2.25 ERA with 94 K's in 112 innings over 17 starts.

Joe Bateman (Massachusetts College) has the numbers of a September call-up. The 29-year-old Rays farmhand is 4-1 with a 3.56 ERA in 33 games and 43 innings to go along with a .183 average against. Perhaps as impressive is the right-handed reliever's zero home runs allowed and .176 average allowed vs. righties.

Relief pitcher Scott Chiasson has found success south of the border. Pitching for the Tigres in the Mexican League, Chiasson (Eastern Connecticut) leads the league with 34 saves, and left-handed batters have hit .120 against the 31-year-old righty. In 54 games Chiasson is 4-2 with a 2.61 ERA and 49 K's in 58.2 IP.

Catcher Erik Kratz cracked the game-winning, two-run home run in the International League all-star game last month. For the season Kratz (Eastern Mennonite) is batting .265 with six homers, 26 RBI and six steals for the Pirates affiliate in Indianapolis.

Greg Reinhard (UW-Whitewater) is one of the top strikeout pitchers in the Pacific Coast League. In 32 games for the Iowa Cubs, Reinhard has 67 K's in 57 innings, including 51 K's in 41.1 innings as a reliever. For the year the righthander is 2-4 with a 4.89 ERA, which includes eight earned runs over his last 6.1 innings.

Due to an overcrowded outfield in Oakland, Chris Denorfia (Wheaton Mass.) has played just four games for the A's in 2009 after his stint roaming the fields -- and possibly making the best catch of the tournament -- for upstart Italy in the World Baseball Classic. In 76 games at Sacramento, Denorfia is hitting .260 with four homers, 32 RBI, 39 runs scored and nine steals.

Starting pitcher Matt DeSalvo (Marietta) is having issues with his control for the Rays affiliate in Durham. DeSalvo has issued 39 walks against 35 strikeouts in 12 games (11 starts) and 56.1 innings. DeSalvo signed with the Mets during the offseason before hooking up with the Rays. On the year DeSalvo is 0-4 with a 6.55 ERA.

After he struggled with the Rockies affiliate in Colorado Springs, the Yankees traded for Jason Hirsh (Cal Lutheran) near the deadline. Hirsh made his Yankees debut for Scranton-Wilkes Barre a good one, going five innings with seven strikeouts to earn a win. For Colorado Springs Hirsh was 6-7 with a 6.66 ERA in 20 games (16 starts) and 101.1 innings.

Left-handed relief pitcher Jack Taschner (UW-Oshkosh) was traded to the Phillies in March after four seasons in San Francisco. Philadelphia optioned Taschner to Triple-A in early July shortly after fellow lefty J.C. Romero returned from suspension. Taschner then cleared waivers and resigned with Philadelphia. In the bigs, Taschner was 1-1 with a 5.20 ERA in 21 games and 27.2 innings that saw him yield 34 hits and 20 walks. Things have been smoother at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where Taschner is 0-2 with one save despite a 2.61 ERA in nine games and 10.1 innings.

Second baseman Jeff Natale (Trinity, Conn.) is seeing regular playing time of late for the Pawtucket Red Sox. For the year, which has included a stint on the disabled list, Natale is batting .265 with one homer, nine RBI and 13 runs in 132 at-bats over 44 games. He also has 22 walks against 21 strikeouts, leading to a .376 on-base percentage. While on the DL, Natale filled in for an ailing Pawtucket broadcaster by doing color commentary for two games.