Huff & Aquino promoted

The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has purchased the contracts of LHP David Huff & RHP Greg Aquino from the AAA Columbus Clippers. To allow room on the Major League roster for Huff and Aquino the Indians optioned LHP Tony Sipp and outrighted RHP Masa Kobayashi to AAA Columbus. Kobayashi has accepted the assignment.

So far this year at AAA Columbus, Huff has gone 5-1 w/a 4.35 ERA in 7 starts (39.IP, 35H, 19ER, 5HR, 16BB, 32K, .241AVG). He is T1st in the International League in wins and has limited IL hitters to a .241 (35-145) average allowed. He will be making his Major League debut today in Tampa Bay wearing #58. This spring David was limited to 2 outings (4.0IP, 8H, 4R/ER) due to left shoulder tendinitis and was re-assigned to minor league camp on March 19. The 24-year old Huntington Beach, CA native was selected by Cleveland in the “Sandwich” round (39th overall) between the 1st/2nd rounds of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of UCLA.

Aquino, 31, has allowed just 1 run on 1 base hit so far this year at AAA Columbus, going 0-0 w/4 saves (4 chances) and a 1.13 ERA in 8 outings (8.0IP, 8H, 1R/ER, 4BB, 6K). He has not allowed a run over his last 3 outings (3.0IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 3K). This season to date Triple A batters are 1 for 24 (.042) off him, including an 0 for 12 mark by left-handed hitters. He was on the DL from April 16-May 6 with right shoulder tendinitis. Greg was signed by Cleveland to a minor league free agent contract with an invitation to big league camp on January 14, 2009. He appeared in the big leagues over each season since 2004 with Arizona, Milwaukee & Baltimore.

Sipp has appeared in 9 games since his April 22 recall from AAA Columbus (4.26ERA, 6.1IP, 4H, 3ER, 8BB, 9K) and Kobayashi has recorded no record with an 8.38 ERA in 10 outings (9.2IP, 12H, 9ER, 4BB, 4K).

To make room for Aquino the 40-man roster LHP Scott Lewis has been transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL.