Span, Moses are likely for fall league

La Velle E. Neal III
Star Tribune

Outfielder Denard Span and third baseman Matt Moses probably will be among the players the Twins send to this year's Arizona Fall League.

Span, the Twins' first round pick in 2002, entered the weekend batting .291 for Class AA New Britain with a .376 on-base percentage. He was promoted from Class A Fort Myers in June. Span is a speedy center fielder whose hitting has greatly improved.

Moses, a first-round pick in 2003, is scuffling at New Britain, batting .218 through Thursday. Like Span, Moses was promoted from Fort Myers in June after batting .309 with seven homers and 42 RBI. Despite his problems at New Britain, Moses is considered a good hitting prospect who has eased concerns about his fielding but still needs to improve his defense.

In an organization known for pitching prospects, the pair are among the Twins' best position prospects.

The Arizona Fall League runs from October to just before Thanksgiving, bringing together top prospects from each organization. Scott Baker, J.D. Durbin, Jesse Crain and Jason Bartlett played in the league last season. It was during AFL play last year that Jason Kubel suffered a knee injury that knocked him out for this season.

Arizona Fall League appointments are expected to be announced Wednesday, after the farm directors' meetings in Florida.

Lefthander Francisco Liriano, one of the better pitching prospects in the game, likely won't be selected for the league. If he pitches during the offseason, it will be in the Dominican winter league, where he'll face more experienced hitters.

Heintz is hitting

Class AAA Rochester catcher Chris Heintz entered the weekend with a 17-game hitting streak, the fifth longest by a Red Wings player since 1993 and longest since Luis Rodriguez's 19-game hitting streak last year.

Heintz, batting .342 with two homers and 16 RBI during the streak, has caught, played third base and been the designated hitter. That allows the Red Wings to keep his bat in the lineup. Rob Bowen does most of the catching, and Corky Miller is around as a backup catcher when Heintz, 31, is the DH.

Heintz's season average was up to .314 as of Friday.

Around the system

Rochester righthander Durbin has been activated from the disabled list after battling shoulder soreness, but Rochester lefthander Dave Gassner has been placed on the disabled list because of a sore elbow. Gassner hasn't pitched since July 27.

Infielder Jake Mauer, out since May because of elbow surgery, has been activated and assigned to Class A Fort Myers.

Catcher Kyle Phillips was promoted from Fort Myers to New Britain to replace Bryan Kennedy, who went on the disabled list because of a lower back strain. Coincidentally, they both have brothers (Jason Phillips and Adam Kennedy) in the majors.