Chad

Huffman

He has not been given an invitation to spring training. Huffman, 27, hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2010 and batted .282/.350/.453 with six homers over 67 games for the Indians’ Triple-A affiliate in 2012.

Huffman, a former Cardinals’ farmhand, spent the 2016 season in the Tigers’ organization, slashing .286/.387/.505 with 17 homers and 70 RBI at Triple-A Toledo. He will compete for a bench spot on the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster.

Should Huffman enter a game with the Cardinals, it would be his first major league action since he saw 21 at-bats with the Yankees back in 2010. The veteran outfielder was hitting .292/.407/.508 with four homers and 20 RBI in 43 games at Triple-A Memphis prior to having his contract selected.

It was a pinch-hit triple that got over the head of the Brewers’ left fielder. Huffman then scored on an RBI ground-rule double off the bat of former TCU teammate Matt Carpenter. Huffman, 32, has logged just three plate appearances since joining the Cardinals’ active roster last Wednesday. He had 21 plate appearances with the Yankees as a 25-year-old in 2010.

Huffman did a nice job during his time with the Cardinals, slashing .286/.333/.429 in only 14 at-bats. He’ll return to Triple-A where he’ll see everyday action until he’s needed again.

The move clears a 40-man roster spot for outfield prospect Harrison Bader, who has earned his first promotion to the major league level. Huffman, 32, is a .219/.306/.281 career hitter in MLB action.

Huffman was released by the Cardinals earlier this week. The 32-year-old was up with the big club briefly but has spent nearly all year at the Triple-A level, hitting .247/.386/.437 with six homers.

Huffman last saw big league action when he accumulated 18 at-bats with the Yankees in 2010. He kicked around in the minor league systems of the Indians and Cardinals from 2011-2013 before heading over to the Japan Pacific League for these last two seasons. The 30-year-old’s posted nice minor league numbers in the past (career triple-slash of .280/.373/.456), but the odds of him making an impact at the major league level after such a long time away are slim.

It was 21-0 after four, and though Lake Elsinore was held the three runs over the next four innings, the Padres’ farm club exploded for six more runs in the ninth. Craig Cooper also had two homers, and Matt Antonelli and Kyle Blanks each had six of Lake Elsinore’s 28 hits. Lake Elsinore fell short of the California League record for runs (34) and hits (29) in a game, but it was the most lopsided victory ever.

Huffman is up to .375/.473/.693 in 88 at-bats during May. Four of the seven homers he’s hit this month came in ridiculous conditions at Lancaster (he hit two of them in the 30-0 game on May 18), but the 2006 second-round pick’s numbers are pretty impressive anyway.