PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have released third baseman Geoff Blum and called up third baseman Ryan Wheeler from Triple-A Reno.
The 39-year-old Blum hit .143 in 17 games for Arizona after being sidelined most of the season with a strained left oblique. The 24-year-old Wheeler is fourth in the PCL in batting with a .351 average, including 27 doubles, 15 home runs and 90 RBIs in 93 games. His 50 hits in June were the most for any minor leaguer. He was only the fifth minor leaguer since 2005 to have 50 or more hits in a month.
Wheeler, the PCL player of the month for June, was drafted by Arizona in 2009 in the fifth round out of Loyola Marymount.
