SnakeBytes, 8/26: Holding pattern edition

Team news

[dbacks.com] Q&A with Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers - "I think most of our young guys other than Archie are probably up here and Archie doesn't have to be added to the 40-man roster this winter. I think just based on the fact that he's making some progress I don't want to put him into this situation yet. I think it's more we'd probably look at [Andrew] Chafin and maybe [Randall] Delgado to get some starts if we decide to go with a six-man rotation. We also just want to continue to look at our young guys and get a good evaluation on them so this winter we know who we want to commit to and who we think is expendable."

[AZ Central] Brandon Drury making big strides - The fact that the Diamondbacks are giving Drury, who has been exclusively a third baseman since the trade, a look at second base is an indication that they're considering their options for his major league arrival... [Mobile manager Andy] Green likes Drury's chances of making a smooth transition to second, noting his soft hands and athleticism. "It's not an indictment on his ability to play third base. He's an above-average major league third baseman. It just lends us more options as an organization to get our best players on the field down the road."

La Russa's Message for 2015 - Tony La Russa shares a message for D-backs Season Ticket Holders

[MLB Trade Rumors] Diamondbacks Release Lucas Harrell - The Diamondbacks have released starting pitcher Lucas Harrell, according to an email from MiLB.com. Arizona acquired Harrell from the Astros for a PTBNL in April, and he’s spent most of the season with Triple-A Reno, posting a 5.15 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 in 106 2/3 innings.

And, elsewhere...

[ESPN] Choo done for season with bone spur in elbow - Remember when we were in on Shin-Soo Choo? Might have dodged a bullet. He will miss the remainder of the 2014 season after being placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bone spur in his left elbow Monday. Choo, 32, struggled in his first season with Texas after signing a $130 million, seven-year contract when he was a free agent last winter. He hit .242 with 13 homers and 40 RBIs in 123 games.

[SFGiants.com] Giants to skip Lincecum, start Petit instead - Good job we're not playing the Giants on Thursday. For Yusmeiro Petit will take over for Tim Lincecum in the Giants' rotation Thursday, manager Bruce Bochy said before Monday night's game. Bochy said the rotation would be reassessed after Petit's start, so it's unknown when or if Lincecum will return to the rotation. Since the All-Star break, Lincecum has gone 1-4 with an 8.07 ERA. He's been tagged for 29 earned runs on 46 hits and 18 walks in 32 1/3 innings. Now, he'll be used as a sixth- or seventh-inning reliever.

[BaseballAmerica] Meet Yoan Moncada, The Next Cuban Baseball Star - A player with exciting tools and dominance of the Cuban junior leagues on par with what Yasiel Puig did at the same age. Moncada’s whereabouts are unclear, but it doesn’t appear that he’s in Cuba. In June, MLB.com reported that Moncada left the island. Talk within the industry has persisted that Moncada is out, though his situation is particularly sketchy, even by Cuban standards, with even people deeply connected to the Cuban baseball player market uncertain of where he is or who is handling him.

[NotGraphs] Rays Media Guide Features Non-Extant, 100-Pound Prospect - Who is Alien "Vroom-Vroom" Vazquez? Is he really 6-foot-2 but only 100 pounds? Is he really a left-throwing catcher?

Finally, in this week in Korean baseball, Doosan's Choi Joo-hwan had a bit of trouble reaching home on August 24th.