Braves prospects update

Manny Banuelos, LHP, Triple- A Gwinnett

Ranking: No. 5 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason report

Banuelos’ joined Gwinnett last Thursday as he progresses on his minor league rehabilitation assignment. A bone chip in his elbow forced him to the disabled list from the major league roster on July 28. Banuelos pitched two scoreless innings against Norfolk on Thursday, throwing 30 pitches. He is expected to rejoin the Atlanta Braves when the roster expands Sept. 1 and could start in Williams Perez’s place Wednesday, though he wouldn’t be expected to go more than three innings.

Mallex Smith, CF, Triple-A Gwinnett

Ranking: No. 6 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason report

Smith took a nine-game hitting streak into Monday night’s game in Durham. He was 11-for-33 (.333) over the streak, with a triple, two stolen bases and eight runs scored. His batting average is up to .285 in 60 games with Gwinnett, after hitting .340 in 57 games in Double-A Mississippi. For Gwinnett in August, Smith has hit .345 (41-for-119) with eight extra-base hits, 13 stolen bases and 24 runs in 28 games.

Braxton Davidson, RF, low Class-A Rome

Ranking: No. 7 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason report

Davidson is 9-for-30 (.300) over his past eight games for Rome. He is hitting .243 for the season with nine home runs and 41 RBIs in 117 games. He leads the South Atlanta League with 81 walks and is sixth in on-base percentage at .383.

Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Triple-A Gwinnett

Ranking: No. 9 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason report

Jenkins’ has begun throwing bullpen sessions and if all continues to go well, he could return to the Gwinnett rotation later this week for one or two more starts before the end of the season. He was pulled from his start August 16 after just two innings and 37 pitches due to a lack of life on his pitches, but the breather has been precautionary. Jenkins has pitched a career-high 136 2/3 innings this season in both Double-A and Triple-A.

Lucas Sims, RHP, Double-A Mississippi

Ranking: No. 10 prospect in Baseball America’s midseason report

Sims has won four straight starts for Mississippi, while allowing just two earned runs in 23 2/3 innings (0.76 ERA). He held Biloxi scoreless for 6 1/3 innings his last start on Friday night, allowing five hits, walking two and striking out five. Sims reached the 100-pitch mark for the first time this season, and 68 of them were strikes. For the year, he’s a combined 7-6 with a 4.62 ERA in 19 starts in Carolina and Mississippi.

Jason Hursh, RHP, Triple-A Gwinnett

Ranking: No. 7 prospect by Baseball America preseason 2015 season

Hursh is working to trust the dominant fastball the Braves believe will help him thrive in a relief role. He has been scored upon in each of his past four relief appearances, allowing nine earned runs in his past 5 1/3 innings. In Charlotte, he gave up a three-run homer to Rob Brantly on an 0-2 count on an off-speed pitch.

Rio Ruiz, 3B, Double-A Mississippi

Ranking: No. 11 prospect by Baseball America preseason 2015

Ruiz entered the week on a 15-game hitting streak, batting .362 (21-for-58) with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs and 11 RBIs over the streak. He has had the August he needed, after hitting just .212 with one home run and 27 RBIs in his first 93 games with Mississippi. Ruiz is hitting .313 with eight doubles, a triple, three home runs and 17 RBIs in 27 games in August. He hit a three-run homer last week helping him to back-to-back three-RBI games. He’d had no more than two RBIs in any of his first 128 games.

Dustin Peterson, LF, high Single-A Carolina

Ranking: No. 18 prospect by Baseball America preseason 2015 season

Peterson went 4-for-4 with two doubles for the Mudcats last Monday against Wilmington. It was his second four-hit game of the year and first since the Mudcats’ bus crash, when he went 4-for-4 with a double and a homer on April 29 in Lynchburg. After hitting just .202 in 29 games in July, Peterson is hitting .272 in 26 games in August.

Austin Riley, 3B, Rookie Danville Braves

Braves’ supplemental first round pick (No. 41 overall) in 2015

A promotion from the Gulf Coast League to the Appalachian League has hardly slowed Riley down. He’s hitting .362 (38-for-105) with nine doubles, a triple, five home runs and 18 RBIs in 28 games since his promotion to Danville.