Aaaaaaaand … she’s back. The Queen has returned (though admittedly my trip out west did not include playing polo in Santa Barbara like some royalty I could mention) and with a slew of debuts having occurred in the last week, we’ll get right to the good stuff.

Kudos this span go to the Tampa Bay Rays who not only had three players make their Major League debuts, but two of them took some long roads to get them — and as you know, the Queen especially loves that kind of “feel good” story.

With some wholesale battery changes, two pitchers — top southpaw prospect Alex Torres and well-traveled reliever Dane de la Rosa — and a catcher, Robinson Chirinos, who capped a decade of tireless work in the minors with his debut — reached the big leagues for the Rays.

Torres, acquired from the Angels in late 2009 along with infielders Sean Rodriguez and Matt Sweeney (yay, Gaithersburg!) for pitcher Scott Kazmir, originally signed out of Venezuela. At Durham before his promotion, he was 6-6 with a 3.23 ERA in 18 starts for the Bulls, fanning 99 in 94 2/3 innings. He’d gone 11-6 with 3.47 ERA at Double-A Montgomery in 2010 after combining for a 13-6 record, .277 ERA and 156 strikeouts in as many innings at three stops in 2009. Armed with a plus slider, a lively fastball and a good changeup, he has great makeup and a high ceiling. His debut may not have been one he’s going to want to remember, walking in the winning run on July 18 against the Yankees, but he’ll have plenty of opportunity to make up for it.

De La Rosa also has Yankees connections, having originally been drafted by that club back in the 24th round of 2002. Signed as a draft-and-follow, he saw brief time and some success in ’03 and ’04 in their short-season system but was released that December which began his circuitous path to the big leagues. De La Rosa played for four different teams in the independent Golden League, one in the American Association and, finally, lit up the board with a 1.11 ERA in 18 games for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the Atlantic League in 2009. Inked that off-season by the Rays, he posted a 1.97 ERA in 47 games in relief at Double-A Montgomery last summer. This summer he had a 3.86 ERA in 35 games in relief at Durham prior to his promotion.

Chirinos began his pro career back in 2000 when he signed with the Chicago Cubs as a non-drafted free agent, also out of Venezuela. Shifted to catcher in 2009, he took to the position defensively and his bat did as well, as he made his league’s respective All-Star squads both summers, including Double-A Southern League honors in 2010 when he hit .318 at West Tenn. Last summer he combined between that club and Triple-A Iowa to add 18 homers and 74 RBI. He was added to an already-impressive package that included outfielders Sam Fuld and Brandon Guyer, deft shortstop Hak-Ju Lee (a 2011 Futures Game standout) and ace Chris Archer, considered the top prospect in the Cubs system prior to the trade, in the January 2011 deal for pitcher Matt Garza and outfielder Fernando Perez. With five catchers on their 40-man roster, the Rays were deep in the position but when first John Jaso and then just-recalled Jose Lobaton both landed on the DL, Chirinos got the call and made the start that night behind the plate on July 18 against the Yankees. He’d been hitting .265 with five homers and 22 RBI in 68 games for the Bulls.

ROBINSON CHIRINOS
C, Tampa Bay Rays
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-1/195 BORN: June 5, 1984
ACQUIRED: Via trade from the Chicago Cubs in January 2011, coming over with OFs Sam Fuld and Brandon Guyer, P Christopher Archer and SS Hak-Ju Lee for P Matt Garza and OF Fernando Perez.
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Durham July 18 when C Jose Lobaton went on DL.
DEBUT: July 18 in a 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees. The starting catcher, he batted eighth and went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.

DANE De La ROSA
RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-7/245 BORN: Feb. 1, 1983
ACQUIRED: Signed as minor league free agent Nov 11, 2009
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Durham July 19 when Alexander Torres was sent down.
DEBUT: July 20 in a 4-0 loss to the New York Yankees: The second of three pitchers, he gave up two runs in one inning despite not allowing a hit, as he walked two batters (and struck out out) in the ninth and both came around to score against reliever Cesar Ramos.

ALEX TORRES
LHP, Tampa Bay Rays
B/T: L/L H/W: 5-10/175 BORN: Dec. 8, 1975
ACQUIRED: Via trade from the Los Angeles Angels with IFs Sean Rodriguez and Matt Sweeney for P Scott Kazmir Aug. 28, 2009
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Durham July 18 when Ps Juan Cruz (DL) and Adam Russell (DFA) were removed from active roster.
DEBUT: July 18 in a 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees: The last of five pitchers, he took the loss as he allowed the winning run on one hit and three walks, walking in the deciding run. He also struck out out.

But the Rays weren’t the only team to do some promotional work … I need to chime in a little bit on the Houston Astros’ addition of second baseman Jose Altuve, and not only because QofD fans KNOW I love the “little guys.” Baseball America ranked three Astros second base prospects on their pre-season depth chart with Altuve tucked neatly between two others who hold special places in my heart. Not surprisingly their top prospect there is Delino Deshields Jr., whose dad was the first player about whom I wrote a cover story back in my beloved Baseball Weekly days (and who is now managing the Class A Dayton Dragons.) I met (if you can call meeting a wee one) Delino while I did the interview — because Delino Sr.‘s nickname was “Bop,” we called Junior “Baby Bop.” Barney the Dinosaur fans will recognize the reference. But the third on the list may not be quite as recognizable. It’s a young man named Josh Magee. HIS dad, Wendell Magee Jr., was also a major leaguer and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He had a brief career with the Philadelphia Phillies and I remember even then chatting about his little boy, Joshua, of whom he was so proud.

JOSE ALTUVE
2B, Houston Astros
B/T: R/R H/W: 5-7/170 BORN: May 6, 1990
ACQUIRED: Signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela March 2007
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Double-A Corpus Christi July 19 when IF Jeff Keppinger was traded to San Francisco.
DEBUT: July 20 in a 3-2 win against the Washington Nationals in 11 innings: The starting second baseman he batted second and went 1-for-5 with a strikeout.
NOTES: Nicknamed “Mighty Mouse,” his listed height may be generous and his weight a little lighter. A stocky, strong middle infielder with a good arm, he is excellent defensively and a smart player with good skills across the board and great makeup. But it was this year that he really exploded as perhaps the biggest breakthrough prospect in the minors. After opening the season hitting .408 in 52 games at Advanced A Lancaster, he moved up to Double-A Corpus Christi where he continued to hit, batting .361. Combined between the two stops before his promotion, he was hitting .389 with 10 homers, 59 RBI and 24 steals. At Class A Lexington last summer combined with Lancaster he hit closer to .300 with 15 homers, 77 RBI and 38 steals and brought a .307 average over four seasons into the 2011 campaign. He was chosen to play in the 2011 Futures Game as well.

MATT ANGLE
OF, Baltimore Orioles
B/T: L/R H/W: 5-10/175 BORN: Sept. 10, 1985
ACQUIRED: Selected in the seventh round of 2007 out of Ohio State.
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Norfolk July 17 when DH Vladimir Guerrero went on the DL.
DEBUT: July 17 in an 8-3 win against the Cleveland Indians: Batted leadoff and played left field, going 0-for-3 with a walk.
NOTES: Ranked as the Orioles’ No. 13 prospect but second among their outfielders, Angle is a true center fielder with leadoff capabilities (which makes it ironic that he made his debut in left field). He’s zoomed up from No. 25 in 2010 to halve that distance despite missing the first two months of 2010 with a broken hamate bone. A plus defender with good speed, he was hitting .266 with four homers, 29 RBI and 20 steals, having been caught just twice, in 87 games at Norfolk before getting the call. He was hitting .380 in two weeks prior to the move. In 2009 he was a Carolina League All-Star when he swiped 42 steals at Advanced A Frederick, up from 37 at Class A Delmarva in 2008 and 34 at short-season Aberdeen in his 2007 pro debut, a tally that ranked second in the New York-Penn League. He was sent back down when DH Luke Scott was activated a week later.

DUANE BELOW
LHP, Detroit Tigers
B/T: L/L H/W: 6-3/220 BORN: Nov. 15, 1985
ACQUIRED: Selected in the 19th round of 2006 out of Lake Michigan Junior College
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Toledo July 20 when P Adam Wilk was sent down.
DEBUT: July 20 in a 7-5 loss to the Oakland Athletics: The starting pitcher, he did not factor in the decision, allowing three runs, only one earned, on five hits in five-plus innings, walking one and striking out two and leaving with the lead.
NOTES: Below is a “local boy,” having grown up in Britton, Mich., an outer suburb of Detroit, and being drafted out of Lake Michigan Junior College. Though he missed most of 2009 following Tommy John surgery, he has rebounded well since then, obviously, with a 4.93 ERA at Double-A Erie in 2010 and a 9-4 record and 3.13 ERA in 18 starts at Toledo this season. His best summer came in his first full season, 2007, when he was the Tigers’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year at Class A West Michigan, going 13-5 with a 2.97 ERA and a Midwest League-best 160 strikeouts. He also led the Florida State League in that category the next summer with 127 at Lakeland. With an easy delivery of a fastball in the low-mid 90s and an effective curveball, he could factor into the Tigers mix for awhile.

RYAN COOK
RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-3/200 BORN: June 30, 1987
ACQUIRED: Selected in the 27th round of 2008 out of Southern Cal
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Double-A MobileReno July 20 when P Barry Enright was sent down
DEBUT: July 20 in a 5-2 10-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers: The fourth of six pitchers, he did not get an out, allowing three runs on three hits and walking one facing four batters in the 10th. He also threw a wild pitch and balked.
NOTES: If you were wondering, yes, Cook brought his ERA below infinity when he took the mound again two nights later and gave up a run in one inning in an 8-4 loss to the Rockies. He came into his promotion with a 2.25 ERA and 13 saves in 34 games in relief at Mobile, where he’d limited Southern League batters to a .179 average and had fanned 50 in 44 innings while walking just 14 so you can chalk this up to rookie nerves. In 2010 he worked as a starter with a 4.24 ERA in 20 games at Advanced A Visalia and a brief but effective stint at Mobile, after a 3.66 ERA in 143 innings in his full-season debut at Class A South Bend in 2009.

SCOTT DIAMOND
LHP, Minnesota Twins
B/T: L/L H/W: 6-3/215 BORN: July 30,1986
ACQUIRED: Selected from the Atlanta Braves in the 2010 Rule 5 Draft and maintained rights via later trade for P Billy Bullock.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Rochester July 18 when IF Matt Tolbert was sent down.
DEBUT: July 18 in a 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians in the nightcap of a doubleheader: The starting pitcher, he threw 6 1/3 innings of seven-hit ball, allowing four runs — three of the earned — and walking two while striking out one.
NOTES: Originally signed by the Braves as a non-drafted free agent out of SUNY Binghamton in August 2007, Diamond has significant international experience as a member of Team Canada, both in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and Pan-Am Games. Taken in the Rule 5 Draft last winter, he didn’t make the Twins’ 25-man roster but they thought highly enough of him to send the Braves 2009 second-round pitcher Billy Bullock to maintain his rights. Armed with four solid pitches including a plus curveball, he had a 4-8 record and 4.70 ERA in 17 starts at Rochester. Brought up for the doubleheader, he was returned to the minors following his debut.

JASON KIPNIS
2B, Cleveland Indians
B/T: L/R H/W: 5-11/185 BORN: April 3, 1987
ACQUIRED: Selected in the second round of 2009 out of Arizona State
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Columbus July 22 when IF Luis Valbuena was sent down.
DEBUT: July 22 in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The starting second baseman, he batted eighth and went 0-for-2.
NOTES: The Indians continue to load up with hot-hitting infielders from the 2009 draft as Kipnis follows in the footsteps of first-rounder Lonnie Chisenhall, summoned a few weeks ago. Both a Futures Game and Triple-A All-Star Game honoree this summer, Kipnis was the International League’s Player of the Week for July 4 before falling into a 1-for-18 funk prior to his promotion. He was still hitting .279 with 12 homers, 55 RBI and 12 steals (caught just once) before his callup after hitting .300 at Advanced A Kinston and .311 at Double-A Akron in 2010, combining for 16 homers and 74 RBI. He made his pro debut in 2009 at short-season Mahoning Valley, batting .306. The Pac 10 Player of the Year his draft season, he was converted from outfielder to second base and has a high offensive ceiling.

BRANDON LAIRD
3B, New York Yankees
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-1/215 BORN: Sept. 11, 1987
ACQUIRED: Selected in the 27th round of 2007 out of Cypress Community College in California
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre July 18 whe SS Ramon Pena went on the DL
DEBUT: July 22 in a 17-7 win against the Oakland Athletics: Pinch-hitting for SS Derek Jeter in the seventh inning, he drew a walk and stayed in the game at third base. Coming to bat later, he singled, scored a run and added an RBI.
NOTES: The younger brother of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Gerald Laird enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2010 when he was named Eastern League MVP and Rookie of the Year, batting .291 at Trenton and, combined with a month at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, combined for 25 homers and 102 RBI, both of which led the organization. Also a 2009 Florida State League All-Star and a 2007 Gulf Coast League All-Star, he was hitting .266 with 10 homers and 49 RBI at the time of his promotion and with third baseman A-Rod out for awhile could get a chance to show what he can do.

In another kinda neat little combination of debuts, two catchers each got their first big-league appearance in the same game:

LUIS MARTINEZ
C, San Diego Padres
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-0/210 BORN: April 3, 1985
ACQUIRED: Drafted in the 12th round of 2007 out of Cumberland (Tenn.) University
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Tucson July 7 when C Nick Hundley went on the DL.
DEBUT: July 15 in a 6-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants: Pinch-hitting for C Kyle Phillips in the seventh inning, he lined out.
NOTES: The Miami native was named by Baseball America the best defensive catcher in the Padres system heading into 2011 but his offense hasn’t been too shabby either. Prior to his recall, he was hitting .313 in 38 games for the T-Pods. In 2010, at Double-A San Antonio, he batted .282 with two homers and 31 RBI and not only got the nod for the mid-season Texas League All-Star Game but earned that contest’s MVP honors. Martinez was returned to Tucson July 15 to make room for infielder Logan Forsythe.

HECTOR SANCHEZ
C, San Francisco Giants
B/T: B/R H/W: 5-11/235 BORN: Nov. 17, 1989
ACQUIRED: Signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela July 2006
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Fresno July 14 when OF Pat Burrell went on the DL
DEBUT: July 15 in a 6-1 win against the San Diego Padres: Pinch-hitting for P Sergio Romo in the ninth, he drew a walk.
NOTES:

The catching prospect parade continues in San Francisco as Buster Posey’s stint on the DL for the rest of the summer has forced some shuffles and some unexpected early promotions such as that of young Sanchez. He started the 2011 season at Advanced A San Jose where he was hitting .301 with eight homers and 46 RBI in 42 games, but the shuffle bumped him to Fresno and he kept pace with a .300 average in 27 more games. In 2010 at Class A Augusta he batted .274 with five home runs after spending his first three pro seasons in short and complex ball.