The first week of September: It is a time that tries the soul of those who write up Major League debuts. Fortunately, there aren’t a whole lot of us. So apologies in advance to any players (or their families/loved ones) who feel they may have gotten short shrift in this column since, due to sheer volume, I’ve had to trim down some of my usual loquaciousness.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the 19 players who have, so far, made their big league debuts since rosters expanded to 40 on Sept. 1 (there will, of course, be many more coming, either from the guys who are already up but have not seen any action yet, or from the players who are still waiting for the call as the minor league regular — and post- — seasons end:

ANDREW CARIGNAN
RHP, Oakland Athletics
B/T: R/R H/W: 5-11/205 BORN: July 23, 1986
ACQUIRED: Selected in the fifth round of 2007 out of North Carolina
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Sacramento Sept. 1 when rosters expanded
DEBUT: Sept. 2 in a 9-2 win against the Seattle Mariners: The last of three pitchers, allowed one hit in an otherwise perfect shutout inning.
NOTES: After zooming up the prospect list in 2008 when he notched 28 saves and a 2.01 ERA between Advanced A Stockton and Double-A Midland, Carignan struggled through two-plus injury-riddled seasons, with arm trouble limiting him to just two games in 2009 before he underwent surgery in January 2010. On what was in essence a rehab assignment, his ERA rose to 6.27 in 30 games at Stockton that summer. This year, a stress fracture in his foot set him back the first few weeks but once unleashed he was back on a roll, combining between Stockton, Midland and Sacramento for a 1.85 ERA in 33 games, collecting eight saves and limiting hitters to a .181 average, fanning 46 in 39 innings.

EDUARDO ESCOBAR
SS, Chicago White Sox
B/T: B/R H/W: 5-8/160 BORN: Jan. 5, 1989
ACQUIRED: Signed as free agent out of Venezuela Jan. 28, 2006
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Charlotte Sept. 2 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 2 in an 8-1loss to the Detroit Tigers: A late-game defensive replacement for starting shortstop Alexei Ramirez, he singled and stayed in the game.
NOTES: Ranked the White Sox’ best defensive infielder coming into 2011, Escobar certainly lives up to his country’s history of fine, diminutive shortstops. He is no slouch with the bat either, bringing a .271 career average into the 2011 season, during which he hit .266 with four homers, 49 RBI and 13 steals at Charlotte.

NICK HAGADONE
LHP, Cleveland Indians
B/T: L/L H/W: 6-5/230 BORN: Jan. 1, 1986
ACQUIRED: Via trade from the Boston Red Sox with P Justin Masterson for C Victor Martinez on July 31, 2009
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Columbus Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 1 in a 7-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics: The second of three pitchers, he allowed three runs on two hits in 1 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out one while throwing one wild pitch. Of three inherited runners, one scored.
NOTES: Just a few days after spending three days in the big leagues, during which he did not pitch, Hagadone was summoned again and got right into action. Originally a supplemental first-round pick by the Red Sox in 2007 out of the University of Washington, Hagadone has made a fine comeback from Tommy John surgery, which cost him most of 2008. The Sandpoint, Idaho, native combined in his 2010 first full season with the Indians, between Advanced A Kinston (2.39) and Double-A Akron (4.50) for 89 strikeouts in 86 innings. At Columbus this season, after coming up from Akron where he had a 1.59 ERA, he posted a 3.135 ERA to give him a combined 2.79 ERA in 46 games out of the pen and 77 strikeouts in 71 innings, limiting hitters to a .212 average.

KYLE HUDSON
OF, Baltimore Orioles
B/T: L/L H/W: 5-11/175 BORN: Jan. 7, 1987
ACQUIRED: Selected in the fourth round of 2008 out of the University of Illinois
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Norfolk Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 4 in an 8-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays: The starting left fielder, he batted eighth and went 0-for-3.
NOTES: One of the top speed threats in the system, Hudson zoomed his way through three levels this season, hitting a combined .296 between Advanced A Frederick, Double-A Bowie and Norfolk, swiping 41 bases on the way to his debut. In 2010, at Frederick, he hit .260 with 40 steals.

COREY KLUBER
RHP, Cleveland Indians
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-4/215 BORN: April 10, 1986
ACQUIRED: Via trade from the San Diego Padres July 31, 2010, as part of a three-team multi-player trade that also included the St. Louis Cardinals and saw, among others, P Jake Westbrook and OF Ryan Ludwick change uniforms.
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Columbus Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 1 in a 7-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics: The last of three pitchers, he gave up two hits in 1 1/3 innings and while he did not allow any runs, he inherited a bases-loaded situation and all three runs scored. He walked one and fanned two.
NOTES: Originally drafted by the Padres in the fourth round of 2007 out of Stetson University, Kluber was leading the Double-A Texas League in strikeouts with 136 in 123 innings at San Antonio in 2010, with a 3.45 ERA in 22 starts, before being dealt to the Indians. He finished up the season at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, and this season was 7-10 with a 5.65 ERA in 26 starts at Columbus, fanning 140 in 146 2/3 innings while walking 67. He uses a deceptive delivery to find success with his fastball, slider and changeup.

SHANE LINDSAY
RHP, Chicago White Sox
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-1/205 BORN: Jan. 25, 1985
ACQUIRED: Signed as a minor league free agent Jan. 9, 2011
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Charlotte Sept. 2 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 2 in an 8-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers: The last of three pitchers, he tossed one hitless shutout inning, walking one and striking out one.
NOTES: The Australian native originally signed with the Colorado Rockies in August 2003 and enjoyed his best season at short-season Tri-City in 2005 when he posted a 6-1 record and 1.89 ERA in 13 starts, striking out 107 in 67 innings while limiting hitters to a .163 average, earning MILB.com’s Short-Season Pitcher of the Year honors. He came up through that system as a top prospect but injuries derailed his promise for awhile, as he went through waivers to the Yankees and the Indians in 2010 before being signed by the White Sox this past winter. During his six active seasons coming into 2011, he combined for a 3.65 ERA in 119 games, 42 of them starts. He missed all of 2007 with injury but was back in big form this year with a 1.98 ERA in 45 games out of the pen for Charlotte and, combined with a few games at Double-A Birmingham, compiled a 2.18 ERA and struck out 90 batters in 70 1/3 innings, limiting hitters to a .137 average en route to International League All-Star honors.

Here’s a link to the GotMiLB interview I did with Lindsay back in 2008 while he was a member of the Arizona Fall League championship staff of the Phoenix Desert Dogs.

http://gotmilb.mlblogs.com/2008/11/21/beyond-the-boxscore-getting-to-know-rockies-pitcher-shane-lindsay/

This photo, taken by Erica Brooks of Issues Concerning Athletes, features him with his then-Colorado Phoenix teammates, L-R:IF Chris Nelson, P David Patton, C Mike McKenry, OF Eric Young Jr., Lindsay.



MARTIN MALDONADO
C, Milwaukee Brewers
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-1/210 BORN: Aug. 16, 1986
ACQUIRED: Signed as a minor league free agent in January 2007.
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Nashville Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 3 in an 8-2 win against the Houston Astros: A late-game defensive replacement for starter George Kottaras, who became the first major league this season to hit for the cycle, Maldonado did not have an at-bat.
NOTES: Originally drafted in the 27th round of 2004 by the Los Angeles Angels out of high school in Puerto Rico, he was released by the club in Janjary 2007 and snatched up by the Brewers two weeks later. Maldonado is the best “catch-and-throw” catcher in the system and arguably one of the best in the minors. With just a .225 average coming into the 2011 season, his offense kept him from making it up until his eighth pro season but has been coming around in the last few years. In 2010 at three levels, he combined for nine homers, two more than he’d hit in six years prior, and this year between Double-A Huntsville and Nashville he hit .287 with 11 homers and 59 RBI. He is a member of the Puerto Rican national team and his defense alone should make him a candidate to be a team’s backup catcher in the big leagues.

LUIS MARTE
RHP, Detroit Tigers
B/T: R/R H/W: 5-11/170 BORN: Aug. 26, 1986
ACQUIRED: Signed as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic Nov. 16, 2005.
PROMOTED: Recalled from Double-A Erie Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 1 in an 11-8 win against the Kansas City Royals: The fourth of five pitchers, he allowed two hits in two-thirds of an inning. He inherited two runners, both of whom scored, but did not give up any runs of his own. He walked one.
NOTES: Marte, who has spent most of his last four seasons at Erie, brought a combined 3.39 ERA into the 2011 campaign, moving from starter to reliever in 2010. At Erie this past summer, he was 3-0 with a 1.70 ERA in 23 games prior to his promotion, fanning 68 in 53 innings while walking 18 for a .158 average against.

LEONYS MARTIN
OF, Texas Rangers
B/T: L/R H/W: 6-1/180BORN: March 6, 1988
ACQUIRED: Signed as a free agent out of Cuba in May 2011
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Round Rock Aug. 30 when OF Nelson Cruz went on the DL.
DEBUT: Sept. 2 in a 10-0 win against the Boston Red Sox: Pinch-hitting for CF Josh Hamilton, he singled in the eighth inning and remained in the game in center.
NOTES: A top high-profile international sign this spring when he defected from his native Cuba, Martin had combined for a .295 average at three levels in his stateside debut, with four homers, 42 RBI and 19 steals. He earned mid-season Texas League All-Star laurels hitting .348 while at Frisco. A speedy left-handed hitter, Martin signed a five-year big league deal with the Rangers this spring worth $15.5 million.

DEVIN MESORACO
C, Cincinnati Reds
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-1/220 BORN: June 19, 1988
ACQUIRED: Selected in the first round (15th overall) of 2007 out of high school in Punxsatawney, Pa.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Louisville Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 3 in a 6-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals: Pinch-hitting for reliever Same Lecure in the seventh inning, he doubled.
NOTES: One of top prospects in the organization, the power-hitting Mesoraco saw his ascent slowed slightly by an assortment of hand injuries but his offense came around over the last two seasons. He was hitting .289 with 15 homers, 71 RBI and 36 doubles for the Bats with a .484 slugging percentage. In 2010 he batted .335 at Advanced A Lunchburg, .294 at Double-A Carolina and .231 at Louisville, combining between the three stops for 26 homers and 75 RBI.

TOM MILONE
LHP, Washington Nationals
B/T: L/L H/W: 6-1/205 BORN: Feb. 16, 1987
ACQUIRED: Selected in the 10th round of 2008 out of Southern Cal.
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Syracuse Sept. 3 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 3 in an 8-7 win against the New York Mets: The starting pitcher, he did not get a decision, allowing four runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out two without walking a batter. He gave up a homer to Nick Evans but, more memorably, he also homered off Mets starter Dillon Gee on the first pitch he saw in the majors, a three-run shot.
NOTES: Milone’s hot bat was no surprise since he was hitting .346 in 26 at-bats at Syracuse before his promotion. One of the Nationals most successful pitchers statistically since being drafted, he was 12-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 24 games at Syracuse before his promotion, with 155 strikeouts against just 16 walks in 148 1/3 innings. In 2010 at Double-A Harrisburg he was 12-5 with a 2.85 ERA to earn the Nats’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors, walking just 23 while fanning 155 in 158 innings after going 12-5 with a 2.91 ERA and 106 strikeouts versus 36 walks in 151 innings at Advanced A Potomac in his full-season debut. No wonder that Baseball America tabbed him as the best control artist in the system. He has command of an array of solid if not outstanding stuff, including a changeup, cutter and curveball which offset his lack of heat.

JESUS MONTERO
C, New York Yankees
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-3/235 BORN: Nov. 28, 1989
ACQUIRED: Signed as a free agent out of Venezuela Oct. 17, 1986
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 1 in a 4-2 win against the Boston Red Sox: The starting DH, he batted seventh and went 0-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout.
NOTES: If you listen to some bloggers and fan forum posters, there is little difference between this Jesus and the more famous one when it comes to being the second coming and future savior for Yankee fans. And his numbers almost bear out those expectations. Arguably the top power-hitting prospect in the system, the two-time Futures Game participant hit .288 with 18 home runs with 67 RBI for Scranton this summer. In 2010 at Scranton he batted .289 with 21 homers and 75 RBI, coming off an eye-opening campaign in 2009 when he hit .356 at Advanced A Tampa and .317 at Double-A Trenton, combining for 17 home runs and 70 RBI. He brought a .314 career average in to 2011 and while he’s definitely an offensive-minded catcher (he led the International League in 2010 with 11 passed balls and only threw out 23 percent of opposing baserunners), he profiles as a more-than-serviceable DH and at least part-time catcher.

JEREMY MOORE
OF, Los Angeles Angels
B/T: L/R H/W: 6-1/190 BORN: June 29, 1987
ACQUIRED: Selected in the sixth round of 2005 out of high school in Vivian, La.
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 2 in a 13-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins: Pinch-hitting for RF Torii Hunter, he flew out in the eighth inning and remained in the game in right field.
NOTES: It seems fitting that in his debut, Moore pinch-hit for the man who has been his mentor and closest friend, Torii Hunter (see this fantastic article about Moore and Hunter by Mike DiGiovanna in Saturday’s Los Angeles Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/03/sports/la-sp-0904-angels-fyi-20110904). The multi-talented Moore, one of the finest athletes in the organization, capped his fourth consecutive season of posting double-figures in triples when he hit .298 with 15 homers, 66 RBI, 21 steals and 18 triples for the Bees this summer. He’d collected 10 triples at Double-A Arkansas last summer, hitting .303 with 13 homers, 61 RBI and 24 steals, as well as 13 triples in 2009 and 12 in 2008. A four-sport athlete at in high school in Louisiana (the usual three as well as track-and-field), he brings a little bit of everything to the table.

EFREN NAVARRO
1B, Los Angeles Angels
B/T: L/L H/W: 6-0/200 BORN: May 14, 1986
ACQUIRED: Selected in the 50th round of 2007 out of UNLV
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Salt Lake Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 2 in a 13-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins: Pinch-hitting for Mark Trumbo in the eighth inning, he flied out and remained in the game at first base.
NOTES: One of the rare 50th-rounders to make it to the big leagues, Navarro was hitting .317 with 12 homers, 73 RBI and 36 doubles when promoted, by far his best season at the plate. He had a .528 average in his last 10 games before his callup. After batting .267 with six homers and 50 RBI at Double-A Arkansas in 2010 and .287 with five homers and 61 RBI at Advanced A Rancho Cucamonga in 2009, this proved to be a huge breakthrough season.

ADDISON REED
RHP, Chicago White Sox
B/T: L/R H/W: 6-4/215 BORN: Dec. 27, 1988
ACQUIRED: Selected in the third round of 2010 out of San Diego State
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Charlotte Sept. 2 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 4 in an 18-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers: The second of five pitchers, he allowed one run on four hits over 1 2/3 innings, striking out three without walking a batter.
NOTES: Reed, whose name begs for a Gin Blossoms song to accompany him on his trips to the mound, has had as meteoric and dominating a rise to the big leagues in just over a year as anyone in recent memory. The closer to Stephen Strasburg at San Diego State prior to 2009 before taking over the prime spot in the rotation. In his pro debut in 2010, he posted a 1-0 record and 1.80 ERA in 13 games, two of them starts, at short-season Great Falls, walking just six while fanning 44 in 30 innings and limiting hitters to a .162 average. He continued that dominance this season, making four stops — Class A Kannapolis, Advanced-A Winston-Salem, Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte — to combine for a 1.26 ERA in 43 games out of the pen, fanning 111 in 78 1/3 innings while walking just 14 and limiting hitters to .157 average. He throws a plus fastball in the low-mid 90s with a plus slider and great makeup.

ANTOAN RICHARDSON
OF, Atlanta Braves
B/T: B/R H/W: 5-8/165 BORN: Oct. 8, 1983
ACQUIRED: Signed as a minor league free agent in May 2010
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Gwinnett Sept. 4 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 4 in a 4-3 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers: Pinch-hitting for starting pitcher Randall Delgado, he singled to center field on the first pitch he saw in the fifth inning.
NOTES: The speedy native of the Bahamas, who moved to Florida with his family in high school to pursue a baseball career, Richardson received his degree in engineering from Vanderbilt University and was drafted by San Francisco in the 35th round of 2005. He dominated on the basepaths during his time with the Giants, stealing 40 bases in short-season Arizona League in his debut, 66 more at Class A Augusta in 2006 and 43 at Advanced A San Jose in 2007 as well as 33 with Double-A Connecticut in 2009 but was released that summer and played independent league ball for awhile before Atlanta came calling in the spring of 2010. With Double-A Mississippi and Gwinnett this season he hit a combined .284 with 17 steals in 93 games.

Here is a feature I wrote about Richardson back in the summer of 2007, which will tell you more about one of my favorite unsung players in the game: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070718&content_id=276245&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

JOSH SATIN
2B, New York Mets
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-2/200 BORN: Dec. 12, 1984
ACQUIRED: Selected in the sixth round of 2008 out of California
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Buffalo Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 4 in a 6-3 win against the Washington Nationals: The starting first baseman, he batted seventh and went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a strikeout.
NOTES: Satin earned the callup as he hit a combined .323 with 12 homers and 76 RBI between Double-A Binghamton and Buffalo this season. In 2010, he cruised through the system with a .316 average at Advanced A St. Lucie and a .308 at Binghamton, combining between the two stops for 12 homers and 74 RBI.

LOGAN SCHAFER
OF, Milwaukee Brewers
B/T: L/L H/W: 6-1/180 BORN: Sept. 8, 1986
ACQUIRED: Selected in the third round of 2008 out of Cal Poly
PROMOTED: Contract purchased from Triple-A Nashville Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 2 in an 8-2 win against the Houston Astros: Pinch-running for Taylor Green, he scored a run but did not have an at-bat.
NOTES: The 2009 Florida State League batting champion when he hit .313 with six homers, 58 RBI and 16 steals at Advanced A Brevard County, Schafer missed virtually all of 2010 with a sports hernia but his comeback in 2011 earned him the callup as he came back in full swing, playing at three levels — Brevard, Double-A Huntsville and Nashville — and combined for a .315 average, five homers, 43 RBI and 16 steals in 99 games. A fine athlete, Baseball America ranked him the system’s best defensive outfielder coming into 2011.

JOSH STINSON
RHP, New York Mets
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-4/205 BORN: March 14, 1988
ACQUIRED: Selected in the 37th round of 2006 out of high school in Shreveport, La.
PROMOTED: Recalled from Double-A Binghamton Sept. 1 when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 2 in a 7-3 win against the Washington Nationals: The fourth of five pitchers, he allowed two hits in 1 2/3 shutout innings, striking out two.
NOTES: One of two Shreveport-area natives to make his debut this week, along with Angels OF Jeremy Moore, Stinson struggled in his early season goings at Triple-A Buffalo with a 3-7 record and 7.44 ERA but turned it around at Binghamton with a 4-3 record and 3.99 ERA in the bullpen. He brought a 3.77 ERA over five years into the 2011 season, working both as a starter and reliever. In 2010 he had a 4.24 ERA for the Binghamton club as well as a 2.57 in four games at Triple-A Buffalo.

MICHAEL TAYLOR
OF, Oakland Athletics
B/T: R/R H/W: 6-5/255 BORN: Dec. 19, 1985
ACQUIRED: Via trade from the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies on Dec. 16, 2009. Part of the deal that brought Roy Halladay to the Phillies in a three-team trade among the Phillies, Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, he was then dealt to Oakland by the Jays for 1B Brett Wallace. Confusing, yes.
PROMOTED: Recalled from Triple-A Sacramento when rosters expanded.
DEBUT: Sept. 2 in a 9-2 win against the Seattle Mariners: The starting right fielder, he batted ninth and went 0-for-3 with a walk and an error.
NOTES: Originally drafted by the Phillies in the fifth round of 2007 out of Stanford, Taylor became the 10th active Cardinal alumni in the big leagues, the most of any college/university. A multi-talented athlete who has not yet shown the massive power expected of him, he got off to a slow start in 2010 after the deal due to shoulder problems and finished with a .272 average with just six homers, 78 RBI and 16 steals in 2010. This summer at Sacramento, he hit .272 with 16 homers, 64 RBI and 14 steals.