Bowling Green Hot Rods catcher Brett Sullivan is the Midwest League offensive player of the week. (Photo by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler)

Bowling Green Hot Rods catcher Brett Sullivan and Quad Cities River Bandits RHP Jose Hernandez respectively were named the Midwest League offensive player and pitcher of the week for the period of June 13-19.

During that time, Sullivan batted .500 (13-for-26) with 11 runs batted in, nine runs scored, three doubles, two walks, and two stolen bases in six games. In 15 games this month, he is batting .361 with 15 RBI and 15 runs scored. He is batting .295 with 10 HR and 51 RBI in 56 games this season, and is on the Eastern Division roster for Tuesday’s Midwest League All-Star Game.

Hernandez made one start last week, and it was an impressive one. He struck out a career-high 12 batters while allowing only one hit and one walk in seven scoreless innings against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers last Tuesday. Overall this season, he is 0-2 with a 4.03 ERA, 55 strikeouts and 12 walks in 51.1 innings (12 games/nine starts).

Dodgers, Mariners swap ex-MWLers

The Los Angeles Dodgers traded RHP Zach Lee to the Seattle Mariners for infielder Chris Taylor on Sunday. Both played in the Midwest League.

Lee, a first-round draft pick in 2010, started his professional career as a pitcher for the Great Lakes Loons. He went 9-6 with a 3.47 ERA, 91 strikeouts and 32 walks in 109 innings. He made one major-league appearance last year.

Taylor played 12 games with the 2012 Clinton LumberKings, batting .304 (14-for-46) with 4 RBI and 4 SB. He made his major-league debut for the Mariners in 2014, and has batted .240 with 10 RBI and 8 SB in 86 MLB games.

Contreras homers in 1st MLB at-bat

Former Kane County Cougars catcher Willson Contreras homered in his first major-league plate appearance Sunday, becoming the first Chicago Cubs player to do so since former Peoria Chiefs outfielder Jorge Soler on Aug. 27, 2014. He made his MLB debut behind the plate Friday, but did not get an at-bat in that game.

Contreras batted .248 with 11 HR and 46 RBI in 86 games with the 2013 Cougars. His break-through season offensively was 2015, when he batted .333 with 8 HR and 75 RBI in 126 games with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. He batted .350 with 9 HR and 43 RBI in 54 games with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs this year before being called up to the majors.

Soler batted .338 with 3 HR and 15 RBI in 20 games with the 2012 Chiefs.