UPDATE:Cruising Bell encounters speed bump in recent loss

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes in minor league baseball.

Trevor Bell (Crescenta Valley, 2005) Cedar Rapids Kernels, starting pitcher: Bell didn't get much help behind him in his latest start, a 5-3 loss to Dayton on Thursday.

The Kernels committed four errors, leading to two runs, to drop their third straight contest to the Dragons.

Bell (4-3) allowed four runs, two of which were earned, on eight hits and finished with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of work to take the loss.

The loss was just the first setback in the right-hander's last 10 outings.

For the season, the former Falcon standout holds a 4.36 earned-run average in 66 innings pitched. He has made 13 starts and allowed 83 hits and 32 earned runs while striking out 57 batters and issuing only 15 walks.

The Kernels, a class-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, are currently in fourth place in the Midwest League with a second-half record of 13-14

Jason Botts (Glendale Community College, 2000) Oklahoma Red Hawks, outfielder: Botts and his hot bat will momentarily be shut down.

The outfielder was placed on the 7-day disabled list on Wednesday, a day after needing stitches from suffering a fractured tip of his right ring finger.

In the sixth inning of Tuesday's game, Botts was injured when a shallow pop fly grazed his finger while making a catch during his team's 7-1 win.

While the stay on the DL is only temporary, the Red Hawks will be without the services of one of the league's hottest hitters.

Currently, the former Vaquero leads the Pacific Coast League with a .436 on-base percentage and 75 walks. He ranks second in doubles with 34 and third in extra-base hits with 51, while batting .319 with a team-high 13 home runs and 74 runs batted in.

Oklahoma (49-49), an AAA-affiliate of the Texas Rangers, has won four consecutive games and is in third place in the PCL American South division.

Brandon Higelin (Crescenta Valley, 2001) Lake Elsinore Storm, relief pitcher: His latest appearance was one that Higelin might soon want to forget.

The left-hander pitched 2/3 of an inning and surrendered three earned runs on three hits while pitching in the late innings of the Storm's 6-5 victory against High Desert on Saturday.

The outing ballooned Higelin's ERA in his last 10 appearances to 8.68, during which he has no decisions in 9 innings pitched.

For the season, the former Falcon has made 28 appearances and holds a 5.82 ERA with 29 strikeouts.

Lake Elsinore, a class-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres has won 12 games in a row and still is in first place in the California League South division with a 20-10 second-half record.

Al Quintana (Glendale Community College, 2002) Dunedin Blue Jays, third baseman: Of late, Quintana has been getting regular at-bats and slowly is making the most of those opportunities.

The infielder had one of his better games of the season on July 14 when he went two for four with two RBIs and one run scored.

In his last 10 games, Quintana has a .257 average in 35 plate appearances with nine hits, one home run and four RBIs.

On the season, the righty is batting .248 with 12 RBIs for the Toronto Blue Jays class-A affiliate.

Dunedin (18-11 in the second half) is two games out of first place in the Florida State League West division.