While it appeared that Andrew Miller was nearing the end of his rehab assignment, the left-hander had a forgettable day that may have delayed his timetable. Meanwhile, Will Middlebrooks is doing plenty to validate the sense that he is, in fact, the top prospect in the Red Sox farm system. And Juan Carlos Linares, off to a tremendous start in Double-A, suffered an injury that forced him out of Sunday’s game.

TRIPLE-A PAWTUCKET RED SOX: 10-9 LOSS AT BUFFALO (METS)

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– Andrew Miller had command issues in his latest rehab appearance, walking each of the first three batters he faced and giving up a bases-loaded single before striking out a right-handed hitter for his only out of the day. He was lifted, but saw all three runners he left on base score on a grand slam allowed by Tony Pena. At one stretch, Miller threw balls on 11 of 12 pitches, and he ended up logging 29 pitches in the outing. He was slated to pitch for the second time in as many games on Monday, but it remains to be seen whether he will do so in light of his poor results and high pitch count.

– Third baseman Will Middlebrooks has three straight multi-hit games, going 6-for-13 with two homers, a double and eight runs batted in during the brief stretch. For the year, he is hitting .364/.378/.636/1.014 with three homers and 11 RBI (tied for the league lead) in 11 games.

DOUBLE-A PORTLAND SEA DOGS: 9-2 LOSS VS. BINGHAMTON (METS)

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– Juan Carlos Linares has now reached base in all 11 contests of the season after going 1-for-2 with a single, but more significantly, he left the game after four innings when he suffered a right leg injury while sliding into second base, nearly a year after he suffered season-ending torn ligaments to his ankle. However, Kevin Thomas of the Portland Press-Herald reports that Linares left the field under his own power, and that the initial diagnosis was tightness in his right hamstring. To date, Linares is hitting .415/.489/.707/1.197.

– Starter Chris Balcom-Miller lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing as many runs (5) as he recorded outs. He allowed five hits — all singles — and walked three while striking out two. Entering the game, he’d allowed only six hits in 11 innings this year.

– With tax returns due in Maine on April 17th, the Sea Dogs will embrace the notion that the only guarantees in life are death and taxes by allowing fans at the game to enter a raffle for a tombstone. Who knew that minor league baseball offered a stage for the macabre? Details here.

HIGH-A SALEM RED SOX: 3-1 WIN VS. MYRTLE BEACH (RANGERS)

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– Center fielder Felix Sanchez, who led Red Sox minor leaguers in 2011 with 55 stolen bases, got his first bag of 2012 on Sunday, while also collecting his first extra-base hit of the season (a double) in four games.

– Left-hander Manny Rivera bounced back well after giving up five runs and recording just two outs in his first start of the year. The 22-year-old allowed just one unearned run while scattering five hits (all singles) and walking two in six innings. Rivera struck out a pair. Signed for just $25,000 in 2006 when he was rail-thin, Rivera doesn’t have eye-popping stuff but he’s a left-hander who throws strikes with an interesting mix of pitches. In 2011, he had the lowest batting average against (.229) of Sox minor leaguers while punching out 8.1 batters per nine innings, earning South Atlantic League All-Star honors. While he doesn’t profile as a typical prospect, he does show an ability to mix pitches, throw strikes and throw with a hand other than his right.

SINGLE-A GREENVILLE DRIVE: 9-6 LOSS AT WEST VIRGINIA (PIRATES)

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– Third baseman David Renfroe continued his strong start with a two-run home run. He is hitting .355/.429/.710/1.138.

– Boss Moanaroa filled up the box score. The 20-year-old Australian first baseman reached base in all four plate appearances, going 3-for-3 (all singles) with a walk, while also committing a pair of fielding errors. On the season, he is hitting .280 with a .424 OBP and .824 OPS.

– Center fielder Cody Koback, a 2011 10th-round pick whom the Sox liked for his across-the-board raw tools and athleticism, hit his home run of the season on Sunday.

LINKS

– Bad news for Pete Hissey, the very athletic center fielder who looked very good this year in spring training. According to Kevin Thomas of the Portland Press-Herald, Hissey suffered a fractured hand when hit by a pitch on Friday, and he’ll be out for six to eight weeks.

– SoxProspects.com has the daily Cup of Coffee.