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<p>MOOSIC &#8212; Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders manager Al Pedrique has been named the International League&#8217;s manager for the July 12 Triple-A All-Star Game, the league announced on Thursday.</p><p>This is the second time Pedrique has managed an all-star team, last doing so when he was with Double-A Trenton. Fresno Grizzlies skipper Tony DeFrancesco will manage the Pacific Coast League&#8217;s team.</p><p>&#8220;Being recognized by the league president, the other clubs, managers and coaches, it&#8217;s an honor to be involved in the all-star game. First time at the Triple-A level,&#8221; Pedrique said. &#8220;Doing it at Triple-A, it&#8217;s going to be fun. I&#8217;m excited to have different players from different teams. Being selected by managers and coaches, it means a lot.&#8221;</p><p>Pedrique is the fifth Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager to lead the International League team, joining Marc Bombard (2000, 2003) and Dave Miley (2008, 2013).</p><p>Durham Bulls manager Jared Sandberg and Louisville Bats pitching coach Jeff Fassero will join Pedrique. Joining DeFrancesco are Las Vegas 51s hitting coach Jack Voigt and Nashville Sounds pitching coach Rick Rodriguez.</p><p><strong>Cessa to New York</strong></p><p>Luis Cessa was scratched from his start Thursday, and instead made his way to Oakland to join the New York Yankees.</p><p>With CC Sabathia placed on the disabled list Thursday afternoon, the Yankees will need a starter this weekend. Considering Cessa has been effective over his last three starts, the right-hander could be the man.</p><p>&#8220;When you&#8217;re thinking, &#8216;Oh, my gosh, I have an opportunity to pitch.&#8217; That&#8217;s not the way I think,&#8221; Cessa said Wednesday. &#8220;I just keep waiting for my opportunity and when they call me I&#8217;ll be ready.&#8221;</p><p>Since he was roughed up for five runs during a May 23 loss, Cessa has found himself over the last three weeks. The 25-year-old&#8217;s given up just five runs over the last 20 innings, including a eight-inning, two-run outing on June 3.</p><p>Cessa credits finding his changeup, which he&#8217;s now using earlier in games, to his recent success.</p><p>&#8220;I feel much better,&#8221; Cessa said. &#8220;I found my feeling again for all my pitches. I think it&#8217;s a good thing for me right now, like I&#8217;ve found all of my stuff and we&#8217;re continuing to work.&#8221;</p><p>Fellow right-hander Domingo German was also called back up to the bigs.</p><p><ins><strong>Bird seeing a doctor</strong></ins></p><p><ins>Greg Bird&#8217;s rehab with the RailRiders took a turn for the worst Thursday.</ins></p><p><ins>Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told Newsday that Bird called the team in the morning saying that his &#8220;leg wasn&#8217;t functioning right.&#8221; Bird returned to New York with a knee contusion.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;I don&#8217;t want to use frustrating,&#8221; Cashman said. &#8220;These are the facts. Look, everybody, including Greg Bird, want him doing what he was born to do, and that&#8217;s playing baseball.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;We&#8217;re pulling the plug and he&#8217;ll see Dr. Ahmad (on Friday).&#8221;</ins></p><p><ins>With the reason for the abrupt ending of Bird&#8217;s rehab categorized as a knee contusion, it&#8217;s important to remember that Bird fouled a ball off of his knee Sunday in Lehigh Valley. However, he said after the game that everything was fine.</ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;It kind of hit me in a funny spot, so that was the thing&#8221; Bird said Sunday. &#8220;Kind of like a dead leg or a Charlie horse there for a little bit. Once it wore off and got loose again it was good.&#8221;</ins></p><p><ins>Bird sported a .143 batting average in 21 at-bats with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Cessa </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_Luis-Cessa201761522831899.jpg</photo0><caption0>Cessa </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By DJ Eberle</p><p>djeberle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach DJ Eberle at 570-991-6398 or on Twitter @ByDJEberle</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Baby Bombers Watch: Al Pedrique named International League manager for Triple-A ASG