Ryan Lavarnway is beginning to heat up after a slow start. A highly-regarded catching prospect in the Boston system, Lavarnway, who played at Yale, is hitting .297 in May after an April in which he batted just .216 for the Double-A Portland (Maine) Sea Dogs of the Eastern League. He also flashed his trademark power, belting three homers with nine RBIs in his last 10 games. Lavarnway had 22 homers and 102 RBIs between Class A and Double-A last season.

Groton's Matt Harvey continues his assault on the Class A Florida State League. On Wednesday, he allowed one hit over 6.1 scoreless innings while striking out nine, though he got a no decision for the St. Lucie Mets. Harvey, the seventh overall pick of the Mets last June after a standout career, is 4-1 with a 1.10 ERA in six starts with 39 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.

At this point, you have to think Harvey's days in Florida are numbered. While Harvey is making his pro debut this spring, he's also 22 and dominating. A promotion to Double-A Binghamton (N.Y.) could come before the month is out -- sooner if the weather ever warms up and dries out around here.

Former Southern Connecticut State star Jim Fuller will miss the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Fuller, a LHP who set several school records in 2008, his lone season at SCSU, showed promise after the Mets took him in the 21st round that June. He is 11-5 with a 2.19 ERA in 24 career starts, advancing to advanced Class A St. Lucie (Fla.) last season.

Here's a link from the Reading (Pa.) Eagle earlier this week on New Haven's Josh Zeid, who tossed five hitless innings for the Reading Phillies in a win over Portland. Zeid was pulled from the game by Phillies manager Mark Parent after Zeid's back stiffened.

Zeid, a 10th-round pick of the Phillies out of Tulane in 2009, has been solid in five starts at Reading. He's 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA, and hasn't allowed a run in his last two starts.

Orange's Patrick McKenna is in just his third professional season since graduating from Bryant University, but has now played at every level of the minor leagues.

An infielder and 27th-round draft choice of the Detroit Tigers in 2009, McKenna was signed by the San Diego Padres as a free agent. He was assigned to Triple-A Tucson (Ariz.) of the Pacific Coast League to help with injuries and spent two weeks there, batting .176 (3-for-27), before being sent down to Double-A San Antonio of the Texas League this week.

Last summer, McKenna split time between the Tigers' Gulf Coast League affiliate and Class A Lakeland of the advanced Class A Florida State League.

Orange's Max Russell tossed seven scoreless innings on Tuesday to earn his second win of the season for the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Kernals of the Class A Midwest League. Russell (2-2) allowed two hits and walked one while striking out five to defeat Kane County. In six starts, he has a 3.48 ERA. Russell was a fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Angels last June.

Here's a link to an interview posted on the blog "TwinNation" with Naugatuck's Pat Dean, now a left-handed pitcher in the Minnesota Twins system. Dean, who played at Boston College, was a third-round pick last June.