A scouting report of the affiliated minor league baseball landscape just over two weeks into the 2006 professional season finds 10 players with Maine ties toiling in the minors.

Among them are eight Maine natives, three of whom played for Bangor-based teams. Two of those are currently at the top level of the minor league hierarchy and one has already been in the majors.

Bangor native and former Bangor High and Bangor American Legion star Matt Kinney is trying to get back to the big leagues after appearing in five games with San Francisco last season. The 29-year-old righthander is a member of the starting pitching rotation for the Fresno Grizzlies, the San Francisco Giants’ Triple A (Pacific Coast League) affiliate.

The 6-foot-5, 228-pound Kinney was 1-2 after four starts through Sunday with a 6.75 ERA. He has allowed 27 hits and seven walks in 20 innings while notching 11 strikeouts. The sixth-round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox in 1995 signed a free agent contract with San Francisco last winter.

Native Floridian Josh Pressley, who summered in Bangor and was a standout American Legion player for the Bangor Comrades, is currently struggling with the Pawtucket Red Sox, Boston’s Triple A team. The 26-year-old first baseman/designated hitter was hitting just .050 through Sunday with one single in 20 at-bats over seven games. Last season, the 6-6, 239-pound Pressley was a Texas League All-Star en route to hitting 22 home runs for 88 RBIs.

Camden’s Mike MacDonald, a former Camden-Rockport High and University of Maine star pitcher, will presumably have a chance to show off in front of a true home crowd this season as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays’ Double A Eastern League affiliate in Manchester, N.H. The New Hampshire Fisher Cats play in the same league as the Portland Sea Dogs and will play 13 games at Hadlock Field in Portland.

The 24-year-old MacDonald is 1-1 through his first four starts with a 6.39 ERA. The 6-1, 185-pound 15th round draft pick (447th overall) in 2004 picked up his first win of the season Sunday. He’s allowed 17 hits, but just one walk while striking out 10 batters in 12 2/3 innings.

Orrs Island native Mark Rogers, the 44th-ranked prospect in the minors by Baseball America and Milwaukee’s No. 2-rated prospect, is 0-1 with a 9.88 ERA for the Single A Brevard County Manatees. He has 20 strikeouts and 12 walks in 13 2/3 innings, but has given up 23 hits. The former Mount Ararat High School of Topsham student was drafted fifth overall by the Brewers last year.

Former UMaine standout pitcher Rusty Tucker, a 21st round pick in the 2001 draft by San Diego who was claimed off waivers from the Padres Feb. 15 by the Chicago White Sox, is playing for the Double A Birmingham Barons.

The 25-year-old Tucker, who was San Diego’s top closer prospect, is 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA in five games with no saves. He has eight strikeouts and four walks in 8 1/3 innings.

Fellow UMaine standout Simon Williams of Portland is in his second season of Class A ball with the St. Louis Cardinals’ Palm Beach Cardinals. He is currently batting .208 with two home runs and two RBIs.

Chelsea’s Greg Creek, yet another UMaine star, is batting .171 with two RBIs for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

The rest of the Maine-connected contingent includes Monmouth’s Thomas “Tip” Fairchild (1-1 with a 3.60 ERA, 13 strikeouts, 4 walks, 20 innings for Houston Astros Class A affiliate Lexington Legends) and Otisfield’s Eric Cavers (batting .167 with two doubles and one RBI also for Lexington).