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 03/19/2015 MLB Note - New York Yankees Teixeira, Mark
1B Mark Teixeira had three hits in spring training through March 16,
all singles. On March 17, Teixeira homered from the left side of the
plate in the fourth inning against Toronto RHP Drew Hutchison. The
next day, he hit a double, leaving him with a .196 average in
Grapefruit League play.
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Ellsbury, Jacoby
CF Jacoby Ellsbury is questionable for the start of the regular
season due to an oblique injury. After an MRI exam March 18 found a
low-grade strain, the Yankees shut down Ellsbury from baseball
activities for seven days. That would leave him a week and a half to
get ready for Opening Day, April 6 against the visiting Toronto Blue
Jays. On March 17, manager Joe Girardi termed Ellsbury's injury
nothing to be worried about, but the MRI changed the team's view.
Ellsbury, 28, was hitting .222 with one RBI in nine games this
spring.
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Rodriguez, Alex
DH/3B Alex Rodriguez made another appearance at third base March 17
and played six innings. He fielded one ground ball and recorded a
put out on a stolen-base attempt. As for any plans of him playing
first base, manager Joe Girardi said he might make a decision in the
next week or so.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Wieters, Matt
C Matt Wieters made his first appearance behind the plate March 17,
catching six innings against the Twins. But the team said March 18
he won't catch for a week due to elbow tendinitis. Wieters is
recovering from Tommy John surgery last June and hoping to be ready
for Opening Day.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Jimenez, Ubaldo
RHP Ubaldo Jimenez earned his first win of the spring in a 3-2
victory over the Twins on March 18. He gave up two runs on five hits
in four innings plus three batters, striking out four with just one
walk.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Paredes, Jimmy
INF Jimmy Paredes occasionally gave the Orioles a boost with his bat
after being acquired in the latter half of 2014. He's doing it again
in spring training, batting .478 (11-for-23) with one homer and nine
RBIs so far, including a two-run triple in a game with the Twins on
March 17.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Ogando, Alexi
RHP Alexi Ogando, signed for $1.5 million plus incentives after
being cut loose by the Texas Rangers after an injury plagued 2014,
has already made a major impression. "I've felt he has a chance to
impact our team as much as anyone coming out of spring training, and
that view hasn't changed," manager John Farrell said March 16.
Speaking further about Ogando, a 2011 All-Star as a starter, Farrell
said, "Ogando's breaking ball and his ability to throw down and away
and attack really good right-handed hitters, he sets himself apart
from the guys in our bullpen."
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Wright, Steven
RHP Steven Wright and his knuckleball remained an option to fill in
if something happens in the rotation. "Steven Wright is a guy that
in my mind gives us a lot of comfort," manager John Farrell said.
"As that knuckleball has come along, he's thrown a lot more strikes.
He's got the ability to give a contrast of styles. So we feel like
the depth starters that project to be in Pawtucket give us is what
we're looking for." Wright, of course, is getting tutelage from
former Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Ortiz, David
DH David Ortiz was out of the lineup briefly with general soreness
caused by dehydration. "I'm old, man," Ortiz said. "Old men got to
take it easy, this is the hottest spring training in a while." Ortiz
has proved in the past he doesn't need much, if any, spring training
to hit right out of the game.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Kelly, Joe
RHP Joe Kelly left his March 16 start with tightness in his right
biceps, something he experienced last spring and something he wasn't
worried about. "Something we looked over in the training room," he
said. "Everything checked out. A little biceps restriction. It's
something we're going to work on and try to let it settle down a
little bit, then continue on throwing." Kelly, slotted in as the No.
5 starter, missed almost three months with a hamstring injury last
season.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Vazquez, Christian
C Christian Vazquez was sidelined with what was being called a minor
elbow problem. "With almost three weeks still remaining in camp,
(we) don't want to push this by any means, and (we'll) give it a
chance to calm down," manager John Farrell said.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Castillo, Rusney
CF Rusney Castillo, out since before the start of spring games with
a strained left oblique, had been slated to return to the lineup
March 18, but the club decided to have him pile up extra at-bats at
the training base. He went through a full workout March 17,
including throwing to bases.
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Bailey, Andrew
RHP Andrew Bailey allowed an unearned run and two hits in one inning
March 18 during his first appearance in a game setting since July
12, 2013. He was sidelined 20 months due to shoulder surgery. Bailey
spent all of last year rehabbing from the injury, and he re-signed
with the Yankees in the offseason., "We got the first step out of
the way," Bailey said, according to the Journal News. "Now the next
step is to see how it feels, see how it responds and get out there
again."
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Ryan, Brendan
INF Brendan Ryan, who had not played in exhibition games due to a
mid-back strain caused by weightlifting, could make his spring
training debut March 20. He participated in full drills March 17. To
compensate for missing at-bats, Ryan likely will get extra at-bats
at the team's minor league complex.
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Eovaldi, Nathan
RHP Nathan Eovaldi continued pitching well March 15. After fanning
out five hitters in three innings against Tampa Bay on March 9,
Eovaldi struck out three and threw 38 of 45 pitches for strikes
against the Phillies. Eovaldi has a career strikeout rate of 6.3 per
nine innings, and he is focusing on elevating fastballs to increase
that figure this season. "I take pride in trying to get better. You
don't want to stay the same," Eovaldi said. "Being able to elevate
the ball is one thing I struggled with last year."
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MLB Note - Tampa Bay Rays Cabrera, Asdrubal
SS Asdrubal Cabrera will begin the season as the starting shortstop.
When the Rays signed Cabrera as a free agent in the offseason, they
hedged on his position by saying he would start at one of the two
middle-infield spots. However, manager Kevin Cash says Cabrera has
shown this spring that he still has the range necessary to play
shortstop.
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MLB Note - Tampa Bay Rays Souza, Steven
OF Steven Souza remains the favorite to open the season as the
everyday right fielder despite a subpar performance in the
Grapefruit League so far. The rookie, who was acquired from
Washington in an offseason trade, has gone 3-for-24 (.124) with
eight strikeouts.
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MLB Note - Tampa Bay Rays Mahtook, Mikie
OF Mikie Mahtook is losing ground in his bid to be the
right-handed-hitting half of a platoon with OF Kevin Kiermaier in
center field. Mahtook, a rookie, has gone 1-for-14 with seven
strikeouts during exhibition play.
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MLB Note - Tampa Bay Rays Guyer, Brandon
OF Brandon Guyer returned to action March 18 and went 1-for-2
against Toronto in an exhibition game after being out for 13 days
with a strained left oblique muscle. Guyer had played in only one
other game this spring. He is out of minor league options and likely
be the right-handed-hitting half of a platoon in center field with
OF Kevin Kiermaier.
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MLB Note - Tampa Bay Rays McGee, Jake
LHP Jake McGee has progressed to throwing off a mound in his rehab
from arthroscopic left elbow surgery that was performed in December.
McGee will begin the season on the disabled list but could be ready
to return by May 1.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Cecil, Brett
LHP Brett Cecil (inflamed left shoulder) could be ready to appear in
a minor league game March 21. He threw from a mound on March 14 and
threw bullpens March 15 and 18 to set him up for his first game
action since an intrasquad appearance on March 2. He threw batting
practice against OF Kevin Pillar on March 18. "Everything feels
great, I threw all my pitches," Cecil said after the outing.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Santiago, Ramon
INF Ramon Santiago (fractured left collarbone) was making a strong
bid for a spot on the Opening Day roster before he was injured on a
diving catch to end the first inning while playing second base in
the 10-5 win March 15 over the Atlanta Braves. The Blue Jays have an
opening at second base with INF Maicer Izturis the front-runner and
INF Ryan Goins and INF Devon Travis also among the candidates. With
Santiago's injury, Goins appears to be the leading candidate as the
utility infielder.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Encarnacion, Edwin
1B Edwin Encarnacion (back) missed the week of March 9 with a sore
back but was expected to resume hitting drills at some time during
the week of March 16. He was still considered to be on target to
play Opening Day. "Because it happened at the beginning of spring
training, he's going to be able to get into game shape," GM Alex
Anthopoulos said.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Hoffman, Jeff
RHP Jeff Hoffman (elbow surgery) threw his first live batting
practice on March 17 for the next step on his recovery from Tommy
John surgery, which was performed on May 14, 2014. Hoffman was
drafted in the first round (ninth overall) from East Carolina a few
weeks later despite the surgery. Before the injury he was projected
to be the first to fourth player overall to be taken in the draft.
He hopes to be ready for his first professional action about one
year after the surgery. "I hope, and expect, to be assigned to a
team and make my first start at my one-year mark, which is May 14,"
Hoffman said "Pending any setbacks. ... I think it will be right
around that time."
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Jenkins, Chad
RHP Chad Jenkins is a bullpen candidate despite being a starter for
most of his career. In addition to pithing in relief at the major
league level, he made three spot starts in 2012 and three more in
2013 for the Blue Jays who made him a first-round draft pick (20th
overall) in 2009. Jenkins, who has a good sinker and was used only
in relief at the major league level in 2014, is working on a cutter
to help him against left-handed batters. He hit a left-handed hitter
with the first one he used in a spring training game on March 14 but
came back to use the cutter twice more in the inning, using it to
move a left-handed hitter back to set him up for the sinker away.
"That was the desired effect I was looking for," said Jenkins who
picked up the save in the 1-0 win over the New York Yankees. "I've
played around with the cutter before but I've never used it a lot in
games. I work on it in sides and such. It's a fairly new pitch, I
guess I just have to be comfortable enough to throw it."
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MLB Note - Miami Marlins Yelich, Christian
LF Christian Yelich and the Marlins agreed to a seven-year, $49.5
million contract, multiple media outlets reported March 18. The deal
reportedly features a team option for an eighth season. In Yelich's
first full season in the major leagues in 2014, he batted .284 with
nine home runs and 54 RBIs with 21 stolen bases in 144 games. The
23-year-old also won a Gold Glove. A 2010 first-round draft pick,
Yelich broke into the majors in 2013 and hit .288 with four homers
and 16 RBIs in 62 games that season. Yelich's current contract is
for the major league minimum, and he isn't scheduled to be eligible
for salary arbitration until 2017.
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MLB Note - Colorado Rockies Kendrick, Kyle
RHP Kyle Kendrick is moving to the front of the rotation one month
after signing with the Rockies. Kendrick will draw the Opening Day
start April 6 against the Brewers in Milwaukee, the team announced
Wednesday.
Kendrick signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Rockies on
Feb. 4. The 30-year-old veteran went 10-13 with a 4.61 ERA in 32
starts for the Philadelphia Phillies last year, nearly identical to
his 10-13, 4.70 ERA mark in 30 starts the season before.
Over eight major league seasons, all with Philadelphia, Kendrick has
a 74-68 record with a 4.42 ERA in 226 games (185 starts). He has
never made an Opening Day start.
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MLB Note - Colorado Rockies De La Rosa, Jorge
LHP Jorge De La Rosa, the winningest pitcher in Coors Field history,
will start the Rockies' home opener April 10 against the Chicago
Cubs, but he won't pitch the season opener at Milwaukee.
De La Rosa, 33, finished 14-11 with a 4.10 ERA in 32 starts for
Colorado last year. In his career, including the past seven seasons
with the Rockies, he has a 45-14 record with a 3.98 ERA in 81 games
(76 starts) at Coors Field.
De La Rosa was slowed this spring due to a groin ailment, and he is
due to appear in a Cactus League game for the first time Friday
against the Oakland A's.
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MLB Note - San Francisco Giants Williams, Jackson
C Jackson Williams was dealt from the Angels to the Giants on March
17 in exchange for cash. Williams, 28, previously was assigned to
the Angels' minor league camp after going 0-for-3 in spring
training. He was claimed off waivers by the Angels from the Rockies
on Oct. 22. A September call-up by Colorado, Williams went 3-for-14
(.214) with one homer and three RBIs in seven games -- his first
career major league action -- before he got hurt Sept. 19.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Pillar, Kevin
OF Kevin Pillar (mild right oblique strain) realized he had likely
made the Opening Day roster in an unusual way. The 26-year-old hurt
his right side on a sneeze prior to the 1-0 win over the New York
Yankees on March 14. Pillar, who was vying for the center field spot
with OF Dalton Pompey, as well as a role as fourth outfielder, kept
the injury to himself and played the game against the Yankees. When
the training staff found out it was decided to give him a week to 10
days off. By telling him to take the time off, GM Alex Anthopoulos
was making a strong suggestion that Pillar had made the team. "Just
knowing how long obliques can linger, we'll take the week, get it
out of the way and it'll be fine," Anthopoulos said. "I said 'Kevin
you know how well you're playing right now, so let's get this taken
care of and you'll be ready to go for us.'" In 24 at-bats, Pillar
has six hits, including a homer and five RBI. "What he says is
comforting and it allows me to have a little bit of peace of mind
but I'd like to be able to continue to do what I've been doing and
carry it into the season," Pillar said. A couple of days later,
Pillar wore a T-shirt with the lettering: "Ask me about my sneeze."
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Webb, Ryan
RHP Ryan Webb (sore left knee) was due to pitch to live hitters
March 19. He had been shut down since getting hurt March 8.
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MLB Note - Tampa Bay Rays Colome, Alex
RHP Alex Colome (pneumonia) will begin the season on the disabled
list. Because he did not report to camp until March 10 as he had
problems securing a work visa in his native Dominican Republic,
Colome likely will stay behind in extended spring training to build
up arm strength and stamina.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Masterson, Justin
RHP Justin Masterson, perfect in his first spring outing, was
roughed up by the Philadelphia Phillies in his second outing. Facing
a group that figures to make up most of Philly's opening day lineup,
Masterson yielded six runs on seven hits, walked two and didn't
strike anyone out in 3 1/3 innings. But he wasn't concerned, saying,
"Honestly, I enjoyed this outing. I think it was my best outing as
far as getting some solid work in, like you're supposed to in spring
training."
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Moncada, Yoan
INF Yoan Moncada was officially signed to a minor league contract.
The 19-year-old switch hitter, the second major Cuban export to sign
with the Red Sox in the past year, was assigned to the minor league
camp after signing his $63 million deal.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Uehara, Koji
RHP Koji Uehara, the closer who turns 40 on April 3, was down with a
hamstring strain. "It's going to be a few days before we test him
again and before we get him back in a game," manager John Farrell
said. "At this point, this isn't a situation where we're
jeopardizing the beginning of the season or anything like that.
Uehara had made three appearances, allowing two runs on seven hits
over three innings.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Saunders, Michael
LF Michael Saunders (torn left meniscus) is returning quickly from
surgery performed on Feb. 27. He was tentatively scheduled to appear
in a minor league game as designated hitter on March 19 but would
not be running the bases in that outing. He remains a possibility
for the Opening Day roster. The main problem appears to be getting
him enough at-bats so that he could be ready to play. "We're going
to try to get caught up at the end, but it' not going to be easy,"
GM Alex Anthopoulos said.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Stroman, Marcus
RHP Marcus Stroman (torn ACL in left knee) was injured while doing
drills on fielding bunts on bunts on March 10 and was ruled out for
the season. After a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, he was
scheduled to have surgery March 19. The injury means that RHP Aaron
Sanchez, who was being considered for bullpen role, possibly as
closer, will likely open the season in the starting rotation. RHP
Marco Estrada also is a candidate for another spot in the rotation.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Berry, Quintin
OF Quintin Berry (back spasms) was battling an ailment that started
March 7 in the weight room. He did not appear in spring games March
8-18.
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