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 Milwaukee Brewers:
Ramirez, Aramis 3B Aramis Ramirez will take it easy at the start of camp after
having a non-cancerous polyp removed from his colon during an
offseason procedure. Manager Ron Roenicke said Ramirez likely would
miss the first few exhibition games and would let him know when he
felt ready to play.
Milwaukee Brewers: Rodriguez, Francisco
RHP Francisco Rodriguez remained out of camp as he awaited a work
visa in his native Venezuela. There were incidents of civil unrest
there, but the Brewers were told his application date was Feb. 26.
Milwaukee Brewers: Braun, Ryan J.
RF Ryan Braun reported to camp and said he was suffering no
after-effects of the thumb injury that plagued him prior to a
season-ending, 65-game suspension for PED use. Braun said he would
experiment in spring training with extra padding in his hitting
gloves and on his bat to avoid a recurrence of that issue.
Milwaukee Brewers: Weeks, Rickie
2B Rickie Weeks, who missed the last two months of the 2013 season
with a torn hamstring tendon, reported to spring camp ready to
battle his injury replacement 2B Scooter Gennett for the starting
job. Manager Ron Roenicke said he would not name a favorite for the
position and would wait to see how the competition plays out.
Milwaukee Brewers: Gennett, Scooter
2B Scooter Gennett, who played well in 2B Rickie Weeks' place after
he was injured last season, reported to camp ready to battle for the
starting role. Manager Ron Roenicke said he would not name a
favorite for the position and would wait to see how the competition
plays out.
Milwaukee Brewers: Green, Taylor
INF Taylor Green, who missed the entire 2013 season after suffering
a hip injury in spring training that required surgery, will see most
of his work in camp at third base. The Brewers are looking for a
backup to 3B Aramis Ramirez, who missed two months of the '13 season
with an ailing knee.
Minnesota Twins: Pinto, Josmil
C Josmil Pinto was able to play long toss when he reported to spring
training. Pinto's season in the Venezuelan Winter League was cut
short by shoulder tendinitis. The rookie is expected to be the
Twins' starting catcher this season as Joe Mauer moves from behind
the plate to first base. Pinto made his major league debut last
September and batted .389 with four home runs in 21 games.
Minnesota Twins: Perkins, Glen
LHP Glen Perkins has been on a modified throwing schedule in the
early portion of spring training as the Twins try to ease him into
action after he underwent arthoscopic knee surgery in the offseason.
Perkins converted 36 of 40 save opportunities last season and had a
2.30 ERA in 61 games.
Minnesota Twins: Mastroianni, Darin
OF Darin Mastroianni reported to spring training in full heath after
being limited to 30 games last season by an ankle injury that
required surgery in October. Mastroianni is favored to win a bench
job as the fourth outfielder.
Minnesota Twins: Pelfrey, Mike
RHP Mike Pelfrey was sidelined for a few days early in spring
training by an ear infection that caused dizziness. While Pelfrey's
throwing schedule was interrupted, he should be ready to pitch in
the exhibition games when the Grapefruit League schedule begins next
week. He was 5-13 with a 5.19 ERA in 29 starts last season.
Minnesota Twins: Dozier, Brian
2B Brian Dozier felt some soreness in his hip after arriving at the
Twins' spring training camp. However, he is not expected to miss any
workouts. Last season, Dozier hit .244 with 18 home runs and 14
stolen bases in 147 games.
Toronto Blue Jays: Hendriks, Liam
RHP Liam Hendriks was claimed on waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
Hendriks, 25, provides some organizational pitching depth. He spent
last season with the Minnesota Twins, going -3 with a 6.85 ERA in 10
appearances (eight starts). The native of Perth, Australia, has a
2-13 record with a 6.06 ERA in 30 major league games (28 starts)
over three major league seasons with the Twins.
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Toronto Blue Jays: Morel, Brent
INF Brent Morel was designated for assignment. Morel, 26, spent most
of 2013 with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in the Chicago White Sox
organization. In 194 career major league games, he has hit .229 with
13 home runs and 54 RBIs.
Toronto Blue Jays: Romero, Ricky
LHP Ricky Romero is almost the forgotten pitcher when it comes to
discussions about the rotation even though he is two years removed
from being the opening-day starter. Now he is not even on the 40-man
roster after spending most of last season at Triple-A Buffalo where
he was 5-8 with a 5.78 ERA. In four outings with Toronto, including
two starts, he was 0-2 with an 11.08 ERA. Pitching coach Pete Walker
feels that Romero is a strong candidate to be the fifth starter.
"He's definitely an option," Walker said. "He's a guy who could step
into that spot. I've told him that. He's worked hard. We'll be
watching his side sessions and live BPs and see how that goes but
he'll be out there in games. If he has the kind of spring he's
planning on having then I can easily see Ricky in that fifth spot."
Toronto Blue Jays: Dickey, R.A.
RHP R.A. Dickey will be the starter on opening day against the Tampa
Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on March 31. "We open up in Tampa where
he pitches well," manager John Gibbons said. "He's had some good
outings down there. He's our guy." Dickey, who also was the Blue
Jays' opening day starter last season, is 2-1 with 2.79 ERA in seven
career games, including five starts, at Tropicana Field. Last
season, his first with Toronto, the knuckleballer was 1-0 with a
2.45 ERA at Tropicana Field, allowing 13 hits in 22 innings in three
starts. Overall against the Rays last season he was 3-1 with a 2.91
ERA in six starts. Gibbons said he has not decided how the rest of
the rotation will set up.
Toronto Blue Jays: Reyes, Jose
SS Jose Reyes, the Blue Jays' leadoff man and catalyst, reported to
training camp two days earlier and said that his left ankle is "way
better" after the offseason. He suffered a severe sprain of the
ankle in April last season and did not return until June. He was
limited him to 92 games on the season. "We're very excited about
this year, because last year was a tough year for me and for the
whole team," Reyes said. "This year, I feel like I'm 100 per cent
and back to normal. I feel like this offseason, I was able to move
how I wanted to. Last year, it was kind of tough for me, running the
bases, going from first to second. Stuff like that bothered me a
little bit but this year, it's not a concern at all."
Toronto Blue Jays: Happ, J.A.
LHP J.A. Happ had some success in his final few starts of last
season when he lowered his arm angle slightly instead of coming from
straight over the top. It gave his pitches more side-to-side
movement and he continues to use that arm slot at spring training.
Manager John Gibbons likes what he sees. "I like everything I see
about it," Gibbons said. "We saw two or three starts with it last
year. Happ's big thing has always been command issues, walking guys
or falling behind in the count. His problems were either up or down.
Guys who come right over the top, that's where they run into
trouble. We dropped him down just a little bit and now all he has to
worry about is in and out. I thought he looked a 100 percent better
at the end of last year and then he looked good again (when he
started throwing at spring training)."
Toronto Blue Jays: Cabrera, Melky
LF Melky Cabrera arrived at camp looking slimmer and stronger, saying
that he is in the best shape of his life. Cabrera had a
disappointing season in which he was hampered by leg problems. He
had surgery in September to remove a benign tumor from his spine, and
that appeared to have been the problem all along. "All indications
are that was the cause of it and he should be fine," manager John
Gibbons said. "He should be back to normal. He's a big part of this
team." "The doctors said they were surprised he was even playing,"
GM Alex Anthopoulos said. "He hit .279 and he wasn't able to get the
slugging percentage up because he couldn't get to second base. There
were a bunch of times that there should have been extra-base hits
for him just because his speed was so compromised. He felt it
defensively as well. We did MRIs on the quads and the hamstrings and
the hips and couldn't find anything but inflammation. Finally, when
we found (the tumor) and it had been there for a long time, it made
sense."
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