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 New York Mets: d'Arnaud, Travis C Travis d'Arnaud has been working with former Mets star Mike
Piazza, who is in camp for one week as a special instructor.
D'Arnaud, a Southern California native, said it was "a dream" to
work with Piazza, whom he grew up idolizing as a member of the
Dodgers.
New York Mets: Syndergaard, Noah
RHP Noah Syndergaard passed what manager Terry Collins called "a big
test" when he threw two shutout innings Monday against the Atlanta
Braves. The outing was Syndergaard's first against Major League
competition. He will likely begin this season at Triple-A Las Vegas
before making his Major League debut in June.
Miami Marlins: Alvarez, Henderson
RHP Henderson Alvarez was penciled in to make his Grapefruit League
debut March 7. He was originally scheduled to start March 2, but he
was scratched after he suffered a right shin infection. Alvarez, who
tossed a no-hitter in the last game of the 2013 season, does not
think the infection will delay his preparation for the 2014 season.
Miami Marlins: Fernandez, Jose
RHP Jose Fernandez, 21, will become the youngest Opening Day
starting pitcher in Marlins history. "It's not like it's big news,"
manager Mike Redmond said when making the announcement, "but I know
he's excited about it. It'll be great to see him out there on
Opening Day, and I look forward to it."
When Fernandez faces the Rockies on March 31, he will be the
youngest Opening Day starting pitcher since Seattle's Felix
Hernandez, who was 20 in 2007. The Marlins' previous youngest
season-opening starter was Josh Beckett, 22 in 2003.
Atlanta Braves: Garcia, Freddy
RHP Freddy Garcia, bidding for a spot in the rotation, didn't allow
a baserunner in his first five spring innings. He retired nine
consecutive Mets batters on March 3 after getting six Tigers in a
row on Feb. 26 in the spring opener. Garcia, 37, signed a minor
league contract with a March 25 out clause if he is not guaranteed a
spot in Atlanta. "It's still a long spring, but he's been really,
really impressive," manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
Atlanta Braves: Teheran, Julio
RHP Julio Teheran's first spring inning after a signing a six-year
contract extension worth $32.4 million couldn't have been more
impressive. He retired the Nationals in order on five pitches with a
strikeout March 1. Teheran did allow a pair of two-out singles in
his second and final inning, but he finished with 21 strikes in 30
pitches.
Atlanta Braves: Minor, Mike
LHP Mike Minor, who was 13-9 with a 3.21 ERA last season, was
scheduled to throw off the mound for the first time March 5 since
being shut down after feeling shoulder discomfort early in camp. The
soreness was blamed on trying to do too much too soon after a month
of inactivity following urinary tract surgery on Dec. 31.
Atlanta Braves: Floyd, Gavin
RHP Gavin Floyd, signed by the Braves as a free agent, was scheduled
to throw live batting practice for the first time March 5. He had
Tommy John elbow surgery last May while with the White Sox, and he
seems to be on target for a return about 12 months later.
Miami Marlins: Slowey, Kevin
RHP Kevin Slowey made his first start since July, tossing two
scoreless innings March 1 against the Mets. He went on the disabled
list July 27 with tightness in his right forearm.
Miami Marlins: Hand, Brad
LHP Brad Hand had a solid debut March 2 in an important spring,
tossing two scoreless innings. He is out of options, so he must make
the Opening Day roster or risk being lost by the organization.
Miami Marlins: Marmol, Carlos
RHP Carlos Marmol, who still hadn't pitched in a Grapefruit League
game for Miami as of March 4, was forced to return home to the
Dominican Republic on March 1 to resolve a visa issue. He was
expected to return to camp March 6.
Boston Red Sox: Bogaerts, Xander
SS Xander Bogaerts' ascension to the majors always was bound to
bring to mind thoughts of Hanley Ramirez, the can't-miss Red Sox
shortstop prospect who came nearly a decade earlier. "He's
definitely really talented," Bogaerts said of Ramirez, a three-time
All-Star, 2006 NL Rookie of the Year and NL MVP runner-up in 2009.
"The way that he plays, that's something you hopefully want to
become one day." But Sox GM Ben Cherington, the club's farm director
when Ramirez was coming through the system, noted that the two
players have far different personalities. "Xander comes from a very
strong family. He has a solid foundation," Cherington said. "I think
it helps him navigate the things that come with being a big league
player. It can take a while to deal with for a younger player, and
Hanley maybe took a little longer to find that out. But Xander has
been a pretty mature young man from the time he first came into the
organization. He was very comfortable in whatever environment he's
been put into."
Atlanta Braves: Laird, Gerald
C Gerald Laird caught in the bullpen March 4 and was expected to
return to the lineup soon. He hadn't appeared in a spring game since
straining his back on a swing in the first inning Feb. 27 against
Detroit. Laird left after catching the bottom of the inning at
Lakeland, Fla.
Atlanta Braves: Venters, Jonny
LHP Jonny Venters was to be cleared to begin throwing off a mound
with limited effort on March 5. Venters hopes to join Atlanta's
bullpen in late May or early June as he returns from his second
Tommy John surgery.
Boston Red Sox: Napoli, Mike
1B Mike Napoli was eased into spring training games last year to
guard against the worsening of a degenerative condition in his hips.
But with his health finally stable, he doesn't have any restrictions
this year — and it shows. On March 2, Napoli crushed a two-run
homer to straightaway center field in the fourth inning against
Baltimore Orioles reliever Eduardo Rodriguez. "You want to get to
that (swing) as fast as possible," Napoli said. "I still have work
to do, but it felt good. I'm trying to see pitches, get my timing
down, get my leg kick on time and just be in a good hitter's
position early. But yeah, to crush a ball like that, this early in
the spring, it's nice."
Boston Red Sox: Carp, Mike
1B/LF Mike Carp is drawing interest this spring, but the Red Sox
aren't inclined to trade him. Carp has been productive as a
left-handed pinch-hitter and occasional starter either at first base
or in left field. In 216 at-bats last season, he batted .296 and
slugged .523 with nine homers and 43 RBIs, including a memorable
10th-inning grand slam Sept. 11 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Carp
credited left fielder Jonny Gomes for helping him adjust to a
part-time role. Whenever Gomes didn't start, they sat together on
the bench and talked about how they might make an impact later in
the game. "We went out there and we tried to combine to be one
player," Carp said. "Our goal was 30 (homers) and 100 (RBIs), and we
came pretty darn close considering the amount of at-bats we had. We
just feed off each other."
New York Mets: Flores, Wilmer
2B Wilmer Flores played shortstop Tuesday for the first time in a
spring game. Though the Mets will likely use Flores mostly at second
base this season, they are experimenting with him at short due to
their weakness at the position. The Venezuelan native came up as a
natural shortstop, but his size and lack of range eventually forced
him off the position.
Boston Red Sox: Sizemore, Grady
CF Grady Sizemore is making steady progress in his attempt to make
the Red Sox' roster after missing the past two years while
recovering from microfracture surgery on both knees. "I'm happy with
how things are feeling from a body standpoint," Sizemore said. "Just
not noticing anything out there, not having any pain, not coming in
feeling worse the next day. It's as good as I could have hoped for."
Sizemore spends at least an hour, sometimes 90 minutes, per day
getting treatment from the medical staff and working with trainers
and strength coaches. There are times when Sizemore still feels
rusty, especially at the plate, which can be expected after not
playing since the end of the 2011 season. "I don't feel bad
(physically), but at times, my body is not catching up with my
brain," Sizemore said. "I want to go faster, but it's not quite
there yet."
Boston Red Sox: Uehara, Koji
RHP Koji Uehara never has been as popular as some of his countrymen
who have migrated from Japan to the majors. But now that he's a
World Series champ, having achieved as much dominance as any closer
in history for four months last season with the Red Sox, his Q Score
is rising. Last month, he took the World Series trophy on tour,
meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Caroline
Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. He's also the new pitchman
for Suntory premium malt beer. And after tossing an easy, breezy
14-pitch scoreless inning in his spring training debut, he was
greeted outside the clubhouse by a throng of Japanese media that far
outnumbered the handful of embedded reporters who typically cover
him. Has a star been born? "No, I don't feel that's changed," Uehara
said through his translator, C.J. Matsumoto. "I feel like all this
media, they probably went to (Yankees star Masahiro) Tanaka and they
just came to me afterward."
Washington Nationals: Detwiler, Ross
LHP Ross Detwiler made his first appearance since early July in
spring training Monday. He gave up four runs on five hits in 1 1/3
innings in a 4-2 loss against the Yankees. Detwiler's back problems
kept him out for much of last year, and he's trying to take back the
No. 5 spot in the rotation.
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Washington Nationals: Strasburg, Stephen
RHP Stephen Strasburg made his first appearance of the spring. He
threw two scoreless innings Tuesday in a loss vs. the Braves. The
right-hander struck out one and allowed one hit in his first mound
appearance since surgery last fall.
Washington
Nationals: Walters, Zach
SS Zach Walters got off to a very fast start this spring. He hit the
team's first homer in the 4-2 loss to the Yankees and boasted an
.857 average (6 of 7) after the first four games.
Philadelphia Phillies: Gonzalez, Miguel Alfredo
RHP Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez allowed one run on two hits while
walking four and striking out two in 1 2/3 innings against the
Yankees on Saturday. His next test is scheduled to come Thursday
against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. Despite struggling with
command, Gonzalez made a positive impression on the man who signed
him last summer.
"I saw a pretty good breaking ball, a pretty good split," Phillies
general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told the Philadelphia Daily News.
"His command wasn't good enough and he knows it. But as far as his
first time out, I think this is going to be a process for him. I
think he handled the situation pretty well. Mentally it looked like
he was poised and handled the situation pretty well."
Washington Nationals: Span, Denard
CF Denard Span showed some offensive punch in the opening spring
training contests. He went 3-for-6 with two steals in his first two
games. Span had a very strong second half of the season in 2013, and
the Nationals hope he can keep rolling this year.
Washington Nationals: Werth, Jayson
RF Jayson Werth was scheduled to play for the first time in
Wednesday's game. Werth's been out due to a bicep strain. He missed
the Nationals' first five games.
Washington Nationals: Harper, Bryce
LF Bryce Harper returned on Tuesday after missing two days due to
flu symptoms. He was out Sunday and Monday and then went 0-for-2
with one walk and a run scored in the loss to the Braves on Tuesday.
Philadelphia Phillies: Papelbon, Jonathan
RHP Jonathan Papelbon threw a perfect inning in his first outing of
the spring on March 2. Perhaps most impressive was Papelbon's
ability to touch 93 miles per hour on a radar gun. "It looked like
it had some giddy-up on it," Philadelphia pitching coach Bob McClure
said. "That was good to see." According to Pitchf/x data, Papelbon's
fastball topped out at 92.88 mph (his average velocity speed last
May) in 2013. His average fastball remained under 92 mph after the
All-Star break last year. Papelbon said he was dealing with nagging
injuries throughout the season.
Philadelphia Phillies: Galvis, Freddy
SS Freddy Galvis is a heavy front-runner for one of the jobs open on
the Phillies' bench. Although Galvis has hit just .230 in 128 games
in the last two seasons, he is arguably the best defensive player on
the club's 40-man roster and has the ability to play shortstop,
second base, third base and left field.
Philadelphia Phillies: Hamels, Cole
LHP Cole Hamels is on track to make his first Grapefruit League
start during the week of March 10, barring a setback. Hamels, who
entered camp behind schedule after experiencing biceps tendinitis in
November, has thrown off the mound three times since the second week
of camp and is scheduled to face hitters in a live batting practice
session on March 6 and March 9.
Philadelphia Phillies: Howard, Ryan
1B Ryan Howard collected two hits off left-handed pitchers in an
intrasquad scrimmage on Feb. 25, and he was 1-for-4 with a
run-scoring single and strikeout against southpaws after a week's
worth of Grapefruit League games. Manager Ryne Sandberg is set on
given a healthy Howard a chance to prove he can hit lefties this
spring before going the route of platooning the former MVP with
right-handed hitting Darin Ruf. In the last two seasons, Howard has
hit .173 with nine home runs and 84 strikeouts in 179 at-bats
against left-handed pitching.
Philadelphia Phillies: Hernandez, Roberto
RHP Roberto Hernandez is the favorite to secure the fifth spot in
the Phillies' rotation this spring, behind Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels,
A.J. Burnett and Kyle Kendrick. Hernandez threw three scoreless
innings against his former Rays team on March 3. Hernandez was taken
out of Tampa Bay's rotation last summer after sporting a 5.00 ERA in
23 starts. He signed a one-year, $4.5 million deal with Philadelphia
as a free agent in December.
Philadelphia Phillies: Asche, Cody
3B Cody Asche (sore right hand) was by a pitch March 2 and exited
the game. Initial tests on the hand were negative, and Asche was
back taking ground balls March 3. He was expected to rejoin the
lineup in a few days.
Philadelphia Phillies: Martin, Ethan
RHP Ethan Martin left his first Grapefruit League start on Feb. 27
with shoulder discomfort after facing four batters. Martin was
diagnosed with a strain of his right shoulder capsule and his
triceps. He was shut down for at least three weeks.
Washington Nationals: Gonzalez, Mike
LHP Mike Gonzalez signed a minor-league contract and got an
invitation to the major league camp. He'll be fighting for a bullpen
spot.
Pittsburgh Pirates: d'Arnaud, Chase
INF Chase d'Arnaud cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A
Indianapolis on March 1. After opening last season on the major
league disabled list as he recovered from left thumb surgery,
d'Arnaud spent the entire season in the minors, hitting
.231/.287/.346 with four homers, 21 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 67
games for three teams in the Pittsburgh farm system. He appeared in
a total of 56 games for Pittsburgh in 2011 and 2012, hitting
.208/.232/.275 with no homers, one RBI and 13 steals.
Cleveland Indians: Cooper, David
1B David Cooper cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A
Columbus on March 4. Cooper, 27, didn't play in the majors last
year. He signed a minor league contract with the Indians in the
middle of the 2013 season after recovering from back surgery in
April. Cooper hit .315 in a combined 51 at bats between Columbus and
the Indians' rookie-level team in the Arizona League. He appeared in
72 major league games for Toronto between 2011 and 2012, hitting
.270/.310/.441 with six homers and 23 RBIs.
Philadelphia Phillies: Adams, Mike
RHP Mike Adams (right shoulder surgery in July 2013) is scheduled to
throw his third bullpen session of the spring on March 5. Adams
hopes to join the Phillies' bullpen at some point in April.
Philadelphia Phillies: Pettibone, Jonathan
RHP Jonathan Pettibone (right shoulder soreness) threw off the mound
for the first time in two weeks on Feb. 28 and completed his second
straight side session without issue on March 3. Pettibone, who
entered camp competing for the fifth starter's job, was shut down
during the first week of camp.
Baltimore Orioles: Santana, Johan
LHP Johan Santana, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, will attempt to
make a comeback with the Orioles. He signed a minor league deal on
March 4. The one-year contract would pay him $3 million if he is in
the major leagues.
Santana missed the 2011 season following shoulder surgery on Sept.
14, 2010, returned to pitch the Mets' first no-hitter on June 1,
2012, then missed last season after an operation on April 2 to
repair a re-tear of the anterior capsule muscle in his left
shoulder.
Detroit Tigers: Dirks, Andy
OF Andy Dirks faces back surgery that likely will leave him
sidelined for three months. The 28-year-old Dirks, who was expected
to platoon in left field this season with Rajai Davis, will undergo
surgery on March 10, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said.
Dirks has battled a back problem since high school, but his back
bothered him enough in recent days that the team sent him to a
specialist. It was determined March 4 after testing that surgery was
needed.
In 131 games last season, Dirks batted .256 with nine home runs. He
is a career .278 hitter who had a .322 average in 2012.
Texas Rangers: Saunders, Joe
LHP Joe Saunders agreed to a one-year, major league contract with
the Rangers, multiple media outlets reported March 4. Saunders
recently worked out for the Rangers, who are in need of pitching
depth with LHPs Derek Holland and Matt Harrison battling injuries.
Saunders, 32, could compete for one of the final spots in the Texas
rotation.
In 32 starts last year for the Mariners, Saunders posted an 11-16
record with a 5.26 ERA in 183 innings. Opponents batted .311 against
Saunders, who signed a $6.5 million contract with Seattle before the
2013 season.
A 2008 All-Star, Saunders has an 89-81 career record and a 4.31 ERA
with the Angels, Diamondbacks, Orioles and Mariners.
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