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 Chicago White Sox: Belisario, Ronald RHP Ronald Belisario, who received a $3 million contract in free
agency this offseason, finally seems to have his visa problems
behind him, and according to manager Robin Ventura, was expected
into camp over the weekend, almost three weeks later than he was
expected. All eyes have been on the bullpen for the Sox this spring,
especially because of all the problems they've had getting pitchers
on the mound. Matt Lindstrom (oblique) and Nate Jones (gluteus
strain) have each been slowed, but getting healthy, and Belisario is
weeks behind the rest of the group.
Chicago White Sox: Lindstrom, Matt
RHP Matt Lindstrom originally felt that his mild oblique strain
would only cost him a few days. It's now looking like it could be
weeks. Lindstrom suffered a setback on Mar. 4, toward the end of his
long-toss workout. He had thrown three days pain-free and was
planning to throw off a mound after that, but when he felt a sharp
twinge on his last throws, the bullpen session and his
return-to-normal plan were put on hold. "It feels like somebody is
shoving a knife in your side," Lindstrom said. "I'm continuing to
try to get it better, rehab it a little more since we have so many
games left in spring training."
Chicago White Sox: Abreu, Jose
1B/DH Jose Abreu finally connected on that promise of power, as the
Cuban rookie hit his first homer of the spring in a Mar. 6 game
against the Royals. All eyes have been on Abreu all spring,
especially early on when he was putting on batting practice clinics
with his power. It finally showed in a game. "I hit (home runs) all
over the field," Abreu said. "I hit it well to all parts of the
field. It was an outside pitch, so I hit it that way." Asked if he
feels more relaxed now that he has his first homer out of the way,
Abreu said, "It will be the same. The toughest game of spring
training was my first one. After that, it will be the same tomorrow,
all spring. I don't get too stressed or uptight."
Chicago White Sox: Davidson, Matt
3B Matt Davidson came to the Sox in an offseason trade with a
reputation of being a swing-and-miss guy at times, but one with huge
power potential, and while there is a chance the rookie could open
the year in the minors, the Sox have indicated that they will give
him every opportunity to win the third base job. That's been evident
this spring, as Ventura said he plans to give him plenty of playing
time. That's been Davidson's goal from Day 1. "I want to start in
the big leagues," Davidson said. "That's my goal. But I only have
control to a certain point and want to make sure wherever Opening
Day is, I'm ready for it."
Chicago White Sox: Eaton, Adam
CF Adam Eaton continued to cement himself as the leadoff hitter for
the Sox in the March 7 win over the Reds, going 1-for-1 with two
runs scored, drawing a walk and stealing a base. Basically, being a
disruptive force at the top of the lineup and giving the Sox what
could be their first true leadoff hitter since Scott Podsednik.
Eaton, who was acquired in the offseason, was penciled in as the
leadoff hitter at the start of camp, and has not disappointed,
according to Ventura. Unless he completely falls on his face the
next three weeks, Eaton has likely won the job.
Cleveland Indians: Salazar, Danny
RHP Danny Salazar, who is basically replacing the departed RHP
Ubaldo Jimenez in the starting rotation, did not pitch a single
inning in the Indians' first nine spring training games. That was by
design. "We want to try to get his tank to its fullest," manager
Terry Francona said. "He's going to start the year and we want him
to finish the year. He hasn't done that in a while so we want to get
him as strong as we can."
Cleveland Indians: Swisher, Nick
1B Nick Swisher has been wearing baseball spikes unique to his city
of employment. Swisher's spikes have the number 216 (Cleveland's
area code) on the side, plus a silhouette of the Cleveland skyline.
Cleveland Indians: Aguilar, Jesus
1B Jesus Aguilar is one of the few true power hitting prospects in
the Indians' minor league system. At Double-A Akron last summer, and
in the Venezuela League this winter, Aguilar, in a combined 725
at-bats, hit .291 with 32 home runs and 155 RBIs. In his first seven
games of spring training, however, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Aguilar
was 0-for-12 with five strikeouts. "Just because we haven't seen him
hit the ball a mile doesn't mean he can't do it," manager Terry
Francona said.
Cleveland Indians: Brantley, Michael
OF Michael Brantley was 4-for-9 in his first four spring training
at-bats, a fact that didn't surprise manager Terry Francona. "His
mechanics are so simple I think it helps him get ready quicker than
a lot of other guys," Francona said.
Cleveland Indians: Giambi, Jason
DH Jason Giambi is clearly one of manager Terry Francona's favorite
players, for what Giambi does on and off the field. "He's one of a
kind," Francona said. "The more we can lean on him the better off we
are."
Detroit Tigers: Dirks, Andy
LF Andy Dirks was scheduled for March 10 back surgery that was
predicted to keep him out of action for 12 weeks. "Andy will have
three weeks of complete rest, then three weeks of therapy after
that," GM Dave Dombrowski said. "He'll resume baseball activities at
the six-week point. The other day he said it was bothering him. Then
it bothered him more (March 4), so we had him checked out by a
specialist. I don't really have a specific incident that caused it,
though. He's had twinges there. He says it goes back all the way to
high school." Dirks, 28, will have a microdiscectomy that will
remove herniated disc material from between his L-4 and L-5
vertebrae. "It just kind of locked up," Dirks said. "It's a good
thing it happened now. I can't get down on it. I have to remind
myself it could have been a lot worse. It's not like they have to
fuse vertebrae together and I can't swing again." Dirks was supposed
to have been part of a left-field platoon with right-handed hitting
OF Rajai Davis.
Detroit Tigers: Iglesias, Jose
SS Jose Iglesias ran March 5 for the first time since being
sidelined at the end of February for a recurrence of a problem with
shin splints that bothered him a year ago. Specialists devised a pad
for Iglesias' shoes in an effort to redirect the stress points on
his shins. "When I ran without the padding, it was really
uncomfortable," Iglesias said. "But as soon as I changed orthotics
and put on the one the doctor made for me, there was a big
difference. There was definitely less stress on the bone and less
pain." The Tigers will tinker with the padding through spring
training. "The adjustment they made immediately helped relieve
pressure in his shins," manager Brad Ausmus said. "They were going
to do some more manufacturing, so to speak, of these orthotics and
try to make them even more beneficial. It was kind of a good sign."
Ausmus said Detroit would be cautious in regards to Iglesias'
return. He was expected to miss at least a week at the time of his
soreness.
Detroit Tigers: Verlander, Justin
RHP Justin Verlander saw his first start of the exhibition season
rained out March 6 but threw a 45-pitch session indoors with a
batter standing at the plate to keep him on track for a possible
Opening Day start for the Tigers. Rather than push him back a day,
the Tigers elected to have him throw in a batting cage under the
guidance of pitching coach Jeff Jones. Verlander may not be manager
Brad Ausmus' choice to start the first game of the season on March
31, but choosing this path retained the possibility. Verlander
underwent sports hernia surgery in January and now thinks that may
have been at the root of his 2013 struggles. "I think I was probably
losing strength through my core," Verlander said. "I think my body
was adjusting toward it." He was scheduled to make his first start
against enemy hitters March 11.
Cleveland Indians: Carrera, Ezequiel
OF Ezequiel Carrera is one of two primary in-house candidates to
replace OF Andy Dirks on Detroit's season-starting roster. Carrera,
26, has played for Cleveland and Philadelphia while compiling a .251
career average with two home runs, 26 RBI and 18 stolen bases.
Manager Brad Ausmus described Carrera as a "good outfielder who can
play anywhere — left, center or right. He also runs very well, so
he brings that speed dynamic — and he's a left-handed bat." He
would replace Dirks, out at least 12 weeks after back surgery, as
the platoon left fielder with OF Rajai Davis. Carrera has a .255
average against right-handed pitching.
Houston Astros: Crowe, Trevor
OF Trevor Crowe is one of the two primary candidates Detroit will
look at to replace Andy Dirks while the outfielder is out a minimum
12 weeks after he undergoes back surgery. Crowe, 30, has played for
Cleveland and Houston, mostly with the Indians, carries a .240
career average that includes a .241 career average against
right-handers. Manager Brad Ausmus talked with Houston's Craig
Biggio about his observations concerning Crowe last year. "He liked
him, called him a solid outfielder who's a switch-hitter, so he
gives you a bat from both sides of the plate," Ausmus said. Crowe
has four home runs, 68 RBI and 35 stolen bases.
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Detroit Tigers: Hardy, Blaine
LHP Blaine Hardy, a non-roster invitee, has made a good initial
impression and appears to be the leading candidate should the Tigers
elect to go with three lefties in their bullpen or displace veteran
LHP Phil Coke or second-year man Ian Krol. His first four spring
outings were scoreless with just one hit allowed in five innings.
Hardy, 26, was brought into the Detroit organization last year after
Kansas City let him go. He turned in a 1.67 ERA in 91 2/3 innings
split between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo, working in relief
and starting roles. "It definitely prepared me for any role the
Tigers want me to fill," Hardy said. "I greatly appreciate them
putting me into a starting role. It's opened more doors for me."
Manager Brad Ausmus said, "The pitch that stands out is his
curveball. He's got a fastball and cutter to go with it, but when he
throws the curveball right, it starts in the zone and breaks out of
the zone, you see hitters swing and miss on that a lot."
Detroit Tigers: Lombardozzi, Steve
UT Steve Lombardozzi will see action in left field as well as
shortstop as Detroit seeks to determine whether the utility
performer can handle increased action at those positions.
Lombardozzi, acquired this winter from Washington, has limited
experience at short and little more in left. Shin splint problems by
SS Jose Iglesias and back surgery on LF Andy Dirks have made
fill-ins at the two positions more important.
Detroit Tigers: Castellanos, Nick
3B Nick Castellanos was one of Detroit's leading hitters through
nearly two weeks of spring games, but his rust at third base has
been showing. Castellanos was leading the Tigers in RBI through
March 6 but was also tops in errors with two plus having had several
other plays missed that better fielders would have made. "Most of it
was timing, though. He hasn't been this close to the hitter in a
couple of years. Things are happening quicker for him," manager Brad
Ausmus said. "The most important thing is for him to get
repetitions." Castellanos was shifted to the outfield two years ago
when Detroit acquired 1B Prince Fielder and moved 1B Miguel Cabrera
to third.
Kansas City Royals: Penny, Brad
RHP Brad Penny, a two-time National League All-Star with the
Dodgers, was attempting to come back after sitting out last year.
Penny, however, was roughed up for four runs on eight hits, four of
them for extra-bases, in a two-inning outing Thursday against the
White Sox. Penny, 35, who was signed to a minor league contract, was
released Friday. He also hurt his left hand, but denied it occurred
while punching a dugout wall after he came out Thursday. "It was a
freak accident," Penny said.
Kansas City Royals: Moustakas, Mike
3B Mike Moustakas entered the weekend leading the Cactus League with
three home runs, 10 RBIs, 18 total bases, a 1.125 slugging
percentage and .550 on-base percentage. Moustakas hit just .233 with
a .364 slugging percentage last year.
Kansas City Royals: Infante, Omar
2B Omar Infante has not played the field since the first game (he
did DH in another) because of a sore right shoulder. He has yet to
play a game with SS Alcides Escobar. Manager Ned Yost said there is
plenty of time left for the two to "find a rhythm" in the field.
Kansas City Royals: Escobar, Alcides
SS Alcides Escobar made his spring training debut Friday, going
0-for-2 against the San Francisco Giants. He missed the first seven
games while on a paternity leave.
Kansas City Royals: Coleman, Louis
RHP Louis Coleman is scheduled to make his spring training debut
Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers. A bruised finger kept him
out of the earlier games.
Kansas City Royals: Hochevar, Luke
RHP Luke Hochevar (Tommy John Surgery) felt discomfort in his elbow
March 3 and had an MRI that detected a tear of the ulnar collateral
ligament March 4. A second opinion verified the gravity of the
injury. He is scheduled to have season-ending Tommy John Surgery by
the end of March.
Minnesota Twins: Parmelee, Chris
RF Chris Parmelee hit his first home run of spring training. He
blasted a three-run shot into the right field seats on March 1
against the Red Sox. Parmelee had eight home runs last season while
he spent some time in the minor leagues because of midseason
ineffectiveness. Now in his fourth season with the Twins, Parmelee
needs to make a jump in productivity to solidify a position with the
team.
Minnesota Twins: Pinto, Josmil
C Jose Pinto saw his first action in the Grapefruit League on March
1. Pinto had been out with back soreness and returned to the lineup
as an in-game substitution for Kurt Suzuki. Pinto, whose chances of
making the team hinge more on his offensive production than his
ability behind the plate, doubled in his first at-bat. He was
1-for-1 in the Twins' 6-2 win. He is now 2-for-4 in three games.
Minnesota Twins: Nolasco, Ricky
RHP Ricky Nolasco, who has the biggest free agent contract in team
history, made his Twins debut on March 2. He pitched two scoreless
innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in a 6-3 Twins loss. "He was free
and easy," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters. "You can see
he moves the ball up and down the zone and changes speeds. He's
going to be fun to watch."
Minnesota Twins: Arcia, Oswaldo
RF Oswaldo Arcia hit his first home run of spring training on March
2 — a solo shot over the left field fence after Tampa Bay Rays
pitcher Adam Liberatore threw two pitches near Arcia's head. It was
a good sign for Arcia, who last year hit his share of homers (14)
but also struck out 117 times in 97 games. Pitchers were going
inside him on last year, but this time he responded. "If you don't
like people buzzing your tower, then there you have it," manager Ron
Gardenhire told the Star Tribune. "You have to hit in the seats.
That's what I told him on the bench. Two bow ties and (Liberatore)
had to go get a new baseball."
Minnesota Twins: Buxton, Byron
CF Byron Buxton, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, was hitless in his
first start on March 4 against Miami. Buxton batted leadoff and went
0-for-5. He was a little disappointed with his performance. "Not
even close," Buxton told reporters. "But it's baseball. I've got to
keep working on it." The 20-year-old Buxton is not expected to make
the club this year, but manager Ron Gardenhire said he hopes to get
him a few more cracks at it with the major league team before he has
to make a roster move on March 10. On March 7, Buxton got another
shot in a B-lineup game (0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts) and
a late substitution into the A game (0-for-2). He is 2-for-14 (.143)
so far this spring.
Minnesota Twins: Hughes, Phil
RHP Phil Hughes worked his first 2-1/2 innings as a member of the
Minnesota Twins. He started against the Miami Marlins on March 4 and
gave up one earned run, two hits and one walk and had three
strikeouts in the Twins' 3-1 loss. "I was just getting my stretch
down a little bit better," Hughes told the Star Tribune. "It's tough
sometimes in the bullpen — you don't get those game situations with
guys on base. Just finding a good rhythm and a good sink out of the
stretch was a little tough (Tuesday), and it showed with my
command."
Minnesota Twins: Presley, Alex
CF Alex Presley is in a battle with Aaron Hicks for the starting
center field position. Presley, who came over in a trade late last
season, finished as the starter, but his bat struggled thus far in
spring training. He went 1-for-3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates on
March 7, which raised his batting average to .200 (3-for-15) — down
from his average of .283 in 28 games for the Twins last season.
Minnesota Twins: Worley, Vance
RHP Vance Worley, who made the big club last season but then was
sent down to the minors, credits Triple-A pitching coach Marty Mason
with helping him find his old arm slot and pick up some velocity
last summer. But that did not help him in latest game against the
Pittsburgh Pirates on March 7. Worley started the game and gave up
five runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Worley told the
Pioneer Press that his "fastball command was down."
Minnesota Twins: Colabello, Chris
1B Chris Colabello went 3-for-3 in the Twins' 6-5 win over the
Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Colabello lined a ninth-inning RBI
single to center field. Colabello, who came into the game for Joe
Mauer, also scored twice in the game. He is battling to make the
team as Mauer's backup at first base.
Minnesota Twins: Sano, Miguel
3B Miguel Sano (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery March 12 in
New York. He is expected to miss the 2014 season. Sano will remain
in New York for a few days after the surgery and then report to Fort
Myers, Fla., to begin his eight-month rehabilitation program.
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