|
 Pittsburgh Pirates: Lambo, Andrew OF/1B Andrew Lambo got off to poor start in his effort to show he
should be a platoon mate with right-handed-hitting 1B Gaby Sanchez.
Lambo, a left-handed-hitting rookie, went 2-for-23 (.087) in
Grapefruit League play through March 13. However, the Pirates remain
intrigued by Lambo after the 25-year-old hit a combined 32 home runs
with Triple-A Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona last season. "As an
organization, we need to look at Andrew's power," manager Clint
Hurdle said. "You can spend $10 million, $15 million on a free agent
with power, but you're obviously better served to find your own
internally."
Pittsburgh Pirates: Polanco, Gregory
RF Gregory Polanco has been the talk of the Pirates' camp this
spring. The 22-year-old started off 6-for-22 (.273) in Grapefruit
League play with two doubles and one home run, but he routinely put
on shows during workouts with his power and strong arm. "He's a true
five-tool talent," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said.
"We're excited about his future."
The key word is future.
Polanco will begin the season at Triple-A Indianapolis regardless of
what happens this spring. Part of it has to do with the fact that he
has played just two games at that level, and part of it has to do
with the fact the Pirates don't want to start his arbitration and
free agency clocks.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Tabata, Jose
OF Jose Tabata and OF Travis Snider are vying to be the everyday
right fielder. They spent most of last season platooning while the
Pirates enjoyed both their first winning season and their first
postseason appearance since 1992. The left-handed-hitting Snider
faced right-handed pitchers, and the right-handed-hitting Tabata
started against left-handers. Both took a seat on the bench, though,
after veteran Marlon Byrd was acquired Aug. 27 from the New York
Mets in a trade.
Snider is making the better showing this spring, going 6-for-21
(.286) with two doubles and one homer through March 13. Tabata is
just 3-for-22 (.136) with no extra-base hits.
Cincinnati Reds: Marshall, Sean
LHP Sean Marshall, shut down after his shoulder flared up, is set to
return to throwing off the mound. "He's definitely behind schedule
but if we don't have any setbacks, we're optimistic in that he'll be
ready in that first week or two of the regular season," Reds manager
Bryan Price said. "I don't know how to estimate when he'll be ready.
We haven't seen him off the mound yet." It would be challenging at
this point in time to start the season on the roster. But we'll wait
and see." When his shoulder stiffened early the spring, the Reds
went the conservation route. Marshall feels good now. "It's been
going really well," he said. "It's been an arm-building week. I feel
great — no sore after throwing. I'm getting back on track."
Cincinnati Reds: Broxton, Jonathan
RHP Jonathan Broxton, coming off elbow surgery, will pitch in a game
for the first time on Monday. Broxton threw a live batting practice
session Tuesday. "We didn't want him to have another live session,"
Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We wanted to give his arm a little
bit of a breather. He's done a lot of throwing."
Cincinnati Reds: Latos, Mat
RHP Mat Latos will throw his second live batting practice session
Friday. If that goes well, Latos will be allowed to pitch in a game.
Latos is coming off Feb. 14 knee surgery and Oct. 10 elbow surgery.
He recently began throwing breaking balls again.
Tampa Bay Rays: Price, David
LHP David Price will start the Rays' season opener against the
Toronto Blue Jays on March 31 at Tropicana Field. "After many hours
of discussion and back and forth among the staff and discussion on
my Twitter account, we've decided to go with David Price as the
Opening Day starter," manager Joe Maddon said March 13 with tongue
in cheek.
Price, 28, won the American League Cy Young Award in 2012, but he
took a step back in 2013. In 27 starts last year, Price went 10-8
with a 3.33 ERA. He also missed six weeks at midseason due to a
triceps strain.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Snider, Travis
OF Travis Snider and OF Jose Tabata are vying to be the everyday
right fielder. They spent most of last season platooning while the
Pirates enjoyed both their first winning season and their first
postseason appearance since 1992. The left-handed-hitting Snider
faced right-handed pitchers, and the right-handed-hitting Tabata
started against left-handers. Both took a seat on the bench, though,
after veteran Marlon Byrd was acquired Aug. 27 from the New York
Mets in a trade.
Snider is making the better showing this spring, going 6-for-21
(.286) with two doubles and one homer through March 13. Tabata is
just 3-for-22 (.136) with no extra-base hits.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Morris, Bryan
RHP Bryan Morris is working on a new pitch this spring as he tries
to include a two-pitch sinking fastball into his arsenal. He is
achieving mixed results, allowing three runs and three hits in first
4 1/3 innings, though he worked two perfect innings March 13 against
the Tampa Bay Rays. Morris, 26, spent his first full season in the
major leagues last year and had a 3.46 ERA in 55 relief appearances.
He is out of minor league options and could be used as trade bait in
the next few weeks as the Pirates try to acquire a
left-handed-hitting first baseman before Opening Day.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Cole, Gerrit
RHP Gerrit Cole's fastball consistently hitting 95-97 mph on the
radar gun during his spring starts, which is in line with how hard
Cole threw last season as a rookie. His fastball averaged 95.5 mph
in 2013, according to FanGraphs. Cole has five strikeouts in five
innings so far in exhibition play.
Rodriguez, Henry
INF Henry Rodriguez was recently released by the Reds. Rodriguez
played briefly in the majors the last two years. He was a .297
career hitter in the minors. "We all think very highly of Henry,"
Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's been in the system a while.
He's always been a great kid. He's well-liked in the organization.
We felt like he wasn't going to get the same amount of playing time
as in years past after coming off the roster."
Cincinnati Reds: Holmberg, David
LHP David Holmberg, 22, was among 16 to go in the first round of
cut. He came to the Reds from Arizona in the three-team trade that
sent Ryan Hanigan to Tampa Bay. Holmberg was slowed after taking a
ball off the shin. "We had to skip him and push him back," Reds
manager Bryan Price said. "He ended up pitching in that (intrasquad)
game. He wasn't real sharp. Right now, we're just building up guys
ahead of him. Especially with (Alfredo) Simon in there, it was going
to be hard to get him the repetitions and get him stretched out. We
would have liked to take a longer look at him. That being said,
should he go out and be the best pitcher in Triple-A for us, he's
still head of the class if we have any issues with our starting
rotation. But he's got to get regular work to get himself locked
in."
Cincinnati Reds: Hannahan, Jack
3B Jack Hannahan, who underwent right shoulder surgery after last
season, finally made his spring debut March 13. He flied out as a
pinch hitter. Hannahan was not yet ready to field his position.
Cleveland Indians: Giambi, Jason
DH Jason Giambi will miss three to four weeks due to a fractured
rib, the Indians announced March 13. Giambi was injured when he was
hit by a pitch thrown by Chicago Cubs RHP Edwin Jackson on March 7.
Giambi had an MRI on March 12, and the fracture was revealed.
The 43-year-old is a non-roster invitee to spring training. He hit
.183 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 186 at-bats last year.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Ishikawa, Travis
1B Travis Ishikawa made his Grapefruit League debut March 10 after
straining his right calf Feb. 25 in an intrasquad game. In camp as a
non-roster player, Ishikawa has an outside chance to become the
left-handed-hitting half of a platoon at first base with 1B Gaby
Sanchez, though fellow lefties Andrew Lambo and Chris McGuinness are
also vying for at-bats.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Taillon, Jameson
RHP Jameson Taillon, considered the Pirates' top pitching prospect,
was among the first wave of cuts on March 10. He was reassigned to
the minor league camp. He pitched twice in Grapefruit League play
and allowed three runs — one earned — and four hits in 2 2/3
innings with one walk and no strikeouts. Taillon was bothered by a
blister on his pitching hand in his second outing. He is likely
begin the season at Triple-A Indianapolis after going a combined
5-10 with a 3.73 ERA in 26 games between Indianapolis and Double-A
Altoona last season.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Locke, Jeff
LHP Jeff Locke (tightness in right side) was scratched from his
scheduled start against Toronto on March 5, then suffered a setback
during a throwing session March 10. There is no timetable for when
he will return to game action. He likely will begin the season on
the disabled list.
Pittsburgh Pirates: McPherson, Kyle
RHP Kyle McPherson (Tommy John surgery in July 2013) is throwing off
a mound in his recovery and expected to be able to pitch in minor
league rehab games by June.
Philadelphia Phillies: Rollins, Jimmy
SS Jimmy Rollins, hitless in his past 12 at-bats this spring and
batting .133 (2-for-15), was held out of three consecutive games
March 11-13. Rollins wasn't certain if the benching was caused by
remarks he made to the Philadelphia Daily News about preseason stats
not counting, but manager Ryne Sandberg denied that was the case.
Sandberg said he merely wanted to get a look at Freddy Galvis at
shortstop, and that he thought Rollins needed a break.
Boston Red Sox: Peavy, Jake
RHP Jake Peavy made his Grapefruit League debut March 13, and he
threw three-plus innings of one-run ball against the Minnesota
Twins. Peavy allowed two hits and two walks, and he struck out two.
"Given it was his first outing in this setting, I thought he threw
the ball very well," manager John Farrell said, according to the
Boston Globe. "It was good to see him get challenged in that way."
Peavy missed the first two weeks of exhibition action after he
sustained minor nerve damage when he cut through a tendon in his
left index finger with a fishing knife March 1.
[to top of second column] |
Pittsburgh Pirates: Hughes, Jared
RHP Jared Hughes believes the bite is back on his sinker this spring
after he struggled last season in the major leagues, posting a 4.78
ERA in 29 games. Hughes led National League rookies with 66 relief
appearances in 2012 and had a 2.85 ERA, which was aided by having an
outstanding 61 percent ground-ball rate.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Marte, Starling
LF Starling Marte is having a so-so spring, going 7-for-26 (.269)
with one extra-base hit, a double, through March 13. While spring
training stats don't usually mean anything, Marte's lack of power is
somewhat concerning. Last year, he had just four extra-base hits in
his last 56 plate appearances, including the postseason, after being
out from Aug. 19-Sept. 8 because of a bruised right index finger.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Alvarez, Pedro
3B Pedro Alvarez struck out four times in his first 28 plate
appearances of the Grapefruit League season. That is an encouraging
sign after he led the National League with 186 strikeouts last
season in 614 trips to the plate. Alvarez also hit 36 home runs in
2013, tying Arizona Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt for the league
lead.
Milwaukee Brewers: Gallardo, Yovani
RHP Yovani Gallardo was named the Brewers' Opening Day starter once
again by manager Ron Roenicke. Gallardo will be the first pitcher in
club history to start on Opening Day in five consecutive seasons.
Milwaukee Brewers: Rodriguez, Francisco
RHP Francisco Rodriguez, already behind the other pitchers after
arriving late in camp, suffered another setback when he stepped
bare-foot on a cactus in the backyard of his spring home. Rodriguez
had several spines removed from his left foot and the lingering
swelling and soreness delayed his first exhibition appearance.
Boston Red Sox: Olmsted, Michael
RHP Michael Olmsted, a non-roster invitee to the Milwaukee Brewers
camp, was released after posting a 6.75 ERA in two exhibition
outings. Olmsted, who had been removed from the 40-man roster after
a rough 2013 in the minors, signed a minor league deal with Boston
after being released.
Milwaukee Brewers: Duke, Zach
LHP Zach Duke, a non-roster invitee to camp, impressed manager Ron
Roenicke and his stuff with the way he performed in exhibition
games. In five appearances, Duke was 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA and had six
strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. The former starter said he embraced a
change to relief pitching.
Milwaukee Brewers: Weeks, Rickie
2B Rickie Weeks (offseason hamstring surgery) had scar tissue break
up while running the bases March 12, but that was viewed as a good
thing. Weeks said he felt freer moving around afterward and expected
to only get better.
Milwaukee Brewers: Gorzelanny, Tom
LHP Tom Gorzelanny (shoulder surgery) will open the season on the
15-day disabled list. Gorzelanny is making progress in a throwing
program but does not have enough time left to be ready by Opening
Day.
St. Louis Cardinals: Taveras, Oscar
OF Oscar Taveras, who had right ankle surgery last season, was
optioned to Triple-A Memphis on March 13. He missed a week with a
tight hamstring in the same leg after playing in only two spring
games.
St. Louis Cardinals: Wong, Kolten
2B Kolten Wong, after starting the spring 0-for-10, exploded for
seven hits in his next 13 at-bats, including home runs on
back-to-back days as he eased some doubts about whether he could
become the regular second baseman. "He's finding his rhythm,"
manager Mike Matheny said of Wong, who was the Cardinals' top draft
pick in 2011.
St. Louis Cardinals: Motte, Jason
RHP Jason Motte should be ready for game duty, probably on minor
league fields, sometime in mid-March. Motte, ahead of schedule in
his recovery from Tommy John surgery, likely would start the season
on the disabled list and thus couldn't appear in major league games
in Florida if the Cardinals want to backdate his disablement 10 days
before the season opener.
St. Louis Cardinals: Piscotty, Stephen
OF Stephen Piscotty, 23, was one of the surprises in camp. Piscotty,
a supplemental first-round pick in 2012, had four extra-base hits in
a span of five at-bats in the third week of games and was playing
right field well. However, Piscotty, who has only 1 1/2 years of
minor league experience, probably will start the season at Triple-A
Memphis where he can continue to play every day instead of sitting
on the bench in the majors.
St. Louis Cardinals: Martinez, Carlos E.
RHP Carlos Martinez allowed just two runs in his first 10 spring
innings as a starter, complicating the makeup of the Cardinals'
rotation for the start of the season. Martinez, the lockdown,
eighth-inning reliever last October, is dueling with holdover
starter Joe Kelly for the final spot. Manager Mike Matheny said it
was too early to make any sort of decision but conceded Martinez,
22, was making it interesting.
Chicago Cubs: Olt, Mike
3B Mike Olt entered the weekend not having played a minute of third
base for the Chicago Cubs, but he was well on his way to solving a
big problem there and at other spots. Olt hit two home runs as the
designated hitter in a March 12 game against the Seattle Mariners.
That gave him three for the Cactus League season and had him tied
for the team lead with shortstop prospect Javier Baez.
The Cubs have been hoping Olt can step up and win the third base job
in the spring. That would fill a gaping hole the Cubs have had since
Aramis Ramirez left after the 2011 season. It also would allow them
to slot players such as Luis Valbuena and Donnie Murphy into backup
and utility roles instead of having them play too much and getting
overexposed.
Chicago Cubs: Jackson, Edwin
RHP Edwin Jackson said there was no issue or problem between him and
manager Rick Renteria over pitch selection. While facing minor
leaguers this past week, Jackson threw a full repertoire of pitches.
In his previous Cactus League start, however, he went with only
fastballs, and that seemed to cause some communication problems
between him and Renteria. Jackson said he merely wanted to work on
fastball command. "I told them before the game," he said. "I don't
know if they thought it was for real. I got tired of being asked
about it." Renteria said the case is closed. "He threw three pitches
(against the minor leaguers)," Renteria said. "It speaks for itself,
I think."
Chicago Cubs: Samardzija, Jeff
RHP Jeff Samardzija continues to shrug off trade rumors. Every time
Samardzija pitches, a good number of scouts are in attendance.
Samardzija is the Cubs' probable Opening Day starter on March 31 at
Pittsburgh. "Just going with the flow, man," Samardzija said. "I'm
out here pitching, and I'm really excited with how I feel for this
season and where I'm at right now."
Chicago Cubs: Castro, Starlin
SS Starlin Castro entered the weekend having not played since March
2 because of a sore left hamstring. The Cubs originally talked of
getting him into game action by the end of the week, but it appears
they will delay his return until the week of March 16. Manager Rick
Renteria said the plan is to have Castro ready for the regular
season and not risk re-injury. "We want him ready for April,"
Renteria said.
Chicago Cubs: Russell, James
LHP James Russell made his Cactus League debut March 12 after being
brought along slowly because of a "dead arm." Russell, the workhorse
of the Cubs' bullpen the past two seasons, gave up one hit and a run
against the Seattle Mariners in his first spring outing. Russell
worked in 74 games last year and 77 in 2012. This year, the Cubs got
him some help from the left side in veteran Wesley Wright, whom they
signed in the offseason.
Chicago Cubs: Baez, Javier
SS Javier Baez entered the weekend with three home runs to tie INF
Mike Olt for the team lead. The Cubs insist Baez will open the
season at Triple-A Iowa as a shortstop. However, expect Baez to see
action at second base and possibly third in the upcoming week of the
Cactus League season. Baez hit 37 home runs and drove in 111 runs in
two minor league stops last year. Baez might come up this season,
but with Starlin Castro firmly entrenched as the shortstop, somebody
will have to move. Right now, it looks like the Cubs are preparing
for that somebody to be Baez.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
