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 03/04/2015 MLB Note - New York Yankees Tanaka, Masahiro
RHP Masahiro Tanaka threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Wednesday
without incident and that was two days after he threw 25 pitches in
live batting practice to five hitters. "I tried not to go too, too
hard on the mound," he said through an interpreter to reporters in
Tampa on Monday. "That's what I was thinking. The reason is, because
it's natural, once you get on the mound and once you're facing
batters, you want to go hard. In order for me to not do that too
much, I thought in my mind to not go too hard."
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Rodriguez, Alex
DH Alex Rodriguez batted second and was 1-for-2 with a walk against
three Philadelphia Phillies pitchers. In his first at-bat against
right-hander Kevin Slowey, Rodriguez swung and missed two fastballs,
looking slow in terms of bat speed. On the third fastball, he lined
a soft single into left field.
In his second at-bat against Paul Clemens, Rodriguez swung at the
first pitch and grounded out to shortstop for the final out of the
third inning.
Rodriguez's final plate appearance came with two on and nobody out
in the fifth, and though he did not drive in the run, he was able to
get a walk against Ethan Martin.
Before the three appearances, Rodriguez received a mostly positive
reaction from the crowd at Steinbrenner Field. He heard cheers
during pregame introductions and also heard a mix of cheers and boos
from the crowd of 9,673 as he stepped into the batter's box for his
initial at-bat.
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MLB Note - Tampa Bay Rays Cobb, Alex
RHP Alex Cobb has been chosen to be the Opening Day starter and will
face Baltimore on April 6 at Tropicana Field. Cobb, 27, was 10-9
with a 2.87 ERA in 27 starts last season and has gone 35-23 with a
3.21 ERA in 81 starts during his injury-marred four-year career.
Cobb will be the first pitcher other than David Price or James
Shields to start an opener for the Rays since 2006 when Scott Kazmir
got the honor. Cobb will be followed in the rotation by RHP Chris
Archer, LHP Drew Smyly, RHP Jake Odorizzi and a fifth starter to be
determined.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Craig, Allen
1B/OF Allen Craig is looking for a bounce-back season, hoping his
poor 2014 was injury-related. If he has a good spring and the Red
Sox's depth is what it appears to be, there is a real chance he will
be dealt before April. "Baseball is crazy sometimes," he said.
"You're up and down. It goes for players and teams. Last year was a
learning experience for everybody. It wasn't an easy year. There's a
lot of competition here, and I think competition is good for
everybody. I think it gets the best out of you. So I'm just trying
to get myself right." Craig will make $5.5 million this season, $9
million in 2016 and $11 million in 2017. There's also a $13 million
team option for 2018.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Buchholz, Clay
RHP Clay Buchholz made an adjustment to his delivery and worked a
perfect inning against Northeastern in his spring debut. "They feel
natural," he said the adjustments. "I've been working a lot on it.
It's basically the only thing I worked on in the offseason and
throughout camp. It's pretty much to the point of being second
nature. I don't have to remind myself. It's more or less just a
checkpoint. If I finish a certain way, I know what I'm doing and I
can correct it rather than it lingering through an inning or a
game." Buchholz, a two-time All-Star, went 8-11 with a 5.34 ERA last
season.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Porcello, Rick
RHP Rick Porcello and LHP Wade Miley, acquired in offseason deals,
both successfully debuted against college teams, Porcello working
two perfect innings against Northeastern and Miley two innings of
one-hit ball against Boston College.
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MLB Note - Tampa Bay Rays Colome, Alex
RHP Alex Colome appeared to be the favorite to win the fifth
starter's job but is losing ground to RHP Nathan Karns as he had yet
to arrive in spring training by March 4, the eve of the exhibition
season. Colome was being delayed in the Dominican Republic because
of issues in securing a work visa. He was working out at the Rays'
academy in the Dominican in an effort to stay sharp.
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MLB Note - Tampa Bay Rays Montgomery, Michael
LHP Mike Montgomery is being used as a relief pitcher this spring.
He was 10-5 with a 4.29 ERA in 25 starts last season with Triple-A
Durham but the Rays believe the 25-year-old's future is in the
bullpen. Montgomery has yet to pitch in the major leagues but has an
outside chance of making the team because LHP Jake McGee figures to
miss the first month of the season while recovering from elbow
surgery.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Viciedo, Dayan
OF Dayan Viciedo was signed to a minor league to add to the outfield
depth, particularly with the injury for LF Michael Saunders, who is
out until at least mid-April after arthroscopic knee surgery. "He
was available," manager John Gibbons said. "He's got some big-league
time in. Been successful, to a certain extent. Bring him to camp,
see what he is." Not known as a good fielder, Viciedo has also
played first and third base. Viciedo, who became expendable with the
White Sox with their acquisition of free-agent LF Melky Cabrera,
would earn $2.5-million if he makes the Blue Jays. "There are
scenarios where maybe his best position is first base, DH ... we
won't know," GM Alex Anthopoulos said. "The big thing is we want to
see how he hits, see how he looks, his approach. If there is a
chance for him to be here long-term you're probably looking at that
first base-DH scenario, which is probably the most wide-open spot in
terms of competition. He could end up on the bench, too. He could
end up coming off the bench ... that could move around." Viciedo
batted .231 with 21 homers and 58 RBIs for the White Sox in 2014.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Hendriks, Liam
RHP Liam Hendriks was named Male Player of the Year by Baseball
Australia. He was 1-2 with a 5.23 ERA in nine games, including six
starts, between the Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals last season but
in 23 outings, including 21 starts, between Triple-A Buffalo and
Omaha, he was 12, 2.45 ERA. He was traded to the Royals on July 28
with C Erik Kratz for INF Danny Valencia. The Blue Jays reacquired
him from Kansas City on Oct. 30 in exchange for minor league catcher
Santiago Nessy.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Martin, Russell
C Russell Martin continues to learn about catching knuckleballer RHP
R.A. Dickey. The two were batterymates in an intrasquad game played
before the opening of the Grapefruit League schedule. Built into the
process are deliberate cross-ups, where Dickey will throw a fastball
after Martin has called for a knuckleball. "For the beginning
process, I'm going to call pitches and he's going to throw," Martin
said. "I called a knuckleball and threw a fastball first pitch and I
was able to catch it. If I give a knuckleball, he has the option to
throw the fastball if he wants to. If I call a fastball, however,
then he's not going to knuckleball in that situation. We talked
about stuff like that."
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Sanchez, Aaron
RHP Aaron Sanchez started the Blue Jays' first game of the
Grapefruit League schedule at Dunedin and had a tough time against
the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing four hits, one walk and five runs
(two earned) on 36 pitches in 1 1/3 innings. He said he worked on
his curveball in the outing. "Being a starter, you've got to
incorporate every single pitch," Sanchez said. "I had a chance to
put some guys away. One was a hit, but right where I need to be.
This is the first game of spring training, so just build off that
and it can only get better from there." INF Pedro Alvarez hit a
three-run homer off Sanchez in the first inning.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Miley, Wade
LHP Wade Miley and RHP Rick Porcello, acquired in offseason deals,
both successfully debuted against college teams, Porcello working
two perfect innings against Northeastern and Miley two innings of
one-hit ball against Boston College.
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MLB Note - Detroit Tigers Hanrahan, Joel
RHP Joel Hanrahan was released from his minor league contract by the
Tigers on March 4 after announcing he will undergo a second Tommy
John surgery. The former All-Star closer was diagnosed with a tear
of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The procedure
on March 18 will be Hanrahan's second elbow surgery in less than 24
months. Hanrahan had his right elbow reconstructed in May 2013 while
with Boston. Detroit signed him to a $1 million, one-year contract
last May, but he never appeared in a game. The Tigers signed him to
a minor league contract in November. Hanrahan, 33, is 22-18 with a
3.85 ERA and 100 saves in seven seasons with Washington, Pittsburgh
and Boston.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Jimenez, Ubaldo
RHP Ubaldo Jimenez lasted just 1 1/3 innings against the Tigers on
March 3, giving up six runs, two hits with two walks plus a hitting
batter in a 15-2 loss. He also had a throwing error. That's the kind
of performance that Jimenez turned in way too often last year (6-9
record, 4.81 ERA) and the reason he's now fighting for a spot in the
starting rotation. The Orioles signed Jimenez to a four-year, $50
million contract last winter, but manager Buck Showalter yanked him
from the rotation in mid-August and he didn't pitch in the playoffs.
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MLB Note - Toronto Blue Jays Stroman, Marcus
RHP Marcus Stroman started the Blue Jays' second Grapefruit League
game at Bradenton against the Pirates, allowing two hits and an
unearned run with one strikeout in 1 2/3 innings. "I was a little
rough in the first inning but my body feels great, my arm feels
great and I was pretty pleased with it," Stroman said. "I used them
all, I used all six pitches." He said that his sinker was cutting in
the first inning, but it was effective during the second inning.
Stroman was a rookie last season and earned a spot in the rotation,
going 11-6, 3.65 ERA, in 26 games (including 20 starts) with
Toronto.
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Ryan, Brendan
INF Brendan Ryan (mid-back strain) underwent a precautionary MRI
that revealed the injury Feb. 27. On March 1, Ryan hit off a tee and
played some light catch and on March 2, he took batting practice and
fielded ground ball.
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Beltran, Carlos
RF Carlos Beltran seems to be getting eased into exhibition games
following his offseason elbow surgery. Beltran was not among the six
designated hitters in Monday's intrasquad game and is not expected
to see game action until Friday. "We're just taking it a little bit
slower with him because of the surgery he came off of," manager Joe
Girardi said. "We feel pretty good about where he's at, but I'm just
going to give him a couple of extra days. Nothing that's happened in
camp to do that, just going a little bit slower with him."
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Warren, Adam
RHP Adam Warren made his exhibition debut and allowed a single to
Ryan Howard in two scoreless innings Tuesday. Warren, who is vying
for the fifth spot in the rotation after a successful season out of
the bullpen, faced seven hitters and recorded four of his six outs
on the ground.
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MLB Note - New York Yankees Eovaldi, Nathan
RHP Nathan Eovaldi made his debut for the Yankees by pitching two
innings of Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. He
allowed a run and two hits while facing nine hitters while throwing
31 pitches, including a few that reached 97 mph.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Gausman, Kevin
RHP Kevin Gausman could be primed for a breakout season, and his
first appearance of the spring was a step in the right direction. He
breezed through a scoreless first inning against the Tigers on March
4 in the Orioles' 5-4 loss.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Cabrera, Everth
SS Everth Cabrera, signed at the start of spring training, made his
first appearance as an Oriole on March 3 in Baltimore's 15-2 loss
against the Tigers. Batting leadoff, he went 1-for-3 and was thrown
out trying to steal second. The Orioles are looking for him to give
them some speed this year, and he likely will see some time at the
top of the order.
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MLB Note - Baltimore Orioles Bundy, Dylan
RHP Dylan Bundy, considered by most to be the team's top minor
league pitching prospect, threw a scoreless fourth inning March 4 in
a loss to the tigers. He walked two and threw a wild pitch but
didn't give up a run. Bundy is on his way back from Tommy John
surgery performed in mid-2013. He should begin this season at Class
A Frederick or Double-A Bowie.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Victorino, Shane
RF Shane Victorino is trying to go back to switch-hitting. Victorino
batted only right-handed for much of his time before his back
surgery last season because of a hamstring injury.
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Nava, Daniel
OF/1B Daniel Nava, a switch hitter, will try batting only
left-handed for the first few weeks of spring training. Nava didn't
produce right-handed last year, batting .159 in 63 at-bats against
lefties. "My swing is still the same and my approach is still the
same, so hopefully it will go smoothly," he said. "I remember
following the Giants as a kid and hearing all about J.T. Snow giving
up switch-hitting. Torey (Lovullo, Boston's bench coach) got me in
touch with him, and I was able to pick his brain a little bit."
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MLB Note - Boston Red Sox Castillo, Rusney
OF Rusney Castillo, set to battle Mookie Betts for the starting job
in center field, sustained a strained left oblique while playing
March 3 against Boston College. "He's going to be down for some
time," said manager John Farrell. "I don't have a timeframe to give
you or projected length, but he's going through some treatment to
calm down the strain right now, and he'll do rotational exercises
and rehab when he's ready for it."
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