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 03/17/2015 MLB Note - Atlanta Braves Simmons, Andrelton
SS Andrelton Simmons, who missed the first week of spring games with
a sore left oblique, was red hot at the plate once he got into the
lineup. The Gold Glove winner hit .563 (9-for-16) with a homer and
six RBIs in his first give games. Included in his quick start was a
pair of three-hit games. "I took as many swings in the cage as I
could without overdoing it," Simmons said. "I got enough and I'm
seeing the ball really well."
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MLB Note - Atlanta Braves Bethancourt, Christian
C Christian Bethancourt has done nothing this spring to indicate
that he isn't ready to take over the full load for the Braves behind
the plate. The only real question was about his offense and he has
impressive with his bat as much as with his glove and arm so far.
Bethancourt lifted his average to .360 by going 3-for-4 with a pair
of doubles and two RBIs against Boston on March 17. He was 9-for-25
in nine games and six of his hits were doubles. Bethancourt drove in
three runs with a double and sacrifice fly March 14 against Houston.
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MLB Note - Atlanta Braves Miller, Shelby
RHP Shelby Miller, acquired from St. Louis in the Jayson Heyward
trade, turned in two strong starts after a rough first outing for
the Braves. He worked four scoreless innings against Boston on March
17, giving up four hits. Miller, the No. 3 starter in the rotation
behind Julio Teheran and Alex Wood, struck out three and walked two.
He got just one out while giving up four runs on three hits and two
walks in his debut against Detroit, but bounced back to limit the
New York Yankees to two hits and a run over three innings in his
second start.
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MLB Note - Atlanta Braves Peraza, Jose
2B Jose Peraza, the Braves' top prospect, was optioned to Triple-A
Gwinnett on March 16 after going 1-for-16 with four strikeouts and
no walks in nine spring games. The Braves still think that Peraza,
who turns 21 on April 30, could be ready for the majors at some
point this season and he will get some work in center field with
Gwinnett to add to his versatility. Originally a shortstop, he is
sharp defensively at both infield spots. "He felt pressure coming
into camp," Gonzalez said. "But he's a player."
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MLB Note - Miami Marlins Dunn, Mike
LHP Mike Dunn is an oddity in that he has never had an arm injury.
Dunn, 29, was 10-6 with a 3.16 ERA last season, earning a two-year
contract extension from the Marlins. Over the past four years, Dunn
has made more appearances than other lefty pitcher in the majors. He
is averaging 70 appearances a year and actually wants to get to 81
this season, which means he would be pitching every other game.
Dunn, who uses a fastball and slider to get hitters out, has been a
steal ever since the Marlins acquired him in a 2010 trade that sent
Dan Uggla to the Braves.
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MLB Note - Miami Marlins Cosart, Jarred
RHP Jarred Cosart threw his fastball 70.2 percent of the time last
season. Only four pitchers in the majors were more reliant on their
fastball than Cosart, who also uses a curve (25.6 percent) and a
change-up (4.2). This spring, Cosart is working on using his
change-up much more, borrowing the grip from Marlins RHP Henderson
Alvarez. Cosart, who went 13-11 with a 3.69 ERA in 30 starts last
season between Houston and Miami, already owns a plus fastball and a
plus curve. The fastball, which he throws two-seam and four-seam,
comes in at 92-96 mph. If he adds an effective change, he should be
truly dangerous.
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MLB Note - Miami Marlins Phelps, David
RHP David Phelps will likely make the Marlins as a long reliever and
spot starter. Last year, Phelps began the season in the Yankees'
bullpen but ended up making 17 starts, third-most on the team. His
three-year career numbers, starting and relieving, are fairly
similar. In 40 starts, he is 12-11 with a 4.34 ERA. In 47 relief
appearances, he is 3-3 with a 3.84 ERA.
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MLB Note - Philadelphia Phillies Williams, Jerome
RHP Jerome Williams was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday
against Tampa Bay after tweaking his right hamstring. The injury is
not considered serious and Williams is still in line to be the No. 3
starter behind LHP Cole Hamels and RHP Aaron Harang.
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MLB Note - Philadelphia Phillies Utley, Chase
2B Chase Utley is likely to see his first action of the spring in
the field by the end of the week. Utley missed the first 10 days of
exhibition play while recovering from a sprained right ankle and has
since been used only as a designated hitter, going 5 for 12 (.417).
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MLB Note - Philadelphia Phillies Franco, Maikel
3B Maikel Franco pressed in his first taste of the major leagues
last September and manager Ryne Sandberg says the prospect is
overswinging at the plate again this spring in his bid to beat out
3B Cody Asche for a spot in the starting lineup. Franco has gone
6-for-29 (.207) with no extra-base hits in exhibition play. Last
season, he hit .179 in 16 games.
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MLB Note - Philadelphia Phillies Billingsley, Chad
RHP Chad Billingsley continues to impress pitching coach Bob McClure
while throwing live batting practice. Billingsley will likely see
his first game action of the spring sometime next week, and the
Phillies are optimistic he could join their rotation by May 1. He
has undergone two elbow surgeries since his last appearance in the
major leagues in April 2013 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Fister, Doug
RHP Doug Fister started at home on March 13 against the Houston
Astros and allowed four hits and two runs (one earned) in 2 1/3
innings, with two strikeouts and one walk. He gave up the first of
two homers hit by George Springer, who hit 20 last season. "He hit a
cutter. I didn't follow through with it. I left it up in the middle
and he made me pay for it," Fister said of the Springer homer. The
right-hander, though, is pleased with his progress after two spring
starts. "Obviously I want to get results, I want to get the outs,"
he said. "If I throw a bad pitch and I get the out I still know I
need to work on that pitch. There are quite a few things I can work
on in the bullpen. I still want to go out there and get the outs,
get the results."
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Gonzalez, Gio
LHP Gio Gonzalez allowed four hits and four earned runs in 2 2/3
innings on March 14 against the Marlins. "My body feels great. I
can't complain with how I feel now," Gonzalez said. Gonzalez jumped
for a ball behind home plate on a wild throw from the outfield. The
training staff checked him out and he stayed in the game. "We don't
need any more of those," said manager Matt Williams, whose team has
been dealing with several injuries.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Burriss, Emmanuel
INF Emmanuel Burriss is a long shot make the Opening Day roster, but
he does provide the organization with depth up the middle. He played
mostly shortstop when he came up to the majors with the Giants in
2008 but has seen a lot of action at second base this spring as
Yunel Escobar has been out with an injury. Burriss grew up in the
nation's capital and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High in
Washington, D.C.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Espinosa, Danny
INF Danny Espinosa got the start at shortstop in a road game on
March 12 against the Mets as regular Ian Desmond did not make the
trip. Espinosa hit a homer batting from the right side; he has given
up switch-hitting and is hitting just from the right side this
spring.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Kobernus, Jeff
OF Jeff Kobernus was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Hill, Taylor
RHP Taylor Hill was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. "He throws
strikes. I like him," Nationals manager Matt Williams said of Hill.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Goodwin, Brian
OF Brian Goodwin was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Solis, Sammy
LHP Sammy Solis ws optioned to Double-A Harrisburg on March 16.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Strasburg, Stephen
RHP Stephen Strasburg (ingrown toenail) missed his scheduled start
March 12 on the road against the Mets. Instead, he threw in a minor
league game in Viera, Fla., and then started on the road against the
Tigers on March 17 and threw four scoreless innings.
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MLB Note - New York Mets Edgin, Josh
LHP Josh Edgin was scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on his
left elbow on March 17, seven days after an MRI revealed he had
stretched ligaments in the elbow. Edgin's exit is a sizable blow for
the Mets, who don't have another left-handed reliever on the major
league roster. Edgin had a 1.32 ERA in 47 games last season.
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MLB Note - New York Mets Wright, David
3B David Wright missed three consecutive Grapefruit League games
from March 15-17 after leaving the team due to a family matter.
Wright was expected back March 19, the day after the Mets' final off
day of the exhibition schedule.
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MLB Note - New York Mets Nieuwenhuis, Kirk
OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis continued to cement his spot on the Opening Day
roster by hitting .464 in a team-high 28 at-bats through March 16.
Nieuwenhuis, who was expected to break camp with the Mets because he
is out of options, also led the Mets in on-base percentage (.559)
through March 16.
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MLB Note - New York Mets Duda, Lucas
1B Lucas Duda (left side strain) made his Grapefruit League debut on
March 15, when he went 1-for-4 in a 13-4 win over the Nationals. He
went a combined 0-for-7 the next two days. Duda didn't take batting
practice with the Mets this spring until March 9 due to an injury he
sustained in workouts earlier in the offseason.
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MLB Note - New York Mets Black, Vic
RHP Vic Black (right shoulder weakness) resumed throwing March 17.
Black hadn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game since March 9, and
he pitched just twice after Aug. 23 last season due to neck and
shoulder woes.
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MLB Note - Philadelphia Phillies Rodriguez, Joely
LHP Joely Rodriguez, who has no experience above Double-A, has
impressed in his first spring training with the Phillies as he has
yet to allow an earned run in seven innings. Acquired from
Pittsburgh in December in a trade for LHP Antonio Bastardo,
Rodriguez has a chance to win the vacancy in the starting rotation
created when LHP Cliff Lee (torn flexor tendon in left elbow) was
placed on the 60-day disabled list. Also in the mix are RHP Miguel
Antonio Gonzalez, RHP Kevin Slowey and RHP Paul Clemens. Rodriguez,
23, was 6-11 with one save and a 4.84 ERA last season in 30 games,
including 21 starts, for Double-A Altoona.
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MLB Note - Philadelphia Phillies Lee, Cliff
LHP Cliff Lee will not pick up a ball for two months as he has opted
to try to avoid surgery on the torn flexor tendon in his left elbow
with rest and rehabilitation. Lee will start throwing in mid-May. If
he still feels pain, he will then have surgery, which would cause
him to miss the season and possibly end the 36-year-old's career as
he can become a free agent in November. Lee was placed on the 60-day
disabled list on March 16.
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MLB Note - Washington Nationals Zimmermann, Jordan
RHP Jordan Zimmermann went four innings at home against the Houston
Astros on March 16. He gave up one unearned run in four innings. In
the third inning a ball was hit up the middle but missed Zimmermann.
"I was lucky enough to get a glove on it," Zimmermann said. The
batter reached on an infield single and then went to third on a
throwing error by Zimmermann. "It was a terrible throw. The error
made me mad," he said.
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MLB Note - New York Mets Parnell, Bobby
RHP Bobby Parnell (Tommy John surgery in April 2014) was expected to
pitch in a game for the first time this spring by the weekend of
March 21-22. Parnell last pitched in a game setting March 31, 2014,
when he was injured in his lone major league appearance of the
season.
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