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| Joey Gathright went 1-for-3 with a triple, two runs, one RBI, and a stolen base in Kansas City’s Cactus League win over the Rockies on Tuesday, a nice performance for a man hoping to earn a job in the starting outfield for the Royals this season. |
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| Hank Blalock might get back into game action Wednesday after being rear-ended in his car on Monday, according to the Dallas Morning News. "A lady smoked us at about 40 mph," he said. "As soon as we heard tires, we got hit hard. Her car got totaled. I got a little whiplash, but I'm not too bad. I should be all right." On top of the sore neck, Blalock has been dealing with soreness on the back of his right shoulder that's kept him from playing since Friday. Consider him day-to-day at this point. |
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| Royals manager Trey Hillman shot down growing sentiment that Luke Hochevar is not a candidate for the rotation, according to the KC Star. "We’ve always had him in consideration as a starter," Hillman said. "We did say that if he didn’t fit into a starting role that it’s entirely possible that he could fit as a reliever." Hochevar has retired all but one of the 13 batters he's face this spring, so it's clear that he's in the mix right now for a starting role. Let's see what he does over the next couple of weeks. |
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| John Bale, P, Kansas City Royals | Tuesday 3/4, 11:03 PM CT |
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| John Bale is making a strong case to earn the final spot in the Royals starting rotation, according to the KC Star. "Coming out of the bullpen last year," catcher John Buck said, "he just threw a lot of power stuff. He can still reach back and do that when he needs to, but he’s commanding the ball a little more. He’s showing some finesse stuff. With that combination, you can see what he can do." What he has done is have two strong starts, including Monday's three scoreless innings. Bale lost 20 pounds during the offseason after he was told he'd have a shot at starting this spring. The Royals are looking to add a lefty to the mix, and thus far, Bale is ahead of the ailing Mike Maroth and Jorge De La Rosa, who gave up five runs in 1 1/3 innings on Monday. |
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| Ryan Shealy, 1B, Kansas City Royals | Tuesday 3/4, 10:09 PM CT |
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| Ryan Shealy is expected to rejoin the Royals Wednesday for their road trip to Scottsdale, Ariz, according to MLB.com. "I've got him on the travel list for tomorrow," manager Trey Hillman said. "We'll see how he feels today and make a decision." Shealy has been out with a bad case of the flu and will have to step things up quickly if he's going to earn a roster spot this spring. |
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| Michael Young hit his first homer of spring training in the Rangers’ 3-9 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks today, according to the Associated Press. |
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| Kendry Morales connected for a two-run homer in the 2nd inning of today’s Cactus League loss for the Angels against the White Sox, according to the Associated Press. Morales displayed solid potential in a limited time in the Show last season and now hopes to take his game to the next level. Today, he showed the power the Angels hope will become a regular item on their hitting menu. |
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| Bobby Crosby missed his second straight game Tuesday due to back spasms, according to MLB.com. "It's something I've experience before, it seems like it's something that happens to me once a year at some point," Crosby said prior to Tuesday's game. "It happened to me last year during Spring Training when I dove for a ball. Hopefully this is the extent of it this year." So long as he returns to action on Tuesday, as is expected, this minor malady should't have any effect on his fantasy value. |
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| Paul Konerko went 3-for-3 today in Chicago’s win over the Angels, according to the Associated Press. Konerko is now 10-for-14 in spring training, an impressive average of .714. He also scored twice and recorded a double. |
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| Jose Contreras allowed two runs and two hits over three innings today in a 7-6 loss to the Angels, according to the Associated Press. Last season, Contreras went 10-17 with a 5.57 ERA. In an attempt to improve over those frustrations, coaches are working with Contreras in experiments with various arm angles and pitching techniques. “I want to pitch more three-quarters or higher because last year I pitched too many down low so my velocity came down,” Contreras said. |
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| Bartolo Colon was hoping to make his exhibition debut with the Red Sox on Sunday, but manager Terry Francona doesn't think that's prudent, according to MLB.com. "I think that's too quick," Francona said. "It just doesn't follow the progression that's built into normal throwing." On Monday, Colon threw 42 pitches in a bullpen session. Francona thinks he'd like to see Colon follow that up with two more side sessions, then face hitters in batting practice before taking the mound for a game. |
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| Jonathan Papelbon confirmed Tuesday that his agents and the Red Sox have gotten to the point where they won't be able to even get close to working out a long-term deal before the March 11 deadline, according to the Boston Globe. Papelbon won't be eligible for arbitration until next offseason, so he doesn't have any real pull in negotations, as the Red Sox can simply renew his current deal. On the other hand, if he can keep pitching like the past two seasons, he's going to get crazy paid once abritration is an option next winter. |
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| Dennis Sarfate all but has a spot locked up in the Orioles bullpen, according to the Baltimore Sun. Manager Dave Trembley said Sarfate would have to "pitch his way off the club" to not make the team. So long as he doesn't blow his roster spot, Sarfate could figure into the closer's mix if George Sherrill isn't up to the task. |
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| Freddie Bynum underwent an MRI on his right knee Monday, according to the Baltimore Sun. The results weren't yet available, but Bynum said he didn't think it was anything serious. Well, it must have been at least a bit concerning in order to warrant an MRI. We'll have more details as they become available. |
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| The A’s report RHP Keith Foulke , struggling with the right calf strain, threw off a mound to hitters for the first time today, according to ESPN. The A's remain steady in failing to report a timeline for Foulke's possible return to action, but today's works is a positive sign. |
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| Mike Morse, RF, Seattle Mariners | Tuesday 3/4, 6:18 PM CT |
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| Mike Morse went 2-for-4 in the Mariners’ Cactus League loss to the Oakland Athletics today, dropping his spring training average from .714 to .636, according to ESPN. Morse is battling for a backup position in the outfield for Seattle this season and has driven in six runs in five games. |
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| Pitcher Miguel Batista left today’s Cactus League game against the Oakland Athletics with what is being described as a sore back, according to ESPN. He surrendered two runs and two hits in three innings before leaving the game after stiffness settled in during his time on the bench. However, Batista retired the top of the A’s order in the third, a positive sign for the Seattle hurler looking forward. |
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| Julio Lugo, SS, Boston Red Sox | Tuesday 3/4, 5:25 PM CT |
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| Julio Lugo skipped Tuesday's spring game due to a sore back, according to the AP. He's expected back in the mix on Wednesday, so it sounds like nothing to be concerned with. |
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| Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox are scheduled to begin the regular season against the A's in his native Japan March 25 and 26. However, he could arrive late or miss the trip entirely if his pregnant wife goes into labor at the wrong time, according to the AP. "It’s one of those things you have to leave to nature, so I can’t say one way or another right now," Dice-K said through a translator Tuesday. His wife is due to give birth on March 19, which is the same day the team is slated to head to Japan. He allowed a single run over three innings during Tuesday's exhibition game, but time will tell whether he'll be with the Sox in Japan. |
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| Nick Markakis and the Orioles were not able to work out a new contract by Tuesday's deadline, so the club renewed his current deal, according to the AP. "Unfortunately, while we were able to reach an agreement with everyone else on the roster that fit into that category, we weren’t with Nick," club president Andy MacPhail said. "It’s not a terribly unusual thing in our industry. It’s to be avoided if you can, but in this case we really weren’t able to find any common ground." After hitting .300 and knocking in 23 homers and 112 RBI in 2007, Markakis was hoping for a substantial raise from last year's $400,000 salary, but he'll make just $55,000 more in 2008. |
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| Cliff Lee, P, Cleveland Indians | Tuesday 3/4, 4:31 PM CT |
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| Finally over a bout with a sinus infection, Cliff Lee was on the mound for the Indians on Tuesday. "I’ve never been sick for a week and felt that bad," he told the AP. "It feels good to feel good now. I felt like I threw the ball remotely close to where I wanted to, so I’ll take that." Lee's performance was good, as he allowed just one hit, no walks and no runs in his lone inning of action. It looked even better compared to what his competition for the fifth spot in the Indians rotation did: Aaron Laffey allowed three hits, three walks and five earned runs in 2/3 of an inning; Jeremy Sowers gave up four hits, a walk and two earned runs in one inning. |
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| Adam Jones, CF, Baltimore Orioles | Tuesday 3/4, 4:25 PM CT |
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| Adam Jones was 3-for-3 at the plate on Tuesday, which raised his spring batting average up to .500. The O's are counting on the offseason acquistion to be in their lineup when the regular season begins, and so far, he's proving to be up to the task. |
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| Melvin Mora, 3B, Baltimore Orioles | Tuesday 3/4, 4:22 PM CT |
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| Melvin Mora is lighting things up early this spring, and he credits some of it to spending three weeks with his former batting instructor in Venezuela during the offseason, according to the AP. "I want to go back to 2004," said Mora. So would fantasy owners, since Mora hit .340 with 27 homers and 104 RBI that season. Mora was 3-for-3 with a homer and four RBI during Tuesday's exhibition game, and he's now hitting .583 this spring. Let's hope he can carry the hot bat through spring and into the regular season. |
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| Kei Igawa, P, New York Yankees | Tuesday 3/4, 4:17 PM CT |
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| Kei Igawa pitched two perfect innings against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, striking out two batters in the process. That's a big improvement after he gave up a grand slam to South Florida on Friday. He'll have to continue to pitch well this spring if he's going to lock down a spot in the Yankees rotation. |
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| A.J. Burnett got through a bullpen session on Tuesday without any problems, according to the AP. Burnett broke the nail on his right index finger when he slammed it in a car door on Sunday. While he'll lay off his curve for 10-14 days, it appears the malady shouldn't affect his preparation for the start of the regular season. |
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| Phil Hughes, P, New York Yankees | Tuesday 3/4, 4:09 PM CT |
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| Phil Hughes tossed a perfect inning before rain delayed Tuesday's exhibition game for an hour. Hughes tossed a couple of simulated innings in a batting cage to make up for the lost work in game action, according to the AP. The 21-year-old is set to start for the Yankees and is looking good so far. |
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| Hank Blalock had a stiff neck Tuesday, a day after he was rear-ended while stopped at an intersection. He was held out of Tuesday's game as a precaution but said he's fine. “It’s no big deal. They’re being real careful with me,” Blalock said in the AP. The Rangers are taking it easy with Blalock this spring. He's yet to play third base since having surgery last May to remove a rib. |
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| After a short-lived comeback, Matt Mantei is retiring again. The right-hander made the decision after developing pain in his shoulder during Sunday’s outing, according to the Detroit Free Press. “He knew he hurt it,” president/GM Dave Dombrowski said. The former closer hadn't pitched since 2005. |
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| Francisco Liriano threw 45 pitches in a live BP session Tuesday with no problems. “I didn’t feel any pain, any soreness at all,” Liriano said in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “I feel real good.” It was the second live BP session and fourth throwing session from a mound this spring for Liriano, who is coming back from Tommy John surgery. The lefty said that his fastball and changeup feel good, but that he's still holding back on his slider. Hopefully Liriano can get it all ironed out by the beginning of the season, which it sounds like he'll be ready for. |
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| Justin Duchscherer's line from his first spring outing wasn't good (one inning, one run, two hits and two walks), but the right-hander is just happy that he's overcoming some of the mental hurdles with his surgically repaired hip, according to the Mercury News. Duchscherer, who is moving from the bullpen to the rotation, was nervous about the hip at first, but said he made a conscious effort to drive hard off the hip when he struck out Gary Matthews to end the fourth inning. "You hear people say that the last thing to come is the mental part of it," he said. "To know that I can pitch pain free is a big deal." Duchscherer has been terrific at times as a setup man, but it will be interesting to see how he fares as a starter. Consider him only as a late-round flyer in AL-only play right now. |
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| John Lackey, P, Los Angeles Angels | Tuesday 3/4, 10:41 AM CT |
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| John Lackey threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Monday and came away saying he was just fine. It's the first time the right-hander has been on a mound since feeling soreness in his elbow last week, according to the LA Times. Lackey is scheduled to make his spring debut Sunday, which would tentatively line him up to start the fifth game of the regular season. The Halos could certainly shuffle their pitchers around before then, though. |
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| Kyle Davies, P, Kansas City Royals | Tuesday 3/4, 10:29 AM CT |
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| Kyle Davies made a good case for a rotation spot with his first spring outing Sunday, giving up one run and three hits in three innings. “I was impressed with Kyle getting back in his delivery several times after he got out of it,” manager Trey Hillman said in the Kansas City Star. “He had a real good breaking ball at times but left a couple up. His fastball command had some real good spots of consistency.” Davies is one of at least eight candidates for the last two spots in the Royals rotation. |
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| Brandon Inge has made his feelings about catching pretty obvious, and manager Jim Leyland says he won't make Inge catch if he doesn't want to. "Read the paper this morning. It's obvious. He does not want to catch," Leyland said in the Detroit Free Press. "I'm not going to force somebody to catch. He's doing all the right things, saying all the right things. He's a professional. He's one of my favorites. I want him to play third base somewhere everyday. Is that going to happen? I have no clue." The Tigers have been trying to trade Inge since they acquired Miguel Cabrera in December but have so far had no takers. Obviously his fantasy value is minimal so long as he's in Detroit in a backup role. |
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| Jeremy Bonderman is using a new changeup grip this year, and he thinks it will really help him improve upon a pitch that's been very inconsistent for him in the past. "This year is different for me," he said in the Detroit Free Press. "I feel comfortable throwing it." Manager Jim Leyland thinks a better changeup is the only thing that's keeping Bonderman from becoming a star. "He'll go from really good to outstanding if he masters that," Leyland said. Bonderman is trying to rebound from a subpar 2007 campaign. It remains to be seen if he'll ever take that step to the next level. |
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| Hideki Matsui was unable to take batting practice for the second straight day Monday because of a stiff neck. "It's not a big deal," manager Joe Girardi told the NY Post of Matsui not taking BP. The outfielder is slated to start playing in games next Monday, and Girardi said the neck problem wouldn't alter those plans. "It won't slow him down when he gets in games," Girardi said. "Except for the cutting he looks good. I have watched him do cutoff and relays and there are no problems. I haven't seen anything to think he would have a setback." The neck isn't the issue with Matsui, it's his surgically repaired knee. At this point, he should be fine for opening day, but keep tabs on him to make sure he doesn't suffer any setbacks. |
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| Coco Crisp, CF, Boston Red Sox | Tuesday 3/4, 9:41 AM CT |
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| Coco Crisp will sit out Tuesday's game because of a minor groin injury, according to the Boston Globe. As long as the Sox are saying it's minor, you shouldn't worry about it. If he's still out a few days from now, perhaps then we should become a little suspicious. |
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| The Orioles had prospect Mike Costanzo behind the plate for two innings of Monday's game. Normally a third baseman, Costanzo had never caught in his life, not even in high school. "I told him ... that he'd catch two innings [yesterday]," manager Dave Trembley told the Baltimore Sun. "And he did OK. It was a good experience for him." Costanzo had 27 homers at Double-A last year when he was in the Phillies organization, so he has some pop. Even if he ends up moving behind the plate permanently, he will probably be passed up by 2007 first-round pick Matt Wieters. |
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| Brian Burres is competing for a job in the Orioles starting rotation, but even if he doesn't win a spot he's still expected to make the team. "I would think what he did for us last year, he is going to figure in somewhere for us," manager Dave Trembley said in the Baltimore Sun. The lefty allowed four hits and one run in two innings yesterday in his first spring outing. Burres didn't fare well with the O's last year, posting a 5.95 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 121 innings, though his 7.1 K/9 rate wasn't bad. He shouldn't be drafted even if he wins a starting spot. |
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| The left-handed hitting Ben Broussard won't be sitting against southpaws this year. "I don't want him coming to the park every day wondering if he's going to play against a left-hander," manager Ron Washington said in the Dallas Morning News. "He's going to play against them until he proves he can't." Broussard has batted just .227 in his career against lefties (as opposed to .275 against righties), so we're betting it won't take Washington long to change his mind and sit his first baseman most of the time with a left-hander on the mound. |
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| Jack Cust, LF, Oakland Athletics | Tuesday 3/4, 8:00 AM CT |
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| Jack Cust, who started in left field Monday, was forced to leave the game early after being hit by a pitch, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "I'm fine," Cust said. "It'll be good. It's not the first time. This (removal) was precautionary because it was a little numb." He said he doesn't expect to miss any time. |
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| Bobby Crosby was scratched from Monday's game after experiencing back spasms during infield drills, this according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The injury is not believed to be serious according to manager Bob Geren who said "it's not a big deal." Crosby is considered day-to-day. |
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