Pittsburgh Pirates – Finally addressing the elephant in the room, Alex Stumpfl posted on MLB.com about the lat injury that has shut down David Bednar from throwing. He remains upbeat, but the team will not let him throw for a “few days”. Invariably, how long it takes will affect his availability on Opening Day. For those drafting early, Bednar’s not concerned by the injury, but handcuffing him with Aroldis Chapman may be advisable, depending on roster spots available.
San Diego Padres – Making good progress after a back strain, Yuki Matsui will participate in Wednesday’s workout and could appear in two exhibition games before Opening Day per Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. With things trending positively, fantasy players should monitor what type of workload the southpaw reliever can handle in the upcoming season.
Seattle Mariners – Some much needed good news from Mariners camp, according to Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports, Matt Brash will resume his throwing regimen. It’s with cautious optimism, but here’s hoping he can progress without any setbacks and meet the mid-April target for a return, this leverage ladder desperately needs him.
Miami Marlins – Tanner Scott pitches for Miami, F.L.A., spiked a bunch of sliders on Monday, walked four batters, did not record an out, saying hey Skip, take a walk on the wild side. In all seriousness, it was a rough outing against the Yankees resulting in a loss. Scott faced four batters, allowed three earned runs, and did not record an out while throwing 25 pitches (36 Strike percentage) with one whiff. Better days lie ahead, but for a reliever with command issues in his past, this will not placate fantasy players with concerns about regression.
New York Mets – Sound the trumpets, Edwin Díaz will make his spring training debut on Tuesday (March 5), but on the Minor League fields. Per Anthony DiComo, Díaz has thrown multiple live batting practice sessions. If all goes well in his debut, he will see Grapefruit League action soon thereafter. Cue “Narco“, it’s almost time.
Chicago White Sox – Not only has Jordan Leasure caught the attention of the Closer Monkey staff, he’s also garnering praise from his manager, Pedro Grifol. In this tweet by Scott Merkin, MLB.com’s White Sox beat writer, it’s mentioned Leasure has plus-plus stuff. Not sure how Eno Sarris rates him, but the rookie reliever has a chance of making the roster in a veteran-laden leverage ladder.
Quick Hits
- Baltimore Orioles – Rough outing alert, this one by Craig Kimbrel. He allowed five hits, including a home run, and four earned runs while striking out one in the fourth. This tweet displays his spring ERAs in past seasons. Breathe.
- Cincinnati Reds – Alexis Díaz allowed two hits and two earned runs while striking out one in the fourth inning.
- Oakland A’s – Mason Miller fired a clean sixth, striking out two. He’s made two clean appearances this spring and recorded five strikeouts of six batters faced (83.3 K%). Dany Jiménez tossed a clean seventh, striking out one. Through three clean outings, he’s recorded two strikeouts.
- Texas Rangers – José Leclerc tossed a scoreless sixth, walking one and striking out one. By my count, he threw 15 pitches (60 Strike%) and generated three whiffs (20 SwStr%).
- Toronto Blue Jays – Jordan Romano suffered his first blown save allowing two hits and an earned run before being lifted in the fourth. Over his two-thirds of an inning, he threw 20 pitches (65 Strike%) with two whiffs (10 SwStr%).
Until next time, stay safe and be well.
