Spring Vibes, March 4: Bednar’s injury, Mariners roster projection, Game Recaps, and more

Pittsburgh Pirates – After seeing a report on “X” regarding a lat issue for David Bednar, MLB.com’s injuries and roster moves tab provided some insight on the setback. He felt tightness during his throwing program, and the team will monitor his progress. He’s not appeared in a spring training contest yet. Depending on how long this persists may impact his being ready for Opening Day. This will put more focus on Aroldis Chapman as a handcuff. On Sunday, he fired a clean third, striking out one on 11 pitches (81.8 Strike percentage) and induced three whiffs (27.3 swinging strike rate).

Seattle Mariners – Taking a first run at a roster projection, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com posted some names off of fantasy radars. He also suggested Matt Brash could return by mid-April if his throwing program goes well. 

Quick Hits (Notes of Interest from games on March 3)

  • Atlanta Braves – Taking over in the fourth, Aaron Bummer gave up three hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out two. Daysbel Hernández fired a clean fifth, striking out two. A.J. Minter collected his first spring win, retiring the side in order in the sixth while striking out one. Pierce Johnson notched his first spring hold, yielding a hit during a scoreless seventh. Joe Jiménez navigated around a hit and a walk while recording all three outs via strikeout in the eighth.
  • Chicago Cubs – Hector Neris tossed a scoreless fourth, yielding a hit. He’s logged two appearances this spring and owns a 0.50 WHIP with one strikeout. Adbert Alzolay worked a scoreless fourth allowing a hit and striking out one. He’s also appeared in two contests and sports a 0.50 WHIP with two strikeouts.
  • Chicago White Sox –  Jordan Leasure worked a scoreless sixth, walking one and striking out two, with this clip courtesy of the Pitching Ninja showing his arsenal.
  • Los Angeles Angels – Suffering his first blown save this spring, Carlos Estévez served up a solo home run and struck out one in the third inning. Drew Pomeranz tossed a scoreless fourth, yielding a hit and striking out one. Adam Cimber retired the side in order in the fifth. Zach Plesac collected his second spring win. He logged two scoreless frames giving up a hit and a walk while striking out three.
  • Minnesota Twins – A better outing for Jhoan Durán (MIN), but he gave up two hits and recorded a strikeout in the third against the Rays. He threw 17 pitches (11 strikes – 64.7 Strike percentage) and induced four whiffs (23.5 swinging strike percentage).

Thanks for dropping in, stay safe and be well.

Spring Vibes: Hader debuts, Suarez dealing with traffic, and more

March 3, 2024

Houston Astros – Josh Hader made his spring debut. In the game recap by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, he tossed a scoreless fifth, giving up a hit. He threw 16 pitches (9 strikes – 60 strike percentage) and hit 95 m.p.h. with his sinker, but he’s not concerned about velocity. He only threw one change-up, but this fits his modus operandi from last year:

San Diego Padres – Somehow, Robert Suarez turned in a scoreless appearance despite allowing two hits and two walks, while striking out one for a scoreless sixth. He got credit for his first spring hold, but it was eventful. Through three games, he owns a 3:4 K:BB with a 4.29 WHIP, less than optimal. Per Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune, Enyel De Los Santos and Woo-suk Go will pitch on Sunday. On the injury front, Yuki Matsui threw from 90 feet:

Atlanta Braves – Another nice outing by Ken Giles. He recorded his first spring hold with a scoreless fourth, walking one and striking out one. He threw 11 pitches (36.4 Strike percentage) with two whiffs (18.2 swinging strike percentage). He’s also recording them against tough competition per Justin Toscano on “X”. He may graduate from a fantasy afterthought into a reliever worth streaming in leagues with holds or SOLDS. Stay tuned.

Miami Marlins – Out of minor league options, Sixto Sánchez could break camp with Miami as a reliever. He made his spring debut on Saturday, firing a clean fifth and striking out one for his first hold. He threw 14 pitches (71.4 Strike percentage) and induced two whiffs (14.3 swinging strike percentage). It’s tough not rooting for him after all he’s been through, and his “Dad bod” physique. From Christina De Nicola’s game recap for MLB.com:

Philadelphia Phillies –  It’s early in spring contests, but José Alvarado only allowed two home runs on his sinker last year but served one up against Ryan Jeffers in this outing, among his two hits allowed. Alvarado threw 19 pitches (12 strikes – 63.2 Strike percentage) and induced one whiff:

Matt Strahm fired a clean fourth, striking out two on 14 pitches (71.4 Strike percentage) with three whiffs (21.4 swinging strike percentage). Gregory Soto worked around two hits for a scoreless fifth, recording one strikeout. Jeff Hoffman tossed a scoreless sixth, walking one. He threw 14 pitches (8 strikes – 57.1 Strike percentage) with three whiffs (21.4 swinging strike percentage).

Detroit Tigers – It’s assumed Alex Lange will open the season as his team’s primary save share. However, the Tigers signed two veterans capable of providing high-leverage innings this season. On Saturday, Andrew Chafin fired a clean outing, striking out two on seven pitches (all strikes) while producing three whiffs (42.9 swinging strike percentage). Shelby Miller tossed a clean fourth, striking out one. He threw eight pitches (87.5 Strike percentage) and induced three whiffs (37.5 swinging strike rate). Jason Foley had a rough outing resulting in his first loss, and first blown save this spring. 

Kansas City Royals -During his spring debut, Will Smith fired a clean inning, striking out two. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, his delayed appearance was by plan since he was part of the World Series championships for three straight seasons. She also reported he will be incorporating a change-up into his arsenal during spring games. 

Minnesota Twins – Do-Hyoung Park published his first roster projection for the Twins on MLB.com. No major surprises, except it does not include Jorge Alcala. He’s had a strong spring with three scoreless appearances, a 0.67 WHIP, and three strikeouts versus one walk. However, he has minor league options remaining, which means he will be the first reliever promoted if an injury occurs unless he forces his way onto the Opening Day roster. 

Arizona Diamondbacks – Not only will Paul Sewald enter 2024 as the “bonafide closer“, but he’s also adding a new pitch. In this post by Jesus Cano of MLB.com, it’s mentioned Sewald will try adding a change-up to his repertoire. As for his spring debut on Saturday, he navigated around two hits for a scoreless outing. Last year, he relied on elevated four-seam fastballs and his sweeper:

If you enjoyed this sneak preview of the information our premium subs get in their daily updates, including charts and notes of interest, please consider becoming one ($20 for the season).