MLB: Benicia’s Willie Calhoun in familiar spot with Texas.
Willie Calhoun was not in the Texas lineup Sunday … against the Los Angeles Dodgers … at Surprise Stadium.
That was the scene a year ago for the most terrifying moment of his career.
But the Benicia High alum was in the lineup Monday against the Cubs on the oneyear anniversary of being plunked in the face by 95mph fastball that broke his jaw.
“I just try to leave it in my past and not think too much about it,” Calhoun said.
Plunked by former Dodgers minorleague teammate Julio Urias, a lefthander, the leftyhitting Calhoun felt some unease in the batter’s box against certain lefties.
Manager Chris Woodward tried to protect Calhoun, who wanted to face more tough lefties as the season progressed. This spring, he has not been gun shy against lefties.
“There’s been none at all,” Woodward said. “His second (spring) atbat was against a lefty. He’s stays right in there. He’s seeing breaking balls. I was really proud of him.”
There were two other leg injuries and a lack of performance last season, but Calhoun also attempted to make sense of racial injustice and his role as a Black man on a roster filled mostly by white men and Latinos.
“There’s a lot of people that can relate to the difficulties that he had to go through,” Woodward said. “What Willie went through last year, on the field getting hit in the face and then with the social stuff … that’s real life.”
Calhoun cleared his head in the offseason to get ready for a spring training in which he finds himself in a familiar spot, competing for playing time. The Rangers acquired left fielder David Dahl and former A’s designated hitter Khris Davis, and they play the same positions as Calhoun.
“I’ve always been the guy that’s been the underdog,” Calhoun said. “I don’t look at this spring any differently. As I’m getting older, I’m constantly growing every day and looking at things from a different perspective and using it for motivation.”
Joe Ross returns: The Nationals’ righthander hasn’t pitched in a meaningful game since the 2019 World Series, so after opting out of last season because of the coronavirus pandemic, his first spring training start was a key step back.
“I guess I wasn’t as jittery, to be honest, as I was expecting myself to be,” Ross said after retiring five of the seven batters he faced, three via strikeouts, and throwing 39 pitches as the Nats beat the Mets 95.
“Similar, I guess, to riding a bike,” Ross said. “But I feel like the extended time off — there’s an initial soreness just in the offseason I think every pitcher goes through when you start playing catch again.”
The Bishop O’DowdOakland alum who is the brother of former A’s pitcher is considered the leading candidate to earn the role as Washington’s fifth starter in a rotation that includes Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Jon Lester, who is back in camp after surgery to remove his thyroid gland. Ross is competing with Erick Fedde (two scoreless innings Monday) and Austin Voth.
“He was happy to be back out there,” said Nationals manager Dave Martinez, who hopes to get Ross four more starts before spring training ends. “It’s been a while.” Odorizzi to Astros: Righthander Jake Odorizzi and Houston finalized a $20.25 million, twoyear contract that includes a player option for 2023.
Highlights: The Rangers’ Japanese import, Kohei Arihara, bounced back from a shaky spring training debut, pitching three solid innings in a 90, seveninning loss to the Cubs . ... Andres Gimenez, who likely will be Cleveland’s starting shortstop, hit an insidethepark homer in a 100 rout of the Mariners . ... Urias retired nine straight to start, David Price followed with a perfect inning and five Dodgers pitchers combined on a threehitter in an 80 win over the White Sox . ... Justin Upton homered twice and Anthony Rendon also connected for the Angels in a 109 loss to the Brewers. Outfield prospect Jordyn Adams added a threerun homer . ... Tejay Antone allowed two hits and struck out three over three scoreless innings as the Reds beat Colorado 64. Jeff Hoffman followed with three scoreless innings, striking out four.