Can Yankees break homers record? Judge thinks so; Pineda back on the mound
happy with the power he’s been able to generate at the plate. He has cut back on everything from swings to how many sprints he runs in hopes fewer reps will ead to better health in September and October.
“I overworked during spring training and it showed up midseason with all the other workload,” he said.
Kansas City Royals
Bubba Starling was the fifth overall pick in 2011 but who was dropped from the 40-man roster this offseason before rejoining the Royals on a minor league contract. He is looking to make an impact this spring and has been happy with the early results, thanks in part to a new plate approach.
“I think it’s coming down to being relaxed and comfortable and how early I can see the ball to be on time” he told MLB.com. “That’s pretty much what I’m working on. Keeping it simple.”
❚ Right-hander Drew Storen threw a scoreless inning on March 2 against the Mariners in his first appearance following owing Tommy John surgery in September 2017.
Los Angeles Angels
With back-to-back homers off Oakland’s Marco Estrado on March 3, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols recorded their first homers of the spring.
“I feel good, seeing the ball really good, putting good swings on the ball,” Trout told reporters. “My first at-bat about three games ago, I was getting jammed on a line. Made an adjustment, felt good since then.”
❚ Pujols enters the season 18 RBI shy of 2,000 for his career. He would become the fourth player all-time to reach the milestone since 1900, joining Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Alex Rodriguez.
Minnesota Twins
Michael Pineda made his first appearance on March 1 after joining the Twins as a free agent in December. He hasn’t appeared in a major league game since July 5, 2017, sidelined by Tommy John surgery and then a torn meniscus in his right knee suffered during his rehab.
“A couple of friends said, ‘Oh, you threw hard today,’ ” Pineda told reporters. “I’m thanking God, but I’m not really focused on that . ... I’m a power pitcher, but with a couple of surgeries, the only thing is I want to be healthy and compete. I’m not focused on the velocity.”
Pineda is expected to be ready for opening day. One of the top players in baseball when he debuted in 2011, Pineda, 30, has only managed to make 117 big-league starts isnce then during an injury-riddled career.
❚ All-Star Jose Berrios will be Minnesota’s opening day starter, the first such assignment for the 24-year-old righthander.
New York Yankees
After the Yankees hit seven homers in split-squad games on March 3, Aaron Judge made a bold prediction.
“You get this whole team healthy, we’re going to crush the record that we set last year,” Judge told reporters. “We have a good team, a lot of guys that can make a lot of solid contact. When they make contact, it goes. We’re a team that’s primed and ready to do that.”
The Yankees hit a major league-record 267 homers in 2018. Last season, injuries that limited Judge to 112 games, Gary Sanchez to 89 and Greg Bird to 82.
❚ Right-hander Danny Farquhar faced six Pittsburgh batters on March 2 in his first game action since suffering a brain hemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm in the dugout while with the White Sox on April 20, 2018. He retired on of six Pirates batters. “I’ve never been high-fived so much giving up five runs in my career,” Farquhar said with a smile.
Oakland Athletics
With the departure of Jed Lowrie, manager Bob Melvin must find someone for the third spot in the lineup. Candidates include right-handed hitters Matt Chapman and Stephen Piscotty, left-handed hitting Matt Olson and switch hitter Jurickson Profar. Davis
Seattle Mariners
Khris
Felix Hernandez, coming off the worst season of his career and entering the final season of a seven-year, $175 million deal, may be relying more on his curveball this season. Last season opponents hit .199 against his curve, compared to .320 on his two-seamer, the pitch he threw the most.
“We talked a little bit about it,” manager Scott Servais told reporters. “It was more, ‘Why don’t we use this a little more? It’s one of your better weapons, and that’s what the numbers spit out to us.’
“We’ve talked about it in the past and now we put the numbers to it.”
❚ Infielders Shed Long, Dylan Moore and Kristopher Negron are vying for a backup infield spot. Servais has said only one of team. the CHARLIE RIEDEL/AP trio
Tampa Bay Rays
the
Brandon Lowe, fighting for a roster spot, went 4-for-5, with a home run and six RBI, playing first base and left field against Toronto March 2.
“Just got to bottle what I did up today and save it for the season,” Lowe told TampaBay.com.
Lowe, a third-round pick in 2015, appeared in 43 games for the Rays last season, playing second base, left field and right field.
❚ Ryne Stanek made his first “opener” appearance on March 3 against Pittsburgh. Last season he made 30 relief appearances and 29 starts as an opener, all after May 25.
Texas Rangers
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Right-hander Lance Lynn made his spring debut March 3 against the Dodgers. At this point last year, he was still a free agent, signing with the Twins on March 12. The late signing likely affected his performance. He went 0-3 in five games is April, giving up 22 runs in 232⁄3 innings.
“It probably didn’t help,” Lynn told reporters. “Gave up a lot of runs, a lot of hits and walked a lot of people in April. Hopefully I can do that this March and not in April this year.”
❚ Adrian Beltre, who retired after last season following a 21season career, visited Rangers camp on March 2. The Rangers will retire Beltre’s No. 29 on June 8.
Toronto Blue Jays
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., one of baseball’s top prospects, continues to impress. On March 3 against the Yankees, Guerrero, 19, doubled off the wall on a onehanded swing.
“What was I thinking?” manager Charlie Montoyo said to reporters. “If it was me, it would have been a bloop single or something to the catcher. That was amazing. So relaxed. I can never relate to that. That’s a good sign for us.”
❚ Devon Travis, plagued by injuries over the past few seasons, hoped this year would be different. But Travis, in a battle for the second base job, is sidelined indefinitely with an inflamed left knee. He averaged just 79 games over the last four seasons.