Thread: Major League Baseball 2023 Season

MLB - 471 FEET for Kevin Cron! https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1632166977283268608

Alex Wood strikes out 5 in spring debut

Wood sharp in spring debut; Conforto homers

With his 5-month-old son, Asa, in the stands for the first time, left-hander Alex Wood had extra incentive to perform well in his 2023 spring debut on Saturday afternoon. He didn’t disappoint, striking out five over two scoreless innings in the Giants’ 9-5 split-squad loss to the D-backs at Scottsdale Stadium.

“I needed to do good because it’s my son’s first game today,” Wood said. “He wasn’t going to be allowed back if I did bad. I’m glad I threw well today.”

Wood, the final Giants starting pitcher to make his debut this spring, struck out the side in the first inning and then punched out two more batters in the second to complete his crisp outing. The 32-year-old veteran sat from 92-93 mph with his sinker and had no issues with the pitch timer.

Even before the new rule, Wood was known for his quick tempo, though he said he thought he might have rushed things a bit in the first.

Reds top prospect Elly De La Cruz homers, triples

No. 1 prospect De La Cruz homers, triples in breakout game

Finally, Elly De La Cruz was off and running. And it was impressive.

De La Cruz, the top prospect in the Reds' organization per MLB Pipeline, connected for his first two hits of the Cactus League season -- a triple and a home run. The feats by the shortstop, who was 2-for-2 with a walk, were among the most notable highlights in a 12-6 split-squad loss to the Royals on Saturday at Goodyear Ballpark.

"A triple and a home run are both really fun for me," De La Cruz said via translator Jorge Merlos.

Red Sox's Justin Turner hit on face with pitch, gets 16 stitches

Boston Red Sox infielder Justin Turner needed 16 stitches after he was hit in the face by a pitch during Monday's spring training game against the Detroit Tigers.

The 38-year-old Turner fell to the ground after getting drilled by right-hander Matt Manning. Medical personnel rushed to the plate, and Turner was bleeding and had a towel on his face as he walked off the field.

He was taken to a hospital in Fort Myers, Florida, and treated for soft tissue injuries.

Aaron Judge hits first spring home run

Judge's first spring HR gives Yanks 'a lot of adrenaline'

The Aaron Judge Show crisscrossed the country last summer, his 62 home runs thrilling audiences far and wide as the Yankees slugger embarked upon a memorable mission to break Roger Maris’ 61-year-old American League single-season record.

It won’t count toward his eventual 2023 tally, but as Judge lifted a deep fly ball in the second inning Monday night during the Yankees' 9-2 Spring Training victory over the Pirates at George M. Steinbrenner Field, one couldn’t help but ponder what the reigning AL Most Valuable Player plans for an encore.

Tigers exploring pitchers calling pitches

Who's pushing the pitch buttons for Tigers?

The sight of Eduardo Rodriguez reaching to his left hip to press buttons was a new one as the Tigers left-hander worked through his Spring Training start Friday against the Phillies in Clearwater.

A veteran, Rodriguez had an idea of what he wanted to work on for his next-to-last start before the World Baseball Classic and used the latest PitchCom system -- which includes a keypad for the pitcher-- to essentially call his own pitches.

He was far from the first pitcher to do that this spring, but he was the first Tigers pitcher to try it out to that extent. From his comments following three scoreless innings with three strikeouts, he clearly liked it.

“I'm calling my own pitches, and if [the catcher] doesn't like the pitch that I'm going to throw, he'll just call me back,” Rodriguez said. “But it feels more comfortable for me to call the pitch that I want to throw, because I have so much confidence in it. But if the catcher sees something, he can just tell me right away.

“I feel like those pitches are the ones I feel really good about that day warming up. I feel like I'm the one who knows myself more than anybody, and if some pitches aren't working the right way that day, and the catcher's calling it … you're not going to throw it with the same confidence. That's what I feel is going to make me better, because I'm going to call the pitch that I really feel comfortable with.”

Kodai Senga has solid start in spring debut for Mets

Kodai Senga had a bunch of stuff to process during his first start in a Mets uniform Sunday afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

To begin with, this was the 30-year-old right-hander’s first Spring Training outing, and there was a horde of Japanese media on hand to record it. In addition to the usual Mets contingent, there also was that new pitch timer constantly reminding him how much time he had to deliver each pitch. And staring him down at the plate was the intimidating Cardinals lineup that included Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Jordan Walker, who has been wielding a red-hot bat this spring.

So it was understandable that the nerves might be a little amped up for Senga, whom the Mets signed as a free agent in December. It certainly appeared so in the first inning when Senga issued back-to-back walks to Brendan Donovan and Tyler O’Neill, the first two St. Louis batters he faced. But the nerves calmed, and Senga promptly pitched out of the early jam by retiring Goldschmidt and Arenado on an infield popup and flyout to right. Then he sat down Walker, whom Senga made look silly on a swinging third strike with what has been labeled his ghost pitch, a devastating splitter that completely fooled Walker.

MLB - The first Belli bomb in a @Cubs uniform!: https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1633597790193328128

Pirates top MLB fan experience list for second-consecutive season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are known across the country as having one of the best ballparks in America, but a recent compilation ranks the Bucs with the best accommodations outside of PNC Park.

The Pirates’ best category was the fan sentiment poll, earning 30 points, while earning 26 points for the miles from Pittsburgh, 25 for tailgating, and 18 for the experience around the stadium.

NL Central Rankings:

1st. Pittsburgh Pirates

4th. Cincinnati Reds

5th. St. Louis Cardinals

10th. Milwaukee Brewers

T-20th. Chicago Cubs

Author Adam Thompson expressed why the Pirates own the best overall experience.

“For the second consecutive year, PNC Park ranked No. 1 in all of MLB. And yet, it didn’t rank No. 1 in any of the four key categories. What it did do is rank in the upper-half in all four aspects, and top six in three of the four. Its proximity to the city itself, while maintaining a spot that suits both adult groups and families, set the City of Bridges apart from the rest of MLB once again.”

Carlos Rodon injury is latest in Yankees' mounting concerns

The Yankees several times used the word “mild” to describe marquee pitching acquisition Carlos Rodon’s new elbow issue. That may be the case, but I’ll say this: Their overall pitching problem is anything but mild.

In fact, it’s quite concerning.

General manager Brian Cashman read of litany of pitching injuries Thursday morning, and Aaron Boone revealed after the game that center fielder Harrison Bader has a side issue and is going for testing, which seemed like the topper on one unhappy day. It’s to the point where both Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt (or someone below them on the depth chart) will begin the year in the rotation. And that presumes Nestor Cortes, who skipped the WBC due to a hamstring issue and hasn’t pitched yet, is OK.

The news wasn’t much better out of the bullpen, where Lou Trivino was diagnosed with an elbow sprain and is also shut down, joining Tommy Kahnle, who has been sidelined with biceps tendinitis. And they will need their best out of the bullpen with at least two of their top five starters out to start the season.

Jacob Berry and Dax Fulton, Marlins prospects, sent down to Minors camp

Marlins reassign Nos. 2, 4 prospects to Minors camp

Top prospects Jacob Berry and Dax Fulton were among the Marlins' first round of cuts on Tuesday morning, though neither was a surprise considering they were participating in their first big league camp.

"Fulton said that he didn't perform the way he wanted to perform, but we're looking at more than just that," manager Skip Schumaker said. "When I couldn't find Fulton a couple times for talks and that kind of thing of his scheduling, he was in the weight room, or he was getting his body worked on. He was handling himself the right way. So we look at more than just the three or four innings that he threw.

"'What did you do in between starts, and what did you do in the weight room, and how were you around teammates and that type of stuff?' And both Berry and Fulton showed that they're prospects for a reason. They're a big part of our organization, and we're really happy where they're at."

Ranked as Miami's No. 4 prospect, Fulton surrendered four runs on five hits across one-plus innings on Feb. 28 in his spring debut against the Red Sox, then another two runs (one earned) on three hits in 1 2/3 frames on Monday vs. the Rays. In 2022, the 21-year-old southpaw received a promotion to Double-A Pensacola, where he threw to a 2.57 ERA in four games (three starts) and helped the Blue Wahoos capture the Southern League title.

“I think that's one of the key things for me, is learning how to execute mentally when I'm on the mound,” Fulton said two weeks ago. “Keep my cool and make sure that I know how to pitch to these hitters that are a little bit more advanced than the guys I've been facing.”

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AJ Pollock brings playoff experience to Mariners

After ending the multi-decade postseason drought that hung over Seattle like the clouds the city is known so well for, the Mariners entered Spring Training with a hunger to ensure that their taste of the playoffs would turn into something more filling.

Seattle spent the offseason strategically making moves to bolster its roster, confident that its core can carry it into the next phase of the organization’s development: becoming a perennial postseason contender. The one position group that saw the most turnover in that effort was the outfield.

While the November trade for Teoscar Hernández drew the most attention, followed by the departure of longtime Mariner Mitch Haniger in his first taste of free agency and the December deal that sent away Jesse Winker in exchange for expected starting second baseman Kolten Wong, Seattle made a quieter acquisition that could end up paying dividends during the 2023 season.

AJ Pollock, the 35-year-old veteran with a World Series title to his name from his 2020 season with the Dodgers, signed a one-year contract worth $7 million with the Mariners in January. After turning down a $13 million player option with the White Sox for the ’23 campaign (accepting a $5 million buyout), Pollock chose Seattle as the place where he might be able to have the greatest impact.

Marlins, veteran first baseman Yuli Gurriel agree to contract, per report

The Miami Marlins and free agent first baseman Yuli Gurriel have agreed on a contract, reports Ken Rosenthal. Terms of the deal weren't immediately known and it's likely the deal is pending a physical.

Gurriel, 38, spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career -- after defecting from Cuba -- with the Houston Astros, winning two World Series titles, a Gold Glove and a batting title in the process.

Last season, Gurriel hit .242/.288/.360 (84 OPS+) with 40 doubles, eight home runs, 53 RBI, 53 runs, eight stolen bases and -0.3 WAR. He looked like the Gurriel of old in the playoffs, though, gathering hits in nine of the 12 games with five of those games being multi-hit efforts en route to a .347 average along with two home runs.

For whatever reason, Gurriel has an even-odd thing going right now in his career. That is, he had great seasons in 2017, 2019 (including 31 homers and 104 RBI) and 2021 (including an AL-best .319 average) while he had down years in 2018 and especially 2020 and 2022.