Guzman Extends Pitch Count At Fitch Park
While the EXST Cubs were losing 8-3 to the EXST Giants this morning on Fitch Park Field #3, Angel Guzman continued his rehab from September 2007 TJ surgery, throwing 20 pitches in a "simulated game" on Field #2.
Facing five EXST Cubs who were not in the starting lineup on Field #3 (Junior Lake, George Matheus, Nelson Perez, Kevin Soto, and Josh Vitters), the 26-year old Guzman once again had good velocity (consistently throwing his fastball 92-94 MPH, same as last Thursday), but also once again struggled with his control, (throwing ten balls and ten strikes in his one inning of work). But at least nobody hit the ball hard off him.
The same could not be said of Guzman's "simulated opponent," Daytona RHP Jon Mueller, who is also rehabbing at Fitch Park.
Mueller threw one real ringer-dinger, as Nelson Perez unloaded a bomb over the RF fence onto 8th Street to put an exclamation point on Mueller's two innings (30 pitches) of mostly subpar work.
Meanwhile, in the EXST game versus Giants on Field #3, RHP Jose Pina (2007 TJ surgery) got his first game action of 2008, throwing one shutout inning (one hit, no walks, and one K). He threw strikes and with decent velocity, and had no control problems at all.
The 22-year old Dominican spent most of the 2007 season in the starting rotation at Peoria, going 5-8 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 23 games (19 GS), with a 37/71 BB/K and 107 hits allowed in 107 IP, before getting shut-down with a sore elbow that eventually resulted in season-ending surgery.
17-year old Dominican Jeffrey Antigua followed Pina to the mound and got clobbered, easily Antigua's worst outing of EXST 2008. The young left-hander allowed six runs on a triple, two doubles, four singles, and three walks, in just two innings of work.
19-year oldn Dominican RHP Miguel Sierra followed Antigua to the hill, and allowed two runs on five hits over four innings, and then ex-catcher (now RHP) Jake Muyco made his EXST Cactus League debut, throwing one inning, while allowing one hit but no runs.
Muyco had good velocity on his fastball, but the one hit he allowed was a hanging breaking ball. (I'll bet he didn't throw too many of those when he was behind the plate!).
Muyco has the typical look of a catcher-turned-pitcher, throwing with a cocky "bulldog" short-arm motion that is completely artless and totally lacking in style points. But he attacks the opposing hitters with an aggressive, sneering demeanor, and rapid-fire pace.
In EXST roster moves, infielder Gian Guzman was promoted to Peoria, replacing 2B Jeffrey Rea, who has returned to Fitch Park (he is injured again). Also, Tennessee infielder Robinson Chirinos has been sent to EXST at Fitch Park to learn to be a catcher.
Here is today's abridged box score (Cubs players only):
LINEUP:
1. Cesar Salazar, CF: 1-2 (RBI, BB, HBP, SB)
2. Kyler Burke, RF: 0-3 (BB)
3. Carlos Perez, DH #1: 0-4 (GIDP)
4. Drew Rundle, DH #2: 1-4
5a. John Contreras, 3B: 0-2 (K, GIDP)
5b. Junior Lake, 3B: 0-2
6a. Marwin Gonzalez, SS: 0-2 (R, BB)
6b. Roberto Sabates, PH: 0-1 (K)
7. Dwayne Kemp, 2B: 1-3 (R, BB, K)
8. Alvaro Sosa, C: 2-2 (RBI, R, BB)
9. Bryan Jost, 1B: 0-2 (BB, K, GIDP)
10. Jose Made, LF: 0-2 (RBI, HBP, K)
PITCHERS:
1. Jose Pina - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (2/0 GO/FO)
2. Jeffry Antigua - 2.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 1 K (3/1 GO/FO)
3. Miguel Sierra - 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP (4/4 GO/FO)
4. Jake Muyco - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (1/2 GO/FO)
5. Israel Camacaro - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (2/1 GO/FO)
ERRORS: NONE!
CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Alvaro Sosa: 1-1 CS
WEATHER: Cloudless, sunny, and hot, temperature over 100 degrees (headed for an expected mid-afternoon high of 110).
ATTENDANCE: 16
And here is the updated 2008 CUBS EXTENDED SPRING TRAINING ROSTER (as of 5/19)
53 PLAYERS (41 ACTIVE):
37 ON ACTIVE ROSTER
3 ON ACTIVE REHAB
1 ON RESTRICTED LIST – ACTIVE
12 ON DISABLED LIST - LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY
* bats or throws left
# bats both
ACTIVE players in BOLD
PITCHERS (31 TOTAL – 24 ACTIVE):
Alberto Alburquerque (SHOULDER SURGERY REHAB – LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
* Jeffry Antigua
* Michael Bunton (INJURY REHAB - LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Israel Camacaro
Rogelio Carmona
Rafael Dolis (TJ SURGERY REHAB - LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Eduardo Figueroa
Yohan Gonzalez
Angel Guzman (ACTIVE REHAB)
* Cody Hams
Marcus Hatley
* Arik Hempy
Robert Hernandez (RESTRICTED LIST - ACTIVE)
Chris Huseby
Kitt Kopach (SHOULDER SURGERY REHAB - LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Oswaldo Martinez (TJ SURGERY REHAB - LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Jon Mueller (ACTIVE REHAB)
John Muller
Jake Muyco (ex-catcher - POSITION CHANGE)
Dionis Nunez
* Mark Pawelek
Julio Pena
Jose Pina (ACTIVE REHAB)
Andres Quezada (ex-OF - POSITION CHANGE)
Cedric Redmond (LABRUM INJURY REHAB - LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Carlos Rojas
Ryan Searle
Miguel Sierra
Larry Suarez (TJ SURGERY REHAB – LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
* Luke Sommer (ex-OF - POSITION CHANGE)
Harol Tolentino
CATCHERS (5 TOTAL – 4 ACTIVE):
Robinson Chirinos (ex-2B - POSITION CHANGE)
Jose Guevara (HAND INJURY REHAB – LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Carlos Perez
Roberto Sabates
# Alvaro Sosa
INFIELDERS (10 TOTAL – 8 ACTIVE):
Starlin Castro (FINGER INJURY REHAB - LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
John Contreras
# Marwin Gonzalez
Dwayne Kemp
* Bryan Jost
Junior Lake
Jose Made
George Matheus
* Jeffrey Rea (LEG INJURY REHAB - LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Josh Vitters
OUTFIELDERS (7 TOTAL – 5 ACTIVE):
* Kyler Burke
* Jeff Culpepper (SHOULDER SURGERY REHAB – LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
* Clark Hardman (INJURY REHAB – LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
* Nelson Perez
* Drew Rundle
# Cesar Salazar
Kevin Soto
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