Cubs MLB Roster

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40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
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Game 159 Thread/Cubs @ Marlins (3 of 3)

Game Chat : BR Preview : Game Notes Steve Trachsel vs. Scott Olsen Lineups:
Soriano LF Ramirez SS
Theriot SS Uggla 2B
Lee 1B Hermida RF
Ramirez 3B Cabrera 3B
DeRosa 2B Jacobs 1B
Soto C Linden LF
Monroe RF Olivo C
Jones CF De Aza CF
Trachsel P Olsen P
Paul Sullivan reports that following last night's loss, Steve Trachsel was shouting profanities at reporters from across the Cub locker room. It wasn't clear if something precipitated the behavior or if it's just an adorable quirk. Swearin' Steve is 1-2 in his second stint as a Cub, averaging about 4 1/3 IP, 7 hits and 4 runs allowed per outing. With all that's riding on today's result, no way Lou Piniella will let Trachsel anywhere near the fifth inning if he's struggling. Are the Cubs playing "tight"? After last night's game, Lou said he thought they were, and some of what we're seeing on the field--the constant chirping at umpires, the mental mistakes--would indicate the manager is right. Maybe last night's Brewer loss to the Cards will loosen everyone up. Also, I'm thinking that after losing every game they've played against this fifth-place team this year, the Cubs are at some point bound to have a victory land in their laps. Chicago-area native Olsen (3 no-decisions, 3.94 ERA lifetime v. Cubs) gave up eight unearned runs in his last start, against the Mets. That's a new Florida franchise record. I bet his family in Crystal Lake is proud.

Comments

Sullivan is really not a fan of Uncle Steve.... ------------------------------------ Paul, I've only gotten to see the Cubs on TV four or five times this year. Would you say that they are a "smarter" team than they were the past couple of years? --John Anderson, Grove City, Penn. They were until they traded for Trachsel, which lowered the average IQ in the clubhouse quite a bit. http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/askthewrit…

Also..... --------------------------------------- Why the flurry of trades between the Cubs and O's over the past couple of years: Sosa, Patterson, Bynum, now Trachsel. Who has come out ahead in these deals? --Ken, Baltimore Considering how bad Trachsel is, I'd say it's even, though the Cubs did get Mike Fontenot and Kevin Hart in the Sosa and Bynum deals, so in the long run, they may get the better of the deal.

damn he really doesn't.... maybe he was just yelling expletives at Paul Sullivan.

Higher probability? (a) Trachsel pitches well today, or (b) Trachsel kicks Paul Sullivan's ass on the flight to Cincy?

I like six, seven and eight. Both Jones and Monroe have a bunch of home runs pent up inside them. And I like Jones pushing Monroe the hell out of centerfield.

Jesse Rogers on WSCR said it was all done very jokingly. All the media guys were standing around watching the Brewers-Cards game, but none of the players were. So Traschel shouted, "Hey, turn that fucking thing off." But Rogers said it was all very tongue-in-cheek.

Seems like most of the media guys don't agree with Jesse Rogers. The Trachsel comment was brought up in stories within the Trib, Sun-Times and Daily Herald with Miles even going as far as saying Trachsel "yelled angrily clear across the room." You would think the word "fuck" wouldn't be all that uncommon within a clubhouse. Pretty strange all of the beat writers felt the need to mention it within their stories if it was said "tongue-in-check" as Rogers suggests.

Seems like most of the media guys don’t agree with Jesse Rogers. Well... the Score has about as much credibility as Wes would have after we saw his minor league numbers, so I would just take whatever Rogers and the rest of the folk at the Score say with a grain of salt.

Sure hope Lou has someone warming up in the pen: Olsen at home 4.96 ERA Trachsel on road 5.72 ERA Trachsel September 7.62 ERA Cubs vs Olsen .193 BA

Tadow. Watch me take Olsen out. I'm goin' yard. I'm gonna hit the goddamn ball so hard that it'll fly into the Gulf or the Atlantic and cause a goddamn tsunami.

Cubs vs Olsen .193 BA At least give a stat that is relevant. Who cares what Olsen has done against the Cubs in the past? Something a bit more relevant would what the Cubs' current players have done against Olsen, and that would be a .316 BA and an 894 OPS.

Big win for AZ today. Damn, waiting for this game has been painful...playball already. Playoff ball is upon us.

Well… the Score has about as much credibility as Wes would have after we saw his minor league numbers, so I would just take whatever Rogers and the rest of the folk at the Score say with a grain of salt. Cut me real deep, dave. Real deep.

Went to the nearest "wet" county today. Bought not one, but two bottles of champagne, so I won't have to go back until we get to the league championship series.

Lou just said it again, that the Marlins score a lot of runs and "frankly we don't." But over the season they rank #7 (769) in RS and we are #8 (734). And the difference is entirely due to them having hit 52 more home runs. However, over the last 30 days #7 Cubs 138 RS #10 Marlins 133 RS #3 Cubs 42 HR #8 Marlins 33 HR Pitching the last 30 days #5 Cubs 4.15 ERA #15 Marlins 5.66 ERA This losing streak to the Fish is ridiculous! Go Cubs!!

Re 4 pm EDT start... It's Marlins Flashlight Keychain day today, so perhaps they want the game to be over around dusk so they can play Freebird at the end and close with a kind of rock concert feel. It's also their last home game of the year and since its a fly-away day for the Cubs and Marlins, it could not be a night game. So this way they'll get, oh, four thousand folks instead of four hundred.

I'm pretty much gonna guarantee that Trachsel walks a run in here...

Wow, this is a speedy game. 40+ minutes, still the top of the 2nd. Trachsel 30 pitches in an interminable bottom of the 1st and Olson at 50 pitching to Theriot in the 2nd. Whee!

I don't know how the Cubs thought this outing with Trachsel was going to go, but it's certainly anything but a surprise to me....

Dave, I do not suck. I hit a ton of long balls. Last year, I hit a bunch in the playoffs. I'ma do it this year too. That's why Lou is playing me. You'll see. The Joe, you'll see too.

Not only does Trachsel have no velocity, but his location SUCKS. I hope Mr. Hart has some multi-inning magic in store for us today.

This is a fucking joke. How Trachsel can be starting today is a JOKE!!! I don't understand. Already down 3-1...UGH!!!!!!!

Matt: "Why is Sean Marshall not pitching?" No, the better question is why the hell isn't Hill pitching on regular rest today. Makes no sense!!!

Regardless of Trachsel, though, we outta be able to score more than a few runs. This is the third consecutive day that we've faced starters with era over 5.00.

Why is Craig Monroe playing? Why is Trachsel pitching? The man has nothing. We're going with the horses that got us here.... *@!$???#*&@!

Can we just leave Trachsel in Florida? Save us some heartache and the cost of a plane ticket. I hear it's a popular place to retire.

Why oh why couldn't someone on this team step up this week and pitch a shutout? Folks with playoff tickets, well, don't assume you will need them for anything other than a reimbursement.

Wade Miller: 3 starts, 0-3, 10.54 ERA. Steve Trachsel: 4 starts, 1-2 plus today, 7.62 ERA plus today Koyie Hill: 25 starts, .161 average Cesar Izturis: 48 starts, .602 OPS I still think the Cubs make the playoffs. If they don't, these four should come in for the first blame. The season's going to be remembered for this series and whatever happens in Cincinnati, but April 8 counts the same as today.

Striking out swinging against Trachsel should get you flogged.

That was sick. I went yard. If we were in Detroit or Chicago, that's yard. You should thank me.

What's the differnce between Lou Pinhead and a door knob? You don't give door knobs names. What a fucking moron. And Manny Trillo, I agree that this is partially Hendry's fault for enabling the moron.

Well, that's 10 out of the last 11 hitters retired by Olsen. The Cubs look so hapless out there.

So Lou is a moron. Classic. I suppose The Real Neal, a non-moron apparently, would make for a better manager. I love how pejoratives are tossed out here.

Fucking Cubs. Getting swept by the Marlins. Before you go blaming the pitching, this lineup acts absolutely fucking sedated. Christ, Cubbies, win some fucking games, get it over with. Because, I promise they won't win a tie breaker.

I was watching on a small window on a computer monitor without the sound, but I could have sworn that in the first inning, D.Lee declined to try to tag up on a fly ball by DeRosa to medium left. It looked about as deep as the one that scored Hanley Ramirez easily in the bottom of the same inning. What was up with that?

Is anyone the least bit surprised that Steve Trachsel got knocked out early today?

If this is the best we can play, we don't belong in the playoffs. But, you know, what is gonna happen is that the Padres will go into Milwaukee and win three of four. And so we win the division, though it may be by only one game at this rate.

Traschel and Ohman when you're trying to wrap up the division? I don't get it either.

It's amusing listening to Len and Bob try to walk the fanbase off the ledge. They must be getting some great e-mails.

Cubs vs Olsen .193 BA snarky butthead reply: "At least give a stat that is relevant." Okay: Cubs vs. Olsen today 4/19

I freakin' hate the Cubbies more and more each day. One loss to the Marlins turning into a week-long funk.

You like that sick a$$ catch I just made. Well, at least Lou is in playoff mode. These urgent pitching moves in the fifth should signal something to his ballclub.

I'd really like to kick Traschel in the balls. I'd feel a whole lot better.

If we lose out from here, would 83-79 be the same record that won it for St. Louis last year? Really, we don't deserve to win the division. In most years, 83-79 would get you ten games out or more. And to finish up like this, playing like a bunch of chokers, well, it is pretty sad. You'd have thought that just once our team could play with a little swagger when it really counts.

The Cubs would have clinched the division a week ago if only MLB had contracted this wretched Florida franchise like they wanted to. Muck the Farlins!

This is becoming epic and historic. You will be able to tell your grandkids about the great collapse of 2007. Un- beee-leev- able.

That was sick how I came through for the team... to break up the cold spell. Got that run it. Sick.

Hopefully he showered up and left the stadium, never to return. ------------------------------------- Hell, he could leave in uniform. Consider it a parting gift.

Outfielder played the carom (whatever the f**k that word is) perfectly, Wild Thing.

Why do they f*cking do this to me? They just wait until I give up then screw with me some more.

"Why do they f*cking do this to me? They just wait until I give up then screw with me some more." Because they know you are a Cubs fan.

Well, if the odds of the Cubs winning the division were better than 80% before this game started, what are we down to now in real terms? 9%?

carom is one of those fancy words for "it bounced off a railing/edge/border"....hit and rebound. also your mom. *gives himself a high-5*

What the F is Eyre walking Olivo for? Dumba$$. The guy was sent packing by the White Sox and the Mariners.

WOOOOOOOHA! If that isn't good mojo, I don't know what is! GET SOME RUNS, DAMNIT

Let's see... Pinto walks the first two guys he faces, and so JJ swings at 3 pitches outside the strike zone. WONDERFUL.

Mr. Monroe, for what it's worth, before that AB, Jacque was hitting .295 against lefties this year. It made sense to leave him in there - he had good AB's versus Olson earlier, but had a bad one that time.

Baby Maddux, I see your point and it's a good one. I just felt we needed a right handed bat there and that Jones wasn't going to come through. It would have involved some shuffling, but Murton would have been perfect for that spot. We needed discipline against the scattered Pinto. Murton would have worked a walk. Then, we would have had to put Pie in center defensively... and hope we get the one extra run we'd need to win the game. This is assuming, of course, that we shut them down. Today, that's a huge assumption, though Woody's been great.

"It would have involved some shuffling, but Murton would have been perfect for that spot." You aren't kidding. Let's start with having the rule changed that once you're out of a game you can't return.

All over boys. Maybe down to just one game by the end of the day. It has been fun. Well, has it? Part of me feels like seasons like last year are easier to take than this. We go out and spend and spend and spend and still cannot even win 85 games. Hooray!

If Lou was trying to make my blood pressure go down, bringing in Dempster and having him walk the leadoff hitter (who is hitting .244) was not the way to do it. I am going to leave the room now. I may check the score in a few hours.

Ok, sorry, DCF, I was off by one run. I said 7-4 and it will only be 6-4. Brewers, we have a table reserved for you. Would you like it?

BUT I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE 'THE FINAL SEASON'! And that 9th inning was pathetic. 3 outs on 4 pitches? 5?

Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago what do you say? Cubs are going to win today! Oh, sorry, I was talking about last week.

You aren’t kidding. Let’s start with having the rule changed that once you’re out of a game you can’t return. Good point, CA Phil. I wasn't watching when Murton pinch hit. I still would have brought in another righty. Perhaps Kendall or (gag) Ronny.

We never play the Marlins well. Here's hoping we sweep the Reds and take this thing, but I've got a sick feeling that we'll be lucky to see a playoff game.

Is there any way for a Chicago resident to NOT get blacked out of watching Brewer games on MLBtv ? Though maybe it's just for my own protection and mental health.

Seems to be a 3-horse race between Wood, Wuertz and Hart for 2 spots unless Trachsel throws a gem today. Really what the Cubs should do is go with all three of those guys and jettison Ohman or Eyre or whichever lefty you've deemed has 'made it'. Up one with 3 to go though, we've got more to worry about than the playoff roster.

I want to see the Cubs in the playoffs. I had to type it because watching the last three games I kept hearing the question in the back of my head - "Will it be more painful to see this team miss the playoffs or actually play in the playoffs?" It's just my 44 years as a Cub fan defense mechanism kicking in.

Random Thoughts: I'm officially on board: Dempster is now fourth on my list of preferred closer. Not that it mattered today. Is Sean Marshall still with the team? I'm actually sort of comforted. Game 163, in Chicago, against a team that we can actually beat. DC Tom, you need to do something about that champagne bottle, man. Baseball is a funny game.

Hey, we're Cub fans, right? Eternal optimism, land of milk and honey, always next year, lovable losers, they broke my heart in (insert any f'ing year you'd like) but I'm still bleeding blue! You know, all that horseshit. True Cub fans know that what's happening this week is totally expected, even anticlimactic - up 3 with 6 to play, we all knew these chumps would blow it. Countdown to 'informed' Cub fan telling me the obvious - that even if Mil wins tonight we're still ONE GAME AHEAD. Yah, shove it. Ok, I'll be better in the morning after some shastas and a bowl of cereal or four. I promise.

The Mets might be saving us from the total embarrassment of a very possible historic collapse as their collapse will be even worse. PHIL up 4-0 and NYM down 1-0 already. Hey, i am trying to look for a silver lining here...:)

Andrew, we won't be lucky to see a playoff game, technically speaking. It's just that the Cubs won't be in that game. And tbone, it is a moot point. Our boys won't be in the playoffs. Just relax and accept it. I have never assumed we would make it. We are, after all, the Cubs. In the grand scheme of things, it is not a big deal. So we don't make the playoffs with this bunch of (mostly) mediocre players. So what?

Highlights of today's game for me: 1. One word: Trachsel 2. Not tagging up DLee on Derosa's fly ball to left in the 1st, against a LF who has ZERO putouts this season. (according to Len and Bob) 3. Not sending JJ home on a double off the wall against a LF who has ZERO putouts this season. You have Theriot coming up next to lead off the next inning. Absolutely stupid. 4. Fontenot looking at strike three to lead of the 8th, then bitching about it like a little girl. What are we, in little league? 5. Dempstery. I still like our chances of making the playoffs. But at this rate I put our chances of winning the first round at about 10%.

Manny, there is no silver lining, at least no silver lining in terms of how other teams are doing. But is this really all that surprising to any of us here? I mean, come on, seriously? Has there ever been a moment in which you were certain we would make it through to the playoffs? It would have been one thing if we had at least been truly competitive in these last six games. But apparently that won't be the case. What a way to go out. I can just imagine what kind of a mood Lou is in. And as bad as some of us feel, imagine what the players, at least the ones who care, feel right now. They must be shattered.

Actual highlight of today's game -- Len after Cabrera's error: "He could have just stepped on 3rd, but that would have required some actual physical effort on his part." LOL. You tell 'em, Len. Couldn't miss Cabrera gloating after the game. You think the world series ring still fits on his porky finger?

Up until today, I was going with "well, better to have a cold stretch now than in the playoffs...right?" But this was the last gasp of that kind of thinking. I have a tendency, honored today, to turn these kinds of games off a lot; but I did check in now and then after the Fish went up 4-1. The at-bats I saw were almost all brain- or gutless if not certifiably mental (I did see Soriano's 2B to make it 5-4). This includes Murton, a player I often believe the best of, swinging for the fences with 2 on and 1 out. I will never understand why every Cubs team plays like this in crucial situations despite being constituted differently nearly every year. I also lack an understanding of my own mental infirmity that leads me to depend on baseball games for emotional sustenance to the extent that it takes me at least three hours to stop being angry about a game like this.

Andrew, we won’t be lucky to see a playoff game, technically speaking. It’s just that the Cubs won’t be in that game. And tbone, it is a moot point. Our boys won’t be in the playoffs. I won't disagree with you, ARM, although I'm not giving up all hope quite yet. I meant "playoff" game as in a final game with the Brewers, though, just to be clear.

D.Lee declined to try to tag up on a fly ball by DeRosa to medium left. It looked about as deep as the one that scored Hanley Ramirez easily in the bottom of the same inning. What was up with that? Lee almost assuredly would have been out. It wasn't a deep ball.

This is why I've hated the "It's Gonna Happen!" t-shirts from the first time I saw them. Having been a Cub fan for so long, the "It's" in It's Gonna Happen is no doubt some horrid, heartbreaking event as in, "Yeah, cheer now while they beat up on Pittsburgh 'cause you know before long, it's gonna happen."

snarky butthead reply: “At least give a stat that is relevant.” Okay: Cubs vs. Olsen today 4/19 Okay... if you want to play games instead of acknowledging that the stat you gave was worthless: Cubs vs. Olsen today - 7/23, - .303 BA. Thanks for playing.

Andrew, yeah, I knew what you meant. Sorry. And Pell Mell, don't sweat it. It is not that big a deal. Whether we get in the playoffs and lose in the first round or lose out from here and finish in second place, it won't make much difference one way or the other three months from now. I used to feel the way you do. But it is pointless. I live in the upper midwest. All my relatives live in Chicago. I recall as a youngster driving around Chicago one warm summer night and my uncle, who is now in his 60s, telling me not to count on the Cubs, that they will always break your heart. Well, I did not listen for many years. But after 2003, well, I just don't have as much emotionally invested in these guys. It is just not worth it. There are too many other good things in life to let our endlessly mediocre team get you down for too long.

2. Not tagging up DLee on Derosa’s fly ball to left in the 1st, against a LF who has ZERO putouts this season. (according to Len and Bob) 3. Not sending JJ home on a double off the wall against a LF who has ZERO putouts this season. You have Theriot coming up next to lead off the next inning. Absolutely stupid. 4. Fontenot looking at strike three to lead of the 8th, then bitching about it like a little girl. What are we, in little league? JJ and Lee would have been out with anything resembling a decent throw in either case. The strike on Fontenot was rather generous.

Len after Cabrera’s error: “He could have just stepped on 3rd, but that would have required some actual physical effort on his part.” HAHA... that is great. We need things to laugh at in these depressing moments.

I know, ARM, I always think I have it all figured out and can leave the attachment behind. And yet this is a quite stressful time for me right now, and it would be an enormous lift to see this team win. Oh well.

JJ and Lee would have been out with "anything resembling a decent throw"? The throw against Lee was way off line, about 10 feet to the third base side. Honestly it probably nearly hits DLee and there's no way they get him. The Marlins have committed more errors than any team in the major leagues. You WANT them making throws. You WANT to force them to make plays. The strike on Fontenot was 2 inches off the plate at most. With two strikes. Should Cubs hitters be looking at any "generous" pitches with two strikes, down a run?

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...