Today proved to be a rather interesting day of Spring Training games, thanks to the continuing adjustment to the new rules and a couple of notable injuries. Here’s a look at some notes on notable events from Friday’s action in Spring Training.
Related: Red Sox Take Another Blow as Pitcher James Paxton Leaves Spring Training Start
Guerrero Jr. Leaves Game
In Spring Training action on Friday, the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-6. That, however, was not the story coming out of the game. Star infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left the game due to right knee discomfort in the second inning.
Manager John Schneider stated after the game that the Jays will play it safe with Guerrero Jr., who’s scheduled to play in the World Baseball Classic for Team Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic does boast plenty of depth, but it would be hard to replace the impact of Guerrero’s bat in the lineup. Not to mention, it would mark yet another notable player to pull out of the event, should the Jays first baseman need to do so. Earlier this week, an oblique injury forced Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki off the Team Japan roster.
Mad Max and The Rules
The Washington Nationals defeated the New York Mets 11-6 on Friday in Port St. Lucie. Infielder Luis Garcia launched a three-run bomb off of Max Scherzer, who gave up seven runs (0 ER) in 2.2 IP. Scherzer’s start proved to be rather interesting, for a few reasons. One was due to a double play that was called back due to a pitch clock violation in the third inning.
Just prior to that, Scherzer was called for a balk for attempting to quick-pitch outfielder Victor Robles.
After the start, Scherzer said he wants some clarification on how the pitch clock will work moving forward.
Grossman Continues to Rake
In Cactus League action, the Texas Rangers defeated the San Francisco Giants 11-7. Many of Texas’ regulars played in the affair, including Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Nathaniel Lowe. Semien (1-2, BB) and Seager (1-3) both recorded base hits, while Lowe went 0-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
Robbie Grossman, though, continues to be a steady producer thus far. The switch-hitting outfielder went 1-3 for three RBIs in the win. Grossman recorded a sacrifice fly in the second and then hit a single in the fifth that drove in two. Thus far, Grossman has hit .444 with seven RBIs in Spring Training action. It’s a good sign for the veteran outfielder who’s shown great aptitude when it comes to working counts and drawing walks, but struggled at the plate in 2022.
For the Giants, new starter Sean Manaea got hit around in the loss. While he did strike out four, Manaea yielded four hits and three earned runs across 2.2 IP.
