FORT MYERS, Fla. — Take a spin around the Grapefruit League with “Three Up, Three Down,” an inside look at what is coming up and what went down on Monday.
THREE UP
1. Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was hit on his right wrist by a pitch from the Braves Julio Teheran on Saturday. X-rays and a CT scan revealed there was no fracture but Ellsbury is not expected to play before Thursday.
“He’s just sore, which you kind of expect. Not a lot of swelling,” said manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s really day to day.”
Ellsbury has dealt with several injuries in his two seasons with the Yankees. In 2014, it was a strained right calf in spring training and last spring it was a strained oblique. In both cases he was ready for Opening Day. But he missed 43 games with a right knee sprain last season.
In 111 games last season, Ellsbury hit .257 with a .318 on-base percentage, .345 slugging percentage, 21 stolen bases in 30 attempts and 66 runs scored.
If Ellsbury is forced to miss a significant amount of time, Girardi said he would keep Brett Gardner in left field and use Aaron Hicks in center field.
“That’s the luxury of Hicksie,” Girardi said. “We can put him anywhere.”
2. Pablo Sandoval is entering his ninth big league season and the second year of a five-year, $95 million contract with the Red Sox. Travis Shaw, who will be 26 on April 16, made his major-league debut last season.
Sandoval’s season was a big disappointment. In 126 games he hit just .245 with a .292 on-base percentage and .366 slugging percentage last season. In the field, his -0.9 defensive wins above replacement was the worst in the American League.
In 65 games last season Shaw hit .270/.327/.487. On Monday he started at third base against the Cardinals, with Sandoval serving as the designated hitter, and went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, raising his average to .474 with a whopping 1.237 this spring.
Manager John Farrell had planned to play Shaw in left field over the next few days, but has put that plan on the back burner to give Shaw more time at third base and give the Red Sox more time to evaluate him there.
“I think he’s played the position with some ease,” said Farrell. “He’s shown some good range, particularly to his glove side. The internal clock and the range has been good.”
Sandoval is not necessarily a lock for the third base job despite the hefty salary the Red Sox owe him.
3. Orioles manager Buck Showalter wants those competing for spots in his rotation to have a better understanding of the situation.
“There’s some competition here that I don’t think people understand,” Showalter said recently after a series of disappointing outings by some of his starters, including right-hander Miguel Gonzalez, who is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday against the Pirates.
Pitchers who could contend for a starting spot in case Showalter chooses to make a change are right-handers Odrisamer Despaigne, Tyler Wilson, Vance Worley, who is out of options, and Mike Wright.
“Mike is throwing the ball good down here and Despaigne has had a couple of good, crisp outings – not statistically, but it makes you feel better about it,” Showalter said. “We’ve just got to get our five guys before we leave here ready to go, and it could be Tyler Wilson.”
THREE DOWN
1. Pirates right-hander Juan Nicasio continued his stellar spring, going five scoreless innings, giving up five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts as the split-squad Pirates beat the Twins 2-0 on Monday. He even had a hit in the game, which helped to set up the Pirates’ first run.
Nicasio has not allowed a run in 15 innings over his five Grapefruit League starts this spring. He has struck out 24 batters this spring, including 18 over nine innings in his last two starts.
“Again the delivery was really good, the stuff was really good, the fast ball actually was better even than in the last outing when he had all the punch-outs in Baltimore,” said bench coach Dave Jauss, acting as the manager in this game for Clint Hurdle who was with the other squad. “The fastball was down with really good life against their full lineup. Then you add that he was able to punch some people out with runners in scoring positon with less than two outs.”
Nicasio, who joined the Pirates as a free agent in December on a one-year, $3 million deal, is competing for a spot in the Pirates’ rotation.
“Decisions when people are doing good are really good decisions,” Jauss said. “Watching him out here this whole spring training has been a good thing to see.”
Nicasio, who said he has not been told if he will be in the rotation or the bullpen, is happy with his spring. In 86 appearances over the last two seasons for the Dodgers and Rockies, Nicasio made 15 starts, including just one last season for the Dodgers.
He was most recently a full-time starter with the Rockies in 2013 when he went 9-9 with a 5.14 ERA in 31 starts.
“I’m pitching really good right now,” he said. “I have my three pitches really good — my fastball, my slider, my changeup. I’m working with my changeup but my slider is sharp right now.”
2. Red Sox right-hander Carson Smith left Monday’s game against the Cardinals in Jupiter with tightness and cramping in his right forearm. He will be examined by a team doctor.
Boston acquired Smith, 26, and left-hander Roenis Elias in a December trade with Seattle. Smith made 70 appearances for the Mariners last season, posting an ERA of 2.31 with 13 saves. The Red Sox are counting on Smith to be a key in their bullpen this season.
I’m concerned. It’s my career,” said Smith, who had never before experienced those symptoms on the mound. “Everybody, when you feel something in your forearm, you’re going to be concerned. Who knows how serious it is?”
The team is also concerned.
“I think there’s always concern,” said manager John Farrell said. “At this point in time of the year, we’re certainly not going to take any chance at all so we backed him out of it. We’ll see what the evaluation produces.”
Farrell said Smith had not complained of any other forearm issues this spring.
“I will say this, someone who took the ball 70 times a year ago, I can’t imagine there’s not some normal wear and tear that a pitcher goes through, but (he has) not stated anything along those lines this spring,” Farrell said.
3. Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom had a strong outing Monday against the Marlins. Going four scoreless innings, giving up four hits with five strikeouts. He threw 59 pitches, 41 for strikes.
“I felt fine out there,” said deGrom, who continues to work his fastball into shape for the regular season. “If the guy’s late on the fastball, then you’re obviously doing something right. I think the object is to get outs, last time I checked.”
He faced the Marlins in his previous outing, when he went three innings, allowing one hit with three strikeouts.
“Definitely, I’m throwing my offspeed for strikes when I want to,” deGrom said. “I’m pretty pleased with how I’m throwing the ball.”
He will spend the remainder of camp refining his mechanics.
Getting everything back in line mechanics-wise,” deGrom said. “I think the velocity will be there. The swings and misses tell you most. It doesn’t matter what that gun says.”