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 Thursday.
THREE UP
1. St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright threw to hitters Wednesday, which puts him on schedule to make his Grapefruit League season debut Sunday against the Washington Nationals or Monday against the New York Mets. Wainwright is scheduled to start Opening Day on April 3 in Pittsburgh, which manager Mike Matheny has already announced.
The 34-year-old veteran has been the Cardinals’ ace since 2009 but was limited to just 28 innings last season after rupturing his left Achilles tendon in April. He came back late in the season to pitch in relief, going 2-1 in seven games, four starts, with a 1.61 ERA. Wainwright has started the past three Opening Days for the Cardinals and four overall. In 10 seasons since making his big league debut in 2005, he is 121-67 with a 2.98 ERA, finishing second or third in National League Cy Young voting four times.
2. Miami Marlins right-hander Carter Capps, who entered spring training competing with A.J. Ramos for the closer’s job, is expected to sit for an extended period of time with a sore right elbow.
Capps is scheduled to visit Dr. James Andrews on Monday in Pensacola, Fla. Capps felt pain in his elbow while warming up in the bullpen Sunday as he prepared to face hitters in live batting practice. He stopped throwing immediately. An MRI was taken Monday, and the results were sent to Andrews.
Capps made 30 appearances last season, posting an ERA of 1.16, but his season was cut short when he exited the Aug. 2 game against the Padres with an elbow strain. He also missed three months in 2014 with an elbow injury.
“We as an organization and as a team really have to be able to overcome it,” manager Don Mattingly said. “We have a lot of guys with good arms. Obviously, it’s going to be some type of extended period of time, no matter what happens. We’re going to have an opportunity for guys to be able to step forward and take on a role.”
3. Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom had vowed to cut off his flowing locks before the start of the season. Can’t blame him for that. From the expense of hair product to the time it takes for upkeep to the summer humidity that can do a number on the most stylish of coifs, maintenance can be a pain.
However, deGrom, the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year, may have had a change of heart. A hitter recently revealed to NorthJersey.com that deGrom’s mane on the mound can be a beast from the batter’s box.
“First of all, I see this guy on the mound who looks like a stick figure,” the hitter said. “I mean, you don’t see major league pitchers who look like that. And he’s got that hair — you can’t not look at it, it’s everywhere. It bothers me when I’m trying to pick up the ball out of his hand. All I see is hair.”
To say nothing of deGrom’s arsenal, including a 95 mph fastball.
Informed of that scouting report, deGrom replied: “That’s pretty cool. … I guess now I’ll never cut it.”
As if opponents didn’t have enough to worry about with deGrom.
THREE DOWN
1. Max Scherzer made his Grapefruit League debut for the Washington Nationals on Thursday, throwing two scoreless innings and giving up one hit while striking out one. The right-hander sat through a long bottom of the first as his team scored four runs on the way to a 9-4 win over the Mets.
“That was like a good simulation for what it’s like where you have those long innings and hey, you got to go back out there and still collect outs,” Scherzer said. “So, the fact that I didn’t walk anybody today, that’s a good sign.
“I know some of those guys I’m going to see during the year, so I’m just going to keep it vanilla. There’s no reason to show them the chocolate, the strawberry and the other flavors.”
2. The Detroit Tigers’ Cameron Maybin is expected to be out for at least four to six weeks with a non-displaced fracture of his left wrist. Maybin was hit with a 95 mph fastball from the New York Yankees’ Luis Severino on Wednesday. Maybin was serving as the designated hitter in the game because of a sore left shoulder sustained when he fell off the porch of his North Carolina home before spring training.
Maybin’s absence could have a ripple effect on the Tigers’ roster as they look to fill the hole. Maybin was expected to be in a center field competition with Anthony Gose, who now will likely get a regular role. Detroit has several outfielders in camp — Justin Upton, Nate Schierholtz, John Mayberry, Tyler Collins — but not many center fielders. Wynton Bernard is projected to start the season in center for Triple-A Toledo. It is possible Detroit could look outside the organization for help.
3. Looking to add some power to their lineup, the Twins signed Byung Ho Park in the offseason. Now the question is what they can expect from him.
Park, 29, is a two-time Korean Baseball Organization MVP. Last season with the Nexen Heroes, he hit .343 with a 1.150 OPS, 53 home runs and 146 RBIs in 140 games.
At $12 million over four years plus a $12.85 million posting fee, Park is a relatively low-risk, high-reward investment. The Twins are willing to be patient as Park makes the requisite adjustments.
“I don’t think I could put a number on what he’s going to do because I have never seen him play, but I like what I see here,” general manager Terry Ryan said.
Park primarily will serve as the Twins’ designated hitter, but he also could fill in at first base if Joe Mauer needs a rest.