Guardians
Guardians starting to answer spring training questions: The week in baseball
By Paul Hoynes
Updated: Mar. 04, 2023, 3:12 p.m.
CLEVELAND, Ohio --
The Guardians have been in spring training for almost three weeks. By Sunday they will have played 10 of their 32 scheduled exhibition games.
When the Guardians opened camp on Feb. 14, like most teams, they did so with a number of questions. There is still plenty of time to find the answers, but it’s never too early to see how the search is going.
How have right-handers Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac looked?
They struggled last year with injuries and performance, but the good thing right now is that they’re both healthy.
To date Civale has thrown only one inning in a Cactus League game, holding the White Sox scoreless on Wednesday. That was by design.
Plesac made his second start Friday, pitching himself into a one-out bases-loaded jam in the first inning against Milwaukee. Minor leaguer Jordan Jones relieved and induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Under spring training rules, Plesac was allowed to re-enter the game in the second and retired six straight batters. It was the best he’s looked this spring, but when the regular season starts he won’t be allowed to do that.
How about the sophomore jinx jumping on the backs of super rookies Steve Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez?
No sign of that so far. In the Cactus League opener on Feb. 25 against the Reds, Kwan singled through the middle in his first two at-bats. Gonzalez had only one hit in his first three games, but there are no red flags.
What about Gold Glove center fielder Myles Straw bouncing back from a disappointing season at the plate?
We’ll have to wait on this one. Straw tweaked his right knee training before the start of camp and was held out of games until Friday. He went 0 for 2 with a walk. Hitting coach Chris Valaika was happy with the work Straw did in the offseason.
How have free agent additions Josh Bell and Mike Zunino looked?
Bell has one hit in nine at-bats through Friday. But the one hit was memorable, a long two-run homer off the roof of the party deck in right field at Goodyear Ballpark on Feb. 28 against the Kansas City’s Jordan Lyles.
Zunino, who caught just 36 games last year with the Rays because of surgery on his left arm, has already appeared in four games this spring. He’s healthy and the pitchers like throwing to him.
“He’s going to be a strength for us,” said manager Terry Francona.
How has Jose Ramirez looked after having surgery on his right thumb in November?
Besides being miffed that the pitch clock is cutting into his walk-up music, and thus his time to concentrate on his at-bat, Ramirez is doing fine.
He didn’t play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic to continue rehabbing his right thumb. Through Friday he has played in four of Cleveland’s eight games, hitting .364 (4 for 11) with two RBI.
Ramirez, one of baseball’s best baserunners, was asked if the larger bases and shorter distances between first and second and second and third would help him steal more bases. Ramirez said he didn’t think so, but that has not stopped him from already stealing two bases.
After having 17 rookies make their debuts last year, do the Guardians have anyone else to help this year?
Outfielder George Valera and right-hander Daniel Espino would certainly be possibilities except for injuries. Valera has been sidelined with a sore right wrist after taking an awkward swing on Feb. 28. He’s recovering from surgery on his right hand in December. Espino has been shutdown with a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder and a tear in the anterior capsule of the shoulder.
But the pipeline isn’t empty. Infielders Brayan Rocchio, Angel Martinez and Jose Tena are in camp. So are lefties Logan Allen and Tim Herrin. Right-hander Gavin Williams is only a phone call away.
What about how James Karinchak will handle the pitch clock because of his pre-pitch routine?
That hasn’t been a problem in his first two appearances of the spring.
Karinchak, in fact, was charged with a ball and it wasn’t his fault. Against Texas on Feb. 28, Karinchak asked for a new ball while pitching the third inning. The pitch clock should have reset, but it kept running and Karinchak was charged with a ball because the clock expired. It turned out the plate umpire made a mistake by not re-setting the clock.
Has there been any talk of contract extensions this spring?
The Guardians usually wait until the last moment of camp before announcing extensions. For evidence see last year’s negotiations with Ramirez.
Undoubtedly the front office has approached some players, but right now all is quiet. It should be noted that Shane Bieber and Kwan have told reporters that they’d be willing to listen on possible extensions.
Who has been the biggest spring training surprise so far?
The clubhouse leader has to be Roman Quinn. He has three hits and they’ve all gone for home runs. If you’re in camp on a non-roster contract, that’s the way to get noticed.
Micah Pries, a minor leaguer invited to big league camp, doubled, tripled and homered in the Guards first three games. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Pries, a left-handed hitter, batted .266 (119 for 448) with 29 doubles, five triples and 18 homers last year at Class AA Akron.
Right-hander Hunter Gaddis, 6-6 and 250, has looked good early. He’s struck out six in 4 1/3 innings while posting a 2.08 ERA.
Have any concerns surfaced?
Lefty Sam Hentges, who had a big season out of the pen last year, has been shutdown with a sore pitching shoulder. Cody Morris, another bullpen possibility, is still recovering from a right lat injury. Nick Sandlin, who tore the terres major muscle in his right shoulder in the postseason last year, is said to be healthy, but he hasn’t pitched in a game yet this spring.
Depending how long Hentges is out, the pen is going to need another late-inning arm.
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