MESA, Arizona – Is weight or opportunity more important to Bobby Bradley? Or is it a bit of both?
Bradley did his second spring home run on Friday afternoon. It came at an opportune time for the Indians, who saw a 5-4 lead to expand to 8-4. They finally beat the Cubs 10-4 in a spring game in Sloan Park.
In his three previous springs with the Indians, Bradley came to camp with various weights. None of them made it suitable for the Indians, except for a period of 15 games in 2019. Things could be different in 2021.
Bradley lost 35 pounds over the winter. He says he did it right this time, running early in his hometown, Gulfport, Mississippi. He spent a week a month in high-performance sports facilities in Baton Rouge to make sure he was on the right track. The weight fell, but this time he kept his strength.
“I just feel lighter,” he said. “My first stage got a little faster and I feel like I gained a little reach on the pitch … and I’m a little more agile on the plate.”
The Indians removed all the porters they used to have at the first base: Carlos Santana, Yonder Alonso, Mike Napoli, etc. This spring, it looks like the work will go to Bradley or Jake Bauers.
Bradley has a smaller minor league option. In his career, he reached 147 homers in the minor leagues and one in the major leagues. This is his best chance of making the opening day list and home runs like Friday’s just to help his cause.
No. 1: Left-handed contender
Aaron Civale and his new delivery was the story of Thursday’s 5-1 victory over Milwaukee. Civale retired for 12 consecutive days in three shifts.
Lefty Logan Allen replaced and retired six in a row, but that was somewhat overlooked by everyone except those who matter.
“I think it’s a little early to talk about it,” said coach Terry Francona when asked if Allen was in the running for the rotation. “I think what most excites us is the position in which he places himself with his body and watching him play the ball.
“He is a pitcher a little different from what we saw last year and this is exciting. If we have to make decisions because a lot of players played well or shot well, that would be a very good problem to have. “
Allen has lost 15 pounds since Spring Training II in July.
“You know, you can see that he feels better about himself,” said Francona. “He’s grown up. You see it with guys. They mature. This is part of the growth. But the guys find another piece of equipment that they didn’t know they really had, and he’s going through it now and it’s fun to watch. “
Nº 2: Status of the list of 26 men
Francona was asked whether the AAA Class season being postponed for at least a month would affect how a team assembles its roster of 26 players. If a player performs well, would your team keep him in the big leagues so he could continue to play? Or would they send you to the alternate training site for at least a month, where the action of the game would be limited at best?
Francona did not think that would be the case, but said there was concern that players on the alternative site would likely be limited to intra-team games.
“I think the guys who are at that camp will have a little advantage because they did that last year,” said Francona. “They know what to expect and it won’t be all year, so they know they have games ahead of them, which I think will be very welcome for them. I know, listening to the stories from last year, spending two months in that place was no easy task. I can understand that. So I think the fact that the games are coming will certainly help. “
No. 3: Vaccination time
Francona, DeMarlo Hale bank technician, pitch technician Carl Willis and longtime assistant Hank Mancini received their first of two coronavirus vaccines on Friday. They are scheduled for their second shot later this spring.
Asked how he was feeling after the injection, Francona said: “As I always do: not very energetic and a little sick.”
No. 4: And finally
Civale (12 up, 12 down on Thursday against Milwaukee) and Yu Chang (two homers, three RBI vs. Brewers) received MVP prizes and $ 50 each from Francona on Friday morning. … Lefty Scott Moss will make his first start for the Indians on Saturday, when he faces White Sox and Renaldo Lopez at the Goodyear Ballpark at 3:05 pm ET. WTAM will conduct the game. … right-handed Nick Sandlin and Eli Morgan played batting practice Friday. They have not yet appeared in a game. Sandlin was ill and Morgan came to camp with a sore right arm. Morgan, in his first spring on the 40-player list, is about 10 days behind the other pitchers. He could launch in games next week. … Napoli, a large part of the 2016 World Series Indian team is on the Cubs technical team. … Cameron Maybin, who spent 14 games with the AAA Columbus class in 2019, started on the left field for the Cubs. He’s at camp on a minor league deal.
A variety of Cleveland Indians face masks available online today. (Fanatics.com)
New masks for Indians for sale: This is where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed facial covers for protection against the coronavirus, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a pack of 3 ($ 24.99). All MLB proceeds are donated to charities.
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