Notes: Pujols returns to Grapefruit play
03/22/2006
JUPITER, Fla. -- Albert Pujols took one at-bat before he looked like the same hitter that pitchers -- both National League and Grapefruit League -- have come to fear.
After grounding into a double play in his first at-bat on Wednesday, Pujols doubled to center field in the third inning against Washington. He drove in two runs with the knock, keying a three-run inning that sent St. Louis to the victory.
Pujols and outfielder Juan Encarnacion each played for the first time since returning from the World Baseball Classic. Both men played for the Dominican Republic's team, which lost in the semifinals to Cuba. Pujols went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Encarnacion had a 2-for-3 day while driving in two runs.
"It was great," Pujols said of rejoining his team. "I'm a little anxious, still. I've got two more weeks to get myself ready, but it's always good to get here."
The semifinal finish was a letdown to the Dominican team, which had designs on at least reaching the championship game.
"I think it was a little bit disappointing," Pujols said. "We had the team to beat Cuba, but there's no excuse. They played better than we did. I don't really believe that we weren't ready because we didn't see live pitching. When those games started, everybody was ready.
"There's pressure when you play for your country. But we feel good. We're glad we went all the way to the semifinals. It could have been worse. Our pitching did their job. Our hitting didn't do what we were supposed to do."
Pujols and Encarnacion will both be held out of Thursday's trip to Vero Beach, and both are expected to play against the Mets in Jupiter on Friday.
Ailing outfielders: Three Cardinals outfielders are dealing with various injuries, with varying levels of concern attached.
Jim Edmonds has soreness in his right (non-throwing) elbow and numbness in his forearm. Edmonds underwent an MRI on Wednesday afternoon, and the results were not immediately available. The center fielder said he has felt discomfort in the arm since before Spring Training started, and that he's felt somewhat better in recent days.
"It's actually getting better, but it's weird," Edmonds said. "I have numbness down my forearm. We want to go check it out. It's been worse. It was bad the first day I got here. Swinging is OK.
"It's almost like tennis elbow. But when I started telling them my forearm was going numb, they wanted to look at it. It's been going on for a long time."
So Taguchi got an at-bat and played center field on Wednesday but has some soreness in his right (throwing) elbow. The pain is a routine thing for Taguchi in the spring.
"Usually when I start to throw," he said, "I feel sore. Usually it's gone in two weeks. But it's taken a little bit longer than usual. It's nothing serious."
Larry Bigbie's sore left foot continues to puzzle the club's medical staff, however. Initially diagnosed as tendinitis in his left Achilles' tendon, Bigbie now hopes he has a bone bruise but fears he may have a stress fracture. MRI results were sent to St. Louis, and Bigbie was still awaiting a final word as of Wednesday afternoon.
More moves: In addition to optioning Anthony Reyes, the Cardinals made three other moves on Wednesday. Left-handed relievers Tyler Johnson and Carmen Cali and catcher Michel Hernandez were all optioned to the Minors.
Johnson made a strong impression during his time in camp, flashing a potent new slider to go with his fastball and curveball. Cali was roughed up for 10 runs on 13 hits in six innings.
"I think both of the left-handers that we sent out today have outstanding futures and could use the opportunity to go down there and keep working," manager Tony La Russa said. "They've shown enough to where we like their potential, and they're exciting, and we can see both of them pitching here this summer."
Missing Linc: Right-hander Mike Lincoln, who is rehabbing from an elbow injury, dropped by Cardinals camp on Wednesday. Lincoln reported that he's currently doing long toss from 150 feet and hopes to be throwing from off a mound within three weeks.
Currently unsigned, Lincoln said his first choice once he's healthy will be to return to the Cardinals. He visited with several old teammates in Jupiter on Wednesday after the game.
Bits and pieces: Jason Marquis pitched 5 2/3 innings on Wednesday and still hadn't reached his pitch count, so he threw a few pitches in the bullpen before calling it a day. ... Brad Thompson and Randy Flores each threw an inning for Triple-A Memphis in its game against Albuquerque on Wednesday. ... Jeff Nelson will throw two innings in a Minor League game on Thursday. Nelson requested the chance to pitch two innings in a game, and the only way to accommodate him was in the Minors. ... David Eckstein has reached base 10 times in the last four games. ... John Rodriguez is 5-for-13 (.385) with five walks and five runs in his past six games.
Quotable: "I think it's a real compliment that [Alfonso] Soriano's a really tough guy, because I don't know that I'd want to be testing Frank [Robinson]." -- La Russa, joking about Soriano's resistance to a position change
Weather report: The weather could turn a little dicey on Thursday, for the first time in weeks. The forecast high in Vero Beach is 77 degrees, with clouds throughout the day and a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms.
Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/
JUPITER, Fla. -- Albert Pujols took one at-bat before he looked like the same hitter that pitchers -- both National League and Grapefruit League -- have come to fear.
After grounding into a double play in his first at-bat on Wednesday, Pujols doubled to center field in the third inning against Washington. He drove in two runs with the knock, keying a three-run inning that sent St. Louis to the victory.
Pujols and outfielder Juan Encarnacion each played for the first time since returning from the World Baseball Classic. Both men played for the Dominican Republic's team, which lost in the semifinals to Cuba. Pujols went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and Encarnacion had a 2-for-3 day while driving in two runs.
"It was great," Pujols said of rejoining his team. "I'm a little anxious, still. I've got two more weeks to get myself ready, but it's always good to get here."
The semifinal finish was a letdown to the Dominican team, which had designs on at least reaching the championship game.
"I think it was a little bit disappointing," Pujols said. "We had the team to beat Cuba, but there's no excuse. They played better than we did. I don't really believe that we weren't ready because we didn't see live pitching. When those games started, everybody was ready.
"There's pressure when you play for your country. But we feel good. We're glad we went all the way to the semifinals. It could have been worse. Our pitching did their job. Our hitting didn't do what we were supposed to do."
Pujols and Encarnacion will both be held out of Thursday's trip to Vero Beach, and both are expected to play against the Mets in Jupiter on Friday.
Ailing outfielders: Three Cardinals outfielders are dealing with various injuries, with varying levels of concern attached.
Jim Edmonds has soreness in his right (non-throwing) elbow and numbness in his forearm. Edmonds underwent an MRI on Wednesday afternoon, and the results were not immediately available. The center fielder said he has felt discomfort in the arm since before Spring Training started, and that he's felt somewhat better in recent days.
"It's actually getting better, but it's weird," Edmonds said. "I have numbness down my forearm. We want to go check it out. It's been worse. It was bad the first day I got here. Swinging is OK.
"It's almost like tennis elbow. But when I started telling them my forearm was going numb, they wanted to look at it. It's been going on for a long time."
So Taguchi got an at-bat and played center field on Wednesday but has some soreness in his right (throwing) elbow. The pain is a routine thing for Taguchi in the spring.
"Usually when I start to throw," he said, "I feel sore. Usually it's gone in two weeks. But it's taken a little bit longer than usual. It's nothing serious."
Larry Bigbie's sore left foot continues to puzzle the club's medical staff, however. Initially diagnosed as tendinitis in his left Achilles' tendon, Bigbie now hopes he has a bone bruise but fears he may have a stress fracture. MRI results were sent to St. Louis, and Bigbie was still awaiting a final word as of Wednesday afternoon.
More moves: In addition to optioning Anthony Reyes, the Cardinals made three other moves on Wednesday. Left-handed relievers Tyler Johnson and Carmen Cali and catcher Michel Hernandez were all optioned to the Minors.
Johnson made a strong impression during his time in camp, flashing a potent new slider to go with his fastball and curveball. Cali was roughed up for 10 runs on 13 hits in six innings.
"I think both of the left-handers that we sent out today have outstanding futures and could use the opportunity to go down there and keep working," manager Tony La Russa said. "They've shown enough to where we like their potential, and they're exciting, and we can see both of them pitching here this summer."
Missing Linc: Right-hander Mike Lincoln, who is rehabbing from an elbow injury, dropped by Cardinals camp on Wednesday. Lincoln reported that he's currently doing long toss from 150 feet and hopes to be throwing from off a mound within three weeks.
Currently unsigned, Lincoln said his first choice once he's healthy will be to return to the Cardinals. He visited with several old teammates in Jupiter on Wednesday after the game.
Bits and pieces: Jason Marquis pitched 5 2/3 innings on Wednesday and still hadn't reached his pitch count, so he threw a few pitches in the bullpen before calling it a day. ... Brad Thompson and Randy Flores each threw an inning for Triple-A Memphis in its game against Albuquerque on Wednesday. ... Jeff Nelson will throw two innings in a Minor League game on Thursday. Nelson requested the chance to pitch two innings in a game, and the only way to accommodate him was in the Minors. ... David Eckstein has reached base 10 times in the last four games. ... John Rodriguez is 5-for-13 (.385) with five walks and five runs in his past six games.
Quotable: "I think it's a real compliment that [Alfonso] Soriano's a really tough guy, because I don't know that I'd want to be testing Frank [Robinson]." -- La Russa, joking about Soriano's resistance to a position change
Weather report: The weather could turn a little dicey on Thursday, for the first time in weeks. The forecast high in Vero Beach is 77 degrees, with clouds throughout the day and a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms.
Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/
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