GLENDALE, Ariz. – After rookie Adbert Alzolay’s start Monday against the Mariners, the big boys of the rotation start getting their turns: Jon Lester starting Tuesday at home against the Rockies with Kyle Hendricks starting at home the next day against the Royals.
Left-hander Jose Quintana had his live batting practice session scratched Sunday because of a flu bug going around camp, and when he resumes pitching is a matter day-to-day evaluation and lots of fluids.
All the starters except Yu Darvish – and now possibly Quintana – are scheduled for one inning each in their first starts because they’re going earlier in the Cactus League schedule than recent seasons.
“It’s really about managing the workload early,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said.
Darvish is expected to throw a live BP Monday, simulating roughly 15- and 10-pitch innings with a rest in between, then be scheduled for his spring debut.
Cubs, Morrow optimistic
Once-dominating Cubs closer Brandon Morrow has made no promises about when – or even if – he can return to the mound to help the Cubs’ bullpen this season as he joined Cubs camp on a minor-league contract.
But even after the setback in recent days with what the team calls a “mild strain” near his right collarbone, the right-hander remains optimistic after initial strength tests that it’s just a minor “tweak” of some kind and he can resume throwing in a few days.
And even it pushes an already slow-and-steady buildup process into a May season debut – or later – Morrow recalls a 2017 season for the Dodgers that started like that.
“I had a pretty successful year the last time I joined a team in June,” he said of the breakout, 2.06-ERA season as an ace setup man for a World Series team (which included four scoreless appearances against the Cubs in the playoffs). “Different circumstances, but…”
To be clear, the Cubs aren’t relying on Morrow at this point. And “bumps in the road,” are expected along the way, Hottovy said.
“But getting Brandon Morrow at any time during the year is beneficial to us,” the pitching coach added, “whether it’s Opening Day, or it’s mid-June or it’s September.”
Notes: Closer Craig Kimbrel is expected to throw his first live batting practice session of the spring Monday, on a program for veteran relievers in camp that should have him in a game about a week later. The goal is eight or nine game appearances or simulations before breaking camp, Hottovy said. ...Hottovy said the club might eventually use minor-league games late in camp to get some relievers the requisite back-to-back days of appearances – to avoid the new-for-2020 rule requiring relievers to face at least three batters. The rule takes effect March 12.
