gorgeous:
Mackenzie Gore made his first start this spring last Sunday and struck out two batters in two innings, giving up two singles and one run on 26 pitches and 21 strikes in the second inning.
Gore, 25, threw four-seamer on 50% of his pitches (13 of 26 pitches), averaged 95.9 mph on his fastball, climbed to 96.6 mph, and pitched five of his nine swinging strikes. As recorded above (And two each on curveballs and changeups.).
“Well, if we can do that every time, we’ll be fine,” Gore told reporters after his outing. Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASNWhen reporters noticed he had recorded the first three outs (2 for a strikeout) with a total of 10 pitches.
I really hope this is a change in Mackenzie Gore’s approach.
With an excellent iVB and speed of 96 mph, his problem was that he couldn’t get consistent altitude on his four-seamer.
No wonder he had 11/13 strikes and 5/13 whiffs in these spots. pic.twitter.com/aS4PCmUAzE
— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) February 25, 2024
“Let’s bottle it up and do it.”
“What are you satisfied with? [Gore] We did that today,” coach Davey Martinez said. Quoted by Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
“He’s got a really good look. His breaking ball was much better. He threw really good pitches to left-handed hitters.”
Gore struck out on 2 of 3 curveballs and 2 of 4 changeups in this appearance.
Gore, who made his second start this spring on Friday, retired six of the first seven batters he faced without a hit, erased the leadoff batter with a popout in the third inning, and then went 6-4. -In an inning of 3- Finish DP to end a 43-pitch outing.
“I wasn’t as sharp today, but it was good,” Gore said. Quoted by Mr. Zuckerman of MASN After going out. “I’ve been in some situations and figured out what I want to use. But I feel good and that’s the most important thing.”
Mackenzie Gore had another sharp performance. IP 3, H 1, R 0, BB 1, K 3 in 43 balls.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) March 1, 2024
His manager said as long as Gore is banging the zone, he will be successful.
“His pitching doesn’t have to be perfect when he’s around the zone,” Martinez said.
“He just needs to be in that zone. He whiffs and whiffs a lot. … That’s been good all spring. He just needs to get in that box and we’ll be in good shape.”
Thompson’s TJS:
“masonry” [Thompson]Right now he’s got a little bit of an issue with his arm,” Davey Martinez said on the first day of spring training last month when things got started in West Palm Beach.
“We’re going to see what’s going on with him. Let’s take it slow with him.”
Thompson, who turned 26 about two weeks earlier on Feb. 20, felt something when he pitched in a bullpen session before spring training.
“We’re a little concerned. Like I said, let’s take it slow with him. It’s early in spring training, so we’ll see. We will check the status within the next week.”
Two weeks later, before doctors tested her again, Martinez expressed concern about what they might find.
“I’m always paying attention,” Martinez said. Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASN. “To be honest, I’m a little worried.”
Thompson underwent Tommy John surgery in high school and has battled injuries since turning pro, but he said it’s more than the pain he feels as he gears up for the start of spring training.
“We’ve had Tommy John before, so the feeling wasn’t new,” he said.
“I don’t necessarily know if it’s heading in that direction, but I do know that I’m feeling a little bit more pain than normal pain.”
Amber Searles-USA TODAY Sports
He was diagnosed with a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
His manager told him to get to work and focus on the rehabilitation process.
“While talking to Mason, I said, ‘Hey, you’re young and I know you can bounce back from this. . . . You’ve got to stay positive and try to get back on track.’ Martinez said. Quoted by Andrew Golden of The Washington Post.
“I know he can do it. I hope everything goes well for him. I’ll talk to him after the surgery. But it’s going to be another long process for him.”
Acquired from San Diego (along with IF/OF Jordy Burley) in the deal that sent Daniel Hudson to the Padres in 2021, Thompson appeared in 51 games in an up-and-down 2023 season.
The right-handed relief pitcher pitched 11 games and 19 innings in April, posting a 1.89 ERA, 2.47 FIP, 1 walk, 17 strikeouts, and a .194/.217./313 batting average.
By the end of May, he had a 4.76 ERA, a 4.00 FIP, and a .252/.316/.383 ERA in 21 games on the year over 10 consecutive games in 28 1/3 IP. He posted a .350/.458/.500 batting average with a 10.61 ERA and 7.11 FIP in 9 1/3 IP.
He bounced back with a strong run in June (In 12 games and 11 IP, he posted a 0.82 ERA, 3.26 FIP, and a .189/.333/.216 batting average.) However, Thompson pitched nine games and eight innings in July, posting a 9.00 ERA, 4.13 FIP, and a batting average of .394/.462/.455.
He went to the IL in August with knee issues and appeared in nine more games upon his return, pitching 6 2/3 IP between August 20th and September 10th, with a 12.15 ERA and 5.36 FIP. He had a batting average of .441/. Before he was demoted to Triple-A, he posted a line of .474/.706.