Results tagged ‘ Jorge Soler ’
3/18 Roster moves
The Cubs assigned seven players to Minor League camp, including top prospects Javier Baez and Jorge Soler, and reduced the spring roster from 53 to 46 players. Infielders Junior Lake and Josh Vitters were optioned to Triple-A Iowa, while infielder Christian Villanueva was optioned to Double-A Tennessee. Soler was optioned to Class A Daytona. Three non-roster invitees were assigned to Minor League camp, including Baez, right-handed pitcher Barret Loux, and catcher Rafael Lopez.
The Cubs’ spring roster consists of 24 pitchers (eight non-roster invitees), four catchers (one non-roster invitee), nine infielders (four non-roster invitees) and nine outfielders (three non-roster invitees).
– Carrie Muskat
3/18 Cubs lineup
The Cubs travel to Peoria on Monday to face the Padres. Edwin Jackson gets the start. Here’s the lineup:
Sappelt CF
McDonald LF
Soler RF
Baez SS
Clevenger C
Maysonet 3B
Lillibridge 1B
Gonzalez 2B
E. Jackson P
– Carrie Muskat
3/18 Soler, Baez sendoff
Jorge Soler and Javier Baez were batting 3-4 for the Cubs on Monday against the Padres. The pair of top prospects will officially join the Minor League camp on Tuesday — Soler has been assigned to Class A Daytona. It’s been an interesting camp for the future Cubs. So far this spring, Soler was batting .250 (8-for-32) with one home run and three RBIs in 16 games, while Baez was batting .333 (13-for-39) with four home runs and nine RBIs in 15 games, and hit two more homers in an exhibition game against Team Japan that don’t count in the Cactus League stats.
Soler said he’s learned a lot about hitting, most importantly the need to be patient at the plate.
“I’ve never seen this kind of pitching before,” he said. “It used to be when I played, 3-0 fastball, 2-0 fastball, and now it’s different. Now 3-0 changeup for a strike, 2-0 slider for a strike. The pitchers have more command of every single pitch.”
He’s still hopeful to make the Cubs next year but there’s a lot of adjustments to be made. Baez has helped Soler with some English.
Veteran Alfonso Soriano delivered some advice, too.
“Soriano told me no matter what kind of money you get, what kind of money your signing bonus is, you have to work hard every single day, and when you go down the Minor Leagues, you have to be a good example for the Minor Leaguers,” Soler said through interpreter, Franklin Font.
– Carrie Muskat
3/17 Roster moves to come Monday
Javier Baez, who hit four home runs in back to back games, will officially be assigned to the Cubs’ Minor League camp on Monday. The shortstop has definitely made an impression in his first big league spring camp but still has some things to learn.
“He’s still got to face a lot of right-handed pitching,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said Sunday of Baez, the Cubs’ No. 1 Draft pick in 2011 who was batting .324 this spring. “There’s a lot to be learned and a lot to be learned at the plate when you’re going to face right-handed pitching constantly — sliders, and all that stuff — and know you’ll get quite a few of them and how you’re going to react.”
Baez, 20, isn’t the only one being sent down Monday. Jorge Soler, Christian Villanueva, Rafael Lopez and Josh Vitters will all be moving to Fitch Park. Soler, 21, will be assigned to the Cubs’ Class A Daytona team. Despite the moves, both Baez and Soler were expected to start Monday for the Cubs when they travel to Peoria to face the Padres.
The good news for the Cubs is there’s depth in the system.
“There’s a trail of guys getting ready to be a phone call away, there’s no doubt about that,” Sveum said.
– Carrie Muskat
3/10 Cubs 9, Padres 3
Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run double and scored on Dioner Navarro’s home run in the sixth inning to lift the Cubs to a 9-3 victory Sunday over the Padres. Jorge Soler hit a solo home run and Christian Villanueva added a two-run shot, both coming in a five-run eighth.
The Cubs trailed 2-0 in the sixth against Tim Stauffer when Travis Wood and David DeJesus both singled. Two outs later, Soriano lined a double to left and Navarro then connected on his second spring home run. Wood followed Scott Feldman, and gave up one hit and walked three over four scoreless innings, striking out six.
With one out in the Chicago eighth, Soler launched his first spring home run. J.C. Boscan added a RBI single, Steve Clevenger hit a sacrifice fly, and Villanueva hit his home run. Villanueva, who has been getting more playing time because of injuries to third basemen Ian Stewart and Josh Vitters, now has three hits this spring, and all three have been home runs.
– Carrie Muskat
3/9 Baez hits HR, but still headed to Minors
Although both Javier Baez and Jorge Soler have been impressive in big league camp, Cubs manager Dale Sveum said neither was expected to be called up in September. It isn’t that either prospect has done poorly in their first big league spring camp. Baez, 20, one of the Cubs’ top prospects, hit a two-run home run in the first inning on Saturday off the Indians’ David Huff. Soler has been shown a lot of maturity for someone who hasn’t played much.
“Soler has been impressive to where he just doesn’t go up there swinging,” Sveum said. “He’s got a pretty good idea and plays off a lot of borderline pitches. Soler’s poise in the outfield — for a guy who hasn’t played a whole lot of games, it’s pretty impressive how much poise he has.”
The Cubs were expected to make more roster moves soon, possibly after a split-squad weekend series March 16-17. The regulars will be getting more innings.
“[Baez and Soler] have to go down and start playing every single day,” Sveum said.
Could either get called up when rosters expand late in the season?
“I personally don’t really see it happening in September,” Sveum said.
– Carrie Muskat
3/4 Cubs lineup vs Indians
Alberto Cabrera gets the start Monday against the Indians in a Cactus League game at HoHoKam Stadium. Here’s the lineup:
Valbuena SS
McDonald CF
Hairston RF
Soriano LF
Clevenger C
Lake 3B
Nelson 1B
Soler DH
Watkins 2B
– Carrie Muskat
3/1 Extra bases
* So far, Rule 5 pick Hector Rondon has looked sharp in his two outings. The right-hander has given up one hit and struck out two over two innings.
“I feel really good,” Rondon said.
“That was pretty nice,” Dale Sveum said of Rondon’s outing on Thursday against the Athletics. “The ball was coming out of his hand pretty well. He threw a couple real good sliders, and I didn’t know he had that good of one and he threw one with a lot of tilt on it. With health, that might be a pretty good steal.”
Rondon, who was the Indians’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2009, has been slowed by two elbow injuries.
“He has legitimate stuff,” Sveum said. “[Thursday], he was 92, 93 [mph] with a good slider, he threw strikes. He’s always been a strike thrower. That’s nice to have in your back pocket. The guy’s always been a strike thrower and now that he’s completely healthy — the only kicker is we have to get him to be able to throw two innings.”
They want the right-hander to be able to throw two innings before Spring Training ends.
* Jorge Soler threw a perfect strike to third to get A’s Josh Reddick on Thursday. That’s the kind of play Sveum wants to see this spring.
“That was a very impressive throw, accurate, too,” Sveum said. “All the throws — he doesn’t just have a good arm but an accurate arm. That’s an added plus to a guy with the tools. A lot of time you have the arm but it’s all over the place. He’s got a good feel for accuracy. Even his at-bats — I know he’s striking out a little bit but he’s seeing pitches. It’s not a premeditated type swing.”
* Soler still needs to play in the Minor Leagues and develop his skills. He’s not in the mix for the big league team this year but Sveum said the Cubs will likely take five outfielders when they break camp. Also expect to see Steve Clevenger at first base once Anthony Rizzo leaves to join Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic. Clevenger could make the final 25-man roster as an extra catcher/backup first baseman/left-handed bat/pinch-run option.
“He puts himself in the mix,” Sveum said of Clevenger, who will start at first on Saturday against the Giants. “If you can have that third catcher to where you can pinch run and not worry about the other catcher getting hurt, that obviously comes into the mix. It all depends on what happens at third base — a lot of these decisions.”
The Cubs are waiting to see if Ian Stewart will be healthy for the season. If not, Luis Valbuena, who is a utility option, most likely will start at third.
Brent Lillibridge is a versatile player who gives the Cubs someone who can play everywhere. Sveum didn’t want to say Lillibridge was set on making the 25-man roster but did say it’s “definitely a strong possibility.” Lillibridge is a non-roster invitee in camp.
* Starlin Castro, who felt some tightness in his left hamstring on Wednesday, wasn’t expected back in the Cubs lineup until Monday.
* Matt Garza, who has been sidelined with a strained left lat, will resume his throwing on Saturday.
* Dontrelle Willis, who came out of a game because of fatigue in his left shoulder, is pain free and has resumed throwing in the Minor League camp.
– Carrie Muskat
2/28 Feldman, Soler throw strikes
Scott Feldman likes pitching for the Cubs when the defense makes plays like Jorge Soler did in the first inning Thursday. Soler, starting in right field against the Athletics, showed his strong arm when he threw a perfect strike to get Josh Reddick out at third base as he tried to advance on Brandon Moss’ hit.
“It seems like they have some studs, some young guys who are going to be studs,” Feldman said of the Cubs’ prospects. “That throw [Soler] made from right field is about as good a throw as you can make. Reddick got thrown out there and he had a look of shock on his face, like, ‘You’re not supposed to throw me out like that.’ It was a good play.”
Feldman had a good day in his Cubs debut. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out two over two innings.
“First time out there, you kind of get the butterflies going again,” Feldman said. “It was nice to get that one out of the way. For the most part, I was executing my pitches pretty well. I would’ve liked to have thrown more breaking balls for a strike but for the first time out, it was fine.”
– Carrie Muskat
2/25 Extra bases
* Carlos Villanueva’s Cubs debut lasted five batters on Monday. He had a long at-bat against Dee Gordon, and eventually struck him out. Then Villanueva walked the next two batters, and one out later, Nick Punto hit a two-run single and the right-hander was lifted.
Here’s the lineup:
Valbuena 2B
Barney DH
Schierholtz RF
Hairston CF
Nelson 1B
McDonald LF
Castillo C
Lake 3B
Gonzalez SS
Other pitchers on the travel squad include Jensen Lewis, Blake Parker, Michael Bowden, Robert Whitenack and Barret Loux. Birthday boy Jorge Soler, who turned 21 on Monday, also was on the travel squad.
* Nate Schierholtz was listed in the Cubs lineup at first base for Tuesday’s game at HoHoKam. Schierholtz has never played first. Ever.
“I’ve never played first, I’ve never taken any ground balls, so I’m not sure if that’s a misprint or not,” he said.
Never?
“Not really, no,” he said. “If that’s the case, I’ll have to obviously start taking ground balls before I play in a game and get a first baseman’s glove.”
He can’t borrow one from Anthony Rizzo. Wrong hand.
“I have one at home here,” he said.
Turns out, he won’t need it. There was a typo in the lineup. Schierholtz actually gets Tuesday off and Rizzo will be starting at first.
* Scott Feldman will make his Cubs debut on Thursday. He’s been getting his work in before most people have their first cup of coffee.
“I’m working on my sleeping patterns now, trying to get up a little earlier, working on getting my body moving and grooving at 8 [a.m.],” he said.
Maybe they’re getting him ready for day games at Wrigley Field.
“I’ve been getting up before it’s even light out,” he said.
* Arodys Vizcaino, recovering from Tommy John surgery, will throw his first bullpen session on Tuesday. He has already been told that he’ll be staying in Mesa after Spring Training ends for extended spring workouts, possibly for a couple months. He most likely will not get into any Cactus League games.
* Besides being Soler’s birthday, Monday also would’ve been Ron Santo’s B-day.
* Rafael Dolis was wearing a large wall clock around his neck when he went onto the field for stretching Sunday. He didn’t have to do so Monday. Dolis was given the clock by the coaching staff because he was 15 minutes late for a 7:30 a.m. meeting. Parents, you may want to consider that when your kids are tardy.
– Carrie Muskat
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