LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Most Braves pitchers have only thrown a couple of bullpen or batting-practice sessions apiece in the first week of spring training, but a few have already caught the attention of team officials and members of the coaching staff.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez and senior adviser Bobby Cox both mentioned last week how impressed they’d been watching veteran starter Kyle Kendrick and left-handed starter Manny Banuelos, whose impressive rookie season ended with September arthroscopic surgery on his previously repaired pitching elbow.
After Friday’s workout, which featured the first “live” batting practice sessions thrown by pitchers, Gonzalez said he like what he saw from starting prospect Tyrell Jenkins, the Braves’ minor league Pitcher of the Year. “I know they’ve been working on his delivery a little bit, and it was nice to see him develop,” Gonzalez said.
He complimented the early work of several bullpen candidates: Jose Ramirez, who spent time in the majors with Yankees and Mariners in 2015; non-roster invitees Alexi Ogando and lefty Carlos Torres, and Madison Younginer, a rookie non-roster invitee with an unorthodox sort of extreme overhanded throwing motion that Gonzalez compared to that of a cricket player: “It’s kind of funky, but he repeats it, gets people out. You don’t see that kind of angle often.”
Also gaining notice Friday was experienced lefty reliever Ian Krol, acquired from the Tigers in an offseason trade for Cameron Maybin. “Talking to (left-handed hitters Freddie) Freeman and (Nick) Markakis, they said Krol was pretty hard to pick up, being lefty on lefty,” Gonzalez said.
Freeman didn’t take any swings in live batting practice, but stood in the batter’s box to “track” pitches and get used to the higher speeds again. He didn’t take any batting practice this offseason due to lingering soreness in the right wrist that kept him out of 44 games in 2015, and has only taken swings in coach-pitch batting practice sessions so far in camp.
