Florida Notes: Uneven Start In Grapefruit Games; Eyes On Injury List; Otter, Demery, UL Pass On; Spring Scraps

Grapefruit League stuff...

• This week's games: The Bucs lost their third straight game, getting clocked, 8-4, by Toronto. Roansy Contreras showed his old velo (95 MPH) w/control issues and Termarr Johnson homered twice. The Bucs bounced back with a 13-4 win over Atlanta. KeBryan Hayes banged a granny while three other Pirates also went deep. The bad news: Marcos Gonzales allowed three runs in 1-2/3 frames. Detroit then knocked off the Bucs, 5-3. Pups Quinn Priester and Jared Jones had promising outings. Baltimore scored four times in the ninth to take Thursday's game, 9-8, as young guys had good and bad days on the hill. Henry Davis banged a three-run homer and Hayes launched his second dinger of the spring.

Ke's having a hot spring start - 2024 Topps

• The weekend games: Pittsburgh outslugged Tampa on Friday, 12-8. Gilberto Celestino swatted a grand slam while Jared Triolo and Bryan Reynolds also went long. Mitch Keller struggled but got the win. They made it two straight with a 7-3 win over Detroit. Roansy Contreras looked better though his command is still meh while Henry Davis (who looked solid behind the dish) and Matt Gorski homered. Baltimore spoiled the weekend, overcoming a late deficit to take a 5-2 win on a three-run dinger in the ninth off Dauri Moreta, who then left accompanied by a trainer holding on to his elbow, uh-oh. Martin Perez started and looked sharp.

Notes:

• Cutch and Josh Palacios have yet to play. With Andrew, the Bucs are just slow-walking him due to his late season-injury and age, though he is doing all the drill work. Palacios has a lower leg injury and both are expected to join the lineup this week. Of more concern is David Bednar, who  felt some right lat tightness during a bullpen session this week. Moreta's elbow is a concern now, too. We'll see how that news plays out. Endy Rodriguez and Johan Oveido are already lost for the season and JT Brubaker is expected out until the All-Star break, so Buc depth looks like it'll be tested early.
• A little more on the catching situation: Shelty told Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette that the catching would be more in tandem rather than Yasmari Grandal being #1 and backstopping 100+ games, which makes the backup battle between Henry Davis and Jason Delay (and darkhorse Ali Sanchez) just a little bit more compelling as camp rolls on.

Henry's also had a strong week - 2024 Topps Foil

• Per Joe Block, Johnson was the first teenager in 10 years to hit two home runs in a Spring Training game when he took Toronto deep twice a week ago. Carlos Correa, then of the Astros, hit two bombs, also off the Blue Jays, in 2014.
• Andrew McCutchen is first among active players in career games played with 2,007. That status is subject to change; both Elvis Andrus (2,059) & Joey Votto (2,056) have played in more contests, and neither vet has retired even though they're still without a 2024 roster spot.
• Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline gives his Pirates Spring Training report.
• RHP Tahnaj Thomas, 24, signed to play indie ball with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association in hopes of resurrecting his brand. The once-hot prospect was shifted from starter to the pen in '22, but after one good season, he slashed 4-2-3/4.87 (five K, six BB per nine innings) for Altoona in 2023 and opted for free agency in the off season.
• RHP Larry Demery passed away this week at age 70. He spent his MLB career with the Pirates from 1974-77, slashing 29-23-7/3.72 in 136 games/49 starts.
• Also leaving us was C Ed Ott, who passed away at the age of 72. The Otter caught for the Bucs from 1974-80 (.267 BA/492 games), and platooned with Steve Nicosia in the Championship season of 1979. He had his best year at the dish that year, slashing .273/7/51 in 117 games. 
• Geez, bad week - IF UL Washington also went to his reward. UL finished his toothpick-gnawing 11-year MLB career with the 1986-87 Bucs as a bench player.