What we learned: March 16, 2015

This Weekend's Results

Friday: Mariners 10, Brewers 5
Saturday: Cubs 10, Brewers 5
Sunday: Athletics 5, Brewers 2
Sunday: Rangers 12, Brewers 5

It wasn't a good weekend for the Brewers as they lost four straight. Some highlights from the weekend:

• Juan Centeno hit a solo home run in Friday's game.
• Adam Lind collected his first hit of the spring on Saturday, a solo home run.
• Jonathan Lucroy returned to action on Saturday, catching for the first time this spring. He didn't have any issues in his first start behind the plate.
• Kyle Lohse pitched into the fifth inning in his start on Sunday.
• Jonathan Lucroy got his first hit of the spring on Sunday, which was also a solo home run.
• Carlos Gomez also hit a home run on Sunday.
• Ryan Braun missed Friday and Saturday's games with the flu, but returned on Sunday. He's currently 0-for-10 for the spring, but is still feeling healthy.

Brewers News and Analysis

• You voted for Jacob Gatewood at #14 and Jorge Lopez at #15 in the BCB Community Prospect Rankings. The vote for #16 is now open and will remain open until tomorrow morning.
• A decision will have to be made on reliever Chris Perez soon, and considering the Brewers bullpen situation, it could be a tough one. Derek looked at the approaching decision with Perez and what the Brewers options are.
• The Brewers officially announced that Kyle Lohse will be the Opening Day starter this year. Lining up behind him will be Matt Garza and Wily Peralta, with Mike Fiers and Jimmy Nelson taking the last two spots.
• Francisco Rodriguez reported to camp on Friday, and signed his contract on Saturday morning. In a twist we weren't expecting, Rodriguez left money on the table to return to Milwaukee.
• The Brewers have had a pink-eye breakout in the clubhouse, and are taking steps to prevent it from spreading further. One of those steps is the banning of high-fives in the clubhouse this spring.
• The radar gun hasn't been broken out by the Brewers yet, but early reports are that Jim Henderson has still not hit his peak velocity again. With a few weeks left to go in spring, Adam McCalvy notes that Henderson is still seeking to regain his former velocity.
• After dealing with a neck issue this spring, Dontrelle Willis decided to retire from baseball. Adam McCalvy spoke to Willis on Saturday, who is ready to move on to the next phase of his life.
• The Brewer Nation continued their Brewers by the (Jersey) numbers series with #24 Adam Lind and #22 Matt Garza.
• Marcus Young of Miller Park Prospects looks at the top five Brewers prospects at shortstop. Meanwhile, Brad Krause has a profile of Orlando Arcia.

NL Central Update

This Weekend's Scores

Friday

• Twins 8, Pirates 3
• Marlins 6, Cardinals 3
• Indians (SS) 7, Cubs (SS) 4
• Cubs (SS) 5, Athletics (SS) 3
• Reds 3, Dodgers 3

Saturday

• Twins 6, Cardinals 3
• Pirates 5, Red Sox 2
• Cubs (SS) 3, Athletics (SS) 1
• Rockies 1, Reds 0

Sunday

• Pirates 4, Orioles 2
• Cardinals 6, Twins 6
• Cubs 2, Reds 1

Today’s Games

• Tigers @ Cardinals - 12:05 pm
• Cubs @ Padres - 3:05 pm
• Giants @ Reds - 3:05 pm
• Pirates have the day off.

Around Baseball

Transactions/Roster News

• Mat Gamel's comeback attempt with the Yankees didn't last long. A week after signing him to a minor-league deal, they released him.
• Starting pitcher Yu Darvish of the Rangers will have Tommy John surgery and miss the 2015 season.
• Left-handed reliever Josh Edgin of the Mets will have Tommy John surgery and miss the 2015 season.
• Catcher Tim Federowicz of the Padres had a significant tear in his meniscus, and is now expected to miss three to six months following surgery.
• Shortstop Chris Taylor of the Mariners fractured his right wrist, and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
• Outfielder Kevin Pillar of the Blue Jays will miss seven to ten days with a strained oblique after he injured it while sneezing.

Other Notes

• Kris Bryant is having a massive spring for the Cubs, but due to the service time system, he is a near lock to start the season in the minors to delay his free agency by one year. Teams use this to their advantage all the time, but Mike Petriello of FanGraphs has a suggestion on how this system could be fixed.
• Here's something you will never see Brewers manager Ron Roenicke do. In an effort to motivate his players, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez had a cement block broken on his chest.
• Just when you think minor-league jerseys can't get more ridiculous, a new one comes out that tops them all. Mark Townsend of Big League Stew notes that the Jackson Generals will wear Dorothy-themed jerseys in a game this season.
• Remember to give yourself extra time to get into the ballpark this season. On Friday, MLB officially announced that all 30 MLB parks will be required to implement metal detector screening starting this season.

Today’s Action

The Brewers have their first off-day of the spring today. They will return to action tomorrow.