Cactus League: Three Up, Three Down

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Take a spin around the Cactus League with “Three Up, Three Down,” an inside look at what is coming up and what went down on Friday.

THREE UP

1. Outfielder Tyler Naquin, who has only 50 games above Double-A, has been told he will be on the Cleveland Indians’ Opening Day roster by manager Terry Francona. Naquin went 3-for-4 with a home run Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was the 15th overall pick in the 2012 draft out of Texas A&M. He hit .348 in the Double-A Eastern League in 34 games last year and .263 in 34 games in the International League. With Abraham Almonte suspended 80 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, the door opened for Naquin.

2. Reymond Fuentes, a 2009 first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox, appears close to earning a spot on the Kansas City Royals, possibly even starting. Fuentes tripled Friday to leadoff the second inning and is hitting .425 with three home runs this spring. His only taste of the majors came in 2013 with San Diego, when he appeared in 23 games.

3. Angels right-hander Jered Weaver gave up three runs on five hits, including two home runs and three doubles, in five innings Friday against Oakland, his first Cactus League outing since March 9 because of a stiff neck. “About 80 percent of the league wouldn’t have been throwing with (the soreness) I’ve been throwing with the last couple years,” Weaver said. Everything is starting to loosen up. Every day it’s getting better.” His velocity is still mostly in 80-82 mile per hour range, which means he has to have nearly pinpoint control to be successful. Weaver is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game Wednesday. Angels manager Mike Scioscia was unwilling to earmark Weaver for a rotation slot in the opening series. “There’s no rush to where he needs to be ready,” Scioscia said. “We’re not going to cram. When he’s ready, he’s ready. He definitely needs some more work, but he’s making progress.”

THREE DOWN

1. Chicago Cubs Cy Young Award winner Jake Arietta said “it’s business as usual” Friday after leaving his start Thursday night against the Giants in the first inning with a right thumb blood blister. He said it “won’t be a problem at all.” He exited early as a precaution. “It’s not really a setback,” Arrieta said. “I would have loved to pitch longer, but it’s best to let it calm down.” He said he would make his Tuesday start. He faced seven batters before exiting. After Denard Span flied out to leadoff the game, he gave up four consecutive hits and walked two. “The most important thing is it didn’t split open,” Arrieta said. “I tried to prevent it from getting any worse.”
2. It is coming down to the wire on Korean slugger Dae-Ho Lee and the Seattle Mariners. Lee has an opt-out clause Sunday if the Seattle Mariners do not add him to the 40-man roster. “He does a little something every day,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said to help his cause. “He goes from first to third (on Thursday) on a ball where you think, ‘Ah, he can’t do that.’ The bunt play later in the game, he got to it pretty easy. There are things like that which have stood out. But, again, you’ve got to hit for what we’re looking for out of that position.” Lee, 33, is hitting .250 in 17 spring training games. If he makes the club, he will make $1 million, but that could escalate to $4 million with performance bonuses. Jesus Montero, who is in competition with Lee for that roster spot, is hitting .237 and is out of minor-league options.

3. Texas Rangers right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez threw five scoreless innings and yielded just one hit Thursday in beating the Cincinnati Reds. On Friday, he was sent to the minors and will open the season with Round Rock. Gonzalez, a 2013 first-round draft choice out of Oral Roberts University, was a candidate for the fifth rotation slot. He had not struck out a batter in his first three appearances before striking out two Reds, one being the pitcher. “This is not about being the fifth starter,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “It’s about being one of THE starters. This is an opportunity for him to continue to work and be ready when he’s needed. I think Chi Chi understands that. He’s going to pitch some significant innings for us this year at some point, so it is best he go get ready and be the guy when we need him.” Jeremy Guthrie, A.J. Griffin and Nick Martinez remain the leading candidates for the final rotation slot.