Facing hitters in a live batting practice session on Tuesday, right-hander Drey Jameson had trouble keeping his fastball down in the zone. But he seemed willing to cut himself some slack. After all, it had been more than 19 months since he last threw a pitch with someone in the batter’s box. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done that, for sure,” Jameson said. “It was definitely different. It’s been a long time, but it’s fun.” Jameson last pitched in a game setting the day he hurt his elbow on July 6, 2023. He wound up undergoing Tommy John surgery that September and missed all of last season. Jameson said he is past the point of thinking about his arm when he steps on the mound.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. “I don’t feel anything, so it’s not any concern,” he said. “I trust the process and the work that I’ve put in for the last year. I’m just going out and letting it do its thing.” By all accounts, Jameson’s stuff has been lively in the early days of camp, with his fastball routinely in the mid-90s and touching the upper-90s. He also has said at various points this spring he is excited about the progress of his change-up and curveball, which would give him a legit four-pitch mix to go with his fastball and slider. Jameson is in the mix for a spot in the bullpen and is likely to be kept in a relief role this year in an attempt to keep him healthy.
Union head ‘concerned’ about spending distribution
Tony Clark, the executive director of the players’ union, was at Salt River Fields on Tuesday morning for a lengthy meeting with players. Speaking with reporters after, Clark was asked if the players’ association had any concerns about the distribution of free-agent spending that occurred this winter. “We have a concern when upwards of two-thirds of the league is sitting on their hands,” Clark said. At one point last week, eight teams had accounted for more than 76 percent of the free-agent spending, according to research by ESPN. The
Diamondbacks , who signed right-hander Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million deal, were one of the eight. “There are teams, this team being one of them,” Clark said, referring to the Diamondbacks, “that engaged and addressed some issues that they thought they needed to address, found who they were looking for with an eye on pushing forward. There are teams, all 30 teams, that could be doing the same thing that aren’t. “Do we have a concern? Yeah, we have a concern. We know there are still guys out there that can help teams. We’re hopeful that many of them find a landing spot here, even as camp opens up. We track all of it, particularly in a world where the industry revenue is growing at the rate that it is, having teams not as interested in pushing themselves to be the last team standing is something we’re concerned about.”
Short hops
-- Burnes will start Friday’s Cactus League opener vs. the Colorado Rockies. Manager Torey Lovullo still has not named an Opening Day starter. He is deciding between Burnes and right-hander Zac Gallen. -- Left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who was dealing with a flexor strain in his left index finger, resumed throwing on Tuesday, Lovullo said. He threw from a distance of 60 feet on Tuesday and was out to 90 feet on Wednesday. “He said he feels great,” Lovullo said. -- Infielder Gino Groover, the prospect who experienced dizziness during Monday’s workout, did not participate on Tuesday but was back in action on Wednesday. Lovullo said Groover might have been dealing with food poisoning or some sort of a 24-hour bug that caused him to feel dehydrated. “He said he feels a lot better,” Lovullo said.
