Behind the Fence: Extended Spring Training with Alex Robinson and Lewis Thorpe 4/30-4/31

[Bob Sacamento]

The Twins Extended Spring Training schedule is in full swing and over the weekend  (4/29-4/30) they played against their crosstown rivals the Boston Red Sox.  The two clubs faced off in split squad action, I kept most of my attention to Virgil Vasquez's club, which featured four lefties pitching on the day in Alex Robinson, Andrew Vasquez, Cameron Booser, and Anthony McIver.  It also had a strong starting lineup:

 

SS Gorge Munoz

DH Roberto Gonzalez

2B Travis Blankenhorn

3B Trey Cabbage

LF Jean Carlos Arias

1B Kyle Kendrick

C  Jhon Alvarez

CF Lean Marrero

RF Aaron Whitefield

DH Robert Molina

 

The biggest surprise with the lineup was seeing Blankenhorn at 2B, as it seems like the organization is moving him all around the field to find his best position.  He made a couple of good plays at second, and he appears to have the footwork and range to make it a viable option.  His draftmate and former roommate, Trey Cabbage, has started to come into his own as the club batted him in the cleanup spot and he rewarded that in the first inning with a sac fly that put the Twins up 1-0.  Of the two, Cabbage is the better defender at the hot corner; he could probably play a little SS if he had to as well.  Outside of Cabbage's sac fly the offense was held quiet for most of the day.

 

On the pitching side, it was my first time seeing Alex Robinson in game action and he held his own.  In 2 innings, Alex only gave up two singles, 1 run, no walks, and struck out one.  His fastball was sitting 88-94 mph (avg 91), his curveball 78-82 mph (81 avg), and slider 85-87 mph (86 avg).  I talked to him afterwards, he felt good, stated he was working on throwing his offspeed for strikes and locating his fastball.

 

The gem of the day had to go to lefty reliever Andrew Vasquez, the 2015 32nd round pick out of Westmont College was just downright filthy.  In two innings, Andrew gave up no hits, no walks and struck out six and he only needed 26 pitches to do so.  Of course 19 of those 26 pitches were curveballs that the Red Sox hitters just couldn't touch.

 

The two relievers after Andrew didn't fair as well in Cameron Booser and Anthony McIver.  Booser threw two innings with his fastball at 93-98 mph and a changeup 84-85 mph. 

 

In the stands, I sat with rehabbing pitcher Fernando Romero who had just thrown on Thursday, where he's sitting 95-98 mph with ease.  He said he feels great and is ready to get called up from extended ball.

 

In the other game, Jovani Moran started the game and had a decent lineup behind him as well in 

 

SS Alex Perez

2B Ariel Montesino

1B Lewin Diaz

3B Amaurys Minier

LF Brad Hartong

C Rainis Silva

RF Roni Tapia

CF Tyree Davis

DH Ruar Verkerk

 

Yet they still couldn't muster out a run. 

 

Probably the biggest news though was that Lewis Thorpe who threw on Saturday, his fastball was 88-92mph.  He did get nailed by a comebacker to the mound but stayed in the ballgame 

 

 

**Pictures and Video will be up as soon as TD's database is up and working**

 

[clutterheart]

Fernando Romero & Lewis Thorpe!

Im really looking forward for those careers to get restarted

 

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Fernando Romero & Lewis Thorpe!

Im really looking forward for those careers to get restarted

So are they!!  To me (and Fernando) he seems ready to go and get an assignment to Cedar Rapids.  I asked him what was holding him back and he didn't know - he feels his velo is back up to where it should be and he's locating his pitches as well as he was before his injuries.  Romero has been hitting 98 for little over a month now.  Not sure if they are going to stretch him out or only keep him in short relief outings to start with.

 

 

[FormerMinnasotan]

Good to hear Thorpe is back on the mound. Before he had Tommy John surgery I felt he'd be better than Gonsalves and Stewart.

[clutterheart]

 

So are they!!  To me (and Fernando) he seems ready to go and get an assignment to Cedar Rapids.  I asked him what was holding him back and he didn't know - he feels his velo is back up to where it should be and he's locating his pitches as well as he was before his injuries.  Romero has been hitting 98 for little over a month now.  Not sure if they are going to stretch him out or only keep him in short relief outings to start with.

 

Knowing the Twins they will start him at E-Town because...the Twins.  But in reality its probably innings.  They won't want him to start pitching until June and just let him pitch the whole season. 

[Seth Stohs]

They're going to do what's best for him, and like you said, they're going to monitor him and his innings. 

 

His Tommy John surgery was just about 2 years ago now, but last summer, he tore up his knee, so his arm may be ahead of his knee. 

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

 

 

 

Probably the biggest news though was that Lewis Thorpe who threw on Saturday, his fastball was 88-92mph.  

 

Where was he sitting before?

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Where was he sitting before?

I wanna say near there but like 91-93 topping 94/95.  Mixed with that change of his that is so devastating, it's similar to Gonsalves.

[Dman]

Hoping Romero and Thorpe can get started at A ball so that they can promote Gonsalves and Stewart  to AA. Lets get those promotions moving.

[FormerMinnasotan]

I wanna say near there but like 91-93 topping 94/95. Mixed with that change of his that is so devastating, it's similar to Gonsalves.

I might be wrong, but didn't Thorpe also have a developing slider and curve that might have been even better than Gonsalves' curve and slider?

[Pitz]

 

I wanna say near there but like 91-93 topping 94/95.  Mixed with that change of his that is so devastating, it's similar to Gonsalves.

 

Appreciate your reports!

 

Any notes on Huascar Ynoa? Have you seen him pitch at all?

[Bob Sacamento]

 

Appreciate your reports!

 

Any notes on Huascar Ynoa? Have you seen him pitch at all?

He's listed on the roster but I haven't seen him in uniform or pitch thus far; I'm not even a 100% sure he's down here.