Tommy La Stella, Casey Sadler, Paul Sewald and other notes from Peoria
Tommy La Stella, Casey Sadler, Paul Sewald and other notes from Peoria
Injury updates and more from Peoria
If you haven’t had a chance to go down to Peoria to watch the Mariners in Spring Training before, I would highly recommend it. Whether you are watching a specific player or drill, there is plenty to learn even as a fan at the Peoria Sports Complex.
Here are a few of my miscellaneous takeaways from Peoria so far.
Tommy La Stella
The Mariners signed the infielder to an MLB deal in January after injuries ravaged his last few seasons in the big leagues. La Stella has once again been bit by the injury bug this spring.
While issues with his Achilles have given him trouble in the past, this year his shoulder has been an issue. The issue has kept him out of all games so far, troubling him when hitting and throwing.
By all accounts, the health issues have sapped athleticism and power from La Stella, a player who didn’t have a ton of pop to begin with. He will have an uphill battle to make the roster this spring.
Casey Sadler
After a dynamite 2021 season a shoulder injury caused right-handed reliever Casey Sadler to have surgery and miss all of last season. Motivated to come back after being released by the Mariners, he signed a minor league deal with the team early on in the offseason.
Returning from shoulder issues can be a wild card, and even if his arm gives him no trouble, his effectiveness is not guaranteed to return.
I watched his bullpen on Monday, and to the naked eye his velocity seemed fine. Following his bullpen session Sadler had discussions with trainers but ultimately seems to be working through the growing pains of a surgically repaired shoulder.
Overall it didn’t seem like much to worry about, but we may have to wait to see him in games. Sadler is a guy who I am rooting for and I would bet he makes it to Seattle at some point again this year, even if he starts in Tacoma.
Paul Sewald
Paul Sewald also had offseason surgery, with both heels and his elbow receiving medical attention over the winter. The procedures were considered clean-ups and seem to be nothing to worry about.
Although Sewald hasn’t yet pitched in a game, those who were at Peoria Sports Complex on Monday could witness the right hander in action.
Sewald started on the bullpen mounds and then moved across to a backfield where Cal Raleigh, Kole Calhoun, and others were waiting. During his bullpen, he received several remarks from his catcher for the movement on his pitches, a great sign for him coming off these injuries.
In the live portion, Sewald looked just fine, although Cal Raleigh did tag him for two home runs during the session. His slider looked sharp and the velocity was there, which is a good sign for the 32-year-old going into his third season with the Mariners.
Other tidbits
-Julio Rodriguez hit off the machine and fully participated Tuesday, a good sign after a hard collision with the outfield wall on Monday.
-While George Kirby and Logan Gilbert haven’t appeared in games yet this spring, the two young arms are certainly ready to go. Before pitcher fielding practice on Tuesday they could be seen conversing about Kirby’s new changeup grip and Gilbert’s new splitter. We have yet to see either of these new offerings in person, but it will be interesting to see how they look in their first action.