MESA, Ariz. – Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer made certain Pete Crow-Armstrong knew he thought the speedy heart fielder wanted a “quick man” jersey quantity. No. 52 definitely didn’t qualify.
“He was simply speaking s—,” Crow-Armstrong stated. “In a good way. He’s actually good at that. He’s good at being round us, and he’s good on the mingling portion of our days – when he may very well be upstairs, however he’s down right here and interacting with us. And I all the time appreciated that about him.”
Earlier in camp, Crow-Armstrong stated, he, Dansby Swanson and Nicky Lopez had been capturing round on the basketball hoop on the again patio of the Cubs’ spring coaching advanced. And Hoyer came visiting.
“He was speaking smack about, I’m carrying a lineman’s quantity and all these things,” Crow-Armstrong stated. “And he stated, if he makes a shot, I’ve acquired to alter it. And I used to be like, ‘That’s enjoyable. Why not? Let’s do it.’
“It was like a 12-footer. I most likely ought to have pushed him again.”
Hoyer sunk the shot, and Crow-Armstrong was on the hook for a quantity change. No. 4 turned out there simply earlier than Cactus League play started, when the Cubs designated Alexander Canario for assignment to make room for Justin Turner.
Earlier than Crow-Armstrong debuted his new quantity Friday, his hair generated buzz on social media. Final spring, Crow-Armstrong dyed his hair blue. This yr, it’s bleach blonde with blue stars.
“I believe he seems to be nice,” Hoerner stated final week. “He performs the sport with confidence and swagger. And I believe it will be straightforward to criticize if it didn’t really feel real, however it’s who he’s, it’s how he lives his life. And all that vitality and pleasure you see is similar vitality he pours into us as teammates and into successful video games.
“And if it was an vitality that was egocentric or simply about social media or one thing silly, then that’d be one factor. However Pete’s right here daily for the group and for all of us, and he has enjoyable, and he performs the sport onerous, and he performs to win. And it’s all the things you possibly can ask for from a teammate.”
Crow-Armstrong stated his mother shared these feedback from Hoerner with him.
“That’s a man that I do look as much as,” Crow-Armstrong stated. “… I’m simply glad that I’ve proven my teammates and earned their belief to have the ability to do issues like that and never take away from what actually issues. As a result of that’s why I’m right here: I’m right here to go catch baseballs in heart discipline and produce offensively as finest as I can.”
Caissie offers timeline
Outfield prospect Owen Caissie (delicate to reasonable left adductor pressure) instructed the Solar-Instances he expects to start energy and mobility workout routines in a pair days, however he probably gained’t resume baseball actions for a pair weeks. He was injured final week and underwent an MRI Thursday.
“After I did it, I used to be fairly bummed,” Caissie stated. “I used to be like, ‘Ah crap, I gained’t have the ability to play instantly, gained’t have the ability to do [live batting practice] or something like that.”
He additionally realizes the timing might have been worse.
“That is the time to do it,” he stated. “Think about doing this in the beginning of the season.”
Caissie is coming off an offseason sports activities hernia surgical procedure. He stated he first felt the harm final July 4, after beating out a chopper to first.
“I felt like my insides form of ripped aside,” he stated.
He took a pair weeks off after which performed by means of the discomfort for the remainder of the season, earlier than present process surgical procedure in October.
Shaw harm replace
Third baseman Matt Shaw (left indirect) is scheduled to progress to hitting on the sector and making throws throughout fielding observe, in keeping with Counsell. He’d resumed hitting in the cage and playing catch earlier this week.
