Julio Urías and Noah Syndergaard made their first appearances of the spring on Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds. Both pitchers already looked to be in mid-season form.
Urías started the game and pitched a solid 2 2/3 innings while striking out four batters and only allowing two hits. Urías was charged with one run as an inherited runner came home after he had already departed the game.
Julio Urías's 2Ks in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/wdRFWXb1jI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 28, 2023
"For the first [game] it felt really good out there, felt like I was attacking the zone, attacking the strike zone, and making good pitches," Urías said after his start, via SportsNet LA.
“Felt really good out there, felt like I was attacking the zone, attacking the strike zone, and making good pitches.” Julio Urías on how it felt to be back on the mound pitching. pic.twitter.com/UBV4XLHIC3
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) February 28, 2023
Urías is expected to make one more start for the Dodgers before joining Team Mexico for the World Baseball Classic. The southpaw also said he would be ready if asked to start Mexico's first game against Colombia on March 11.
Syndergaard came into the game in the fourth inning and pitched two scoreless frames, including a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. Syndergaard struck out two batters and only gave up one hit.
1-2-3 inning with 2 strikeouts for Noah Syndergaard in his Dodgers debut pic.twitter.com/taFA69r5HO
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) February 28, 2023
Syndergaard, who signed with the Dodgers as a reclamation project, has hoped the team can help him get back to throwing triple-digits. In his first start of the spring, his fastball sat between 91-93 MPH.
The former flamethrower admitted low 90s is not where he wanted his fastball to be, but isn't too concerned and is focused on building his arm strength up.
“I think we have the right formula down, just you know, being consistent with it and trusting the routine, trusting the process.”@Noahsyndergaard is being patient with his arm and trusts the #Dodgers staff will get him back to his normal pitching speed. pic.twitter.com/v7N5lrN4rc
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 1, 2023
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The Dallas Cowboys extended one of their stars Sunday, just not the one fans wanted them to pay. At Cowboys training camp Saturday, Dallas fans serenaded owner Jerry Jones with "Pay Micah [Parsons]" chants. The EDGE, of course, is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract this season. Jones must not have been listening. He gave tight end Jake Ferguson a new contract instead. Dallas and the 26-year-old pass-catcher agreed to a four-year, $52M contract extension, via NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. This move seems head-scratching. Parsons has won the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned two first-team All-Pro nods since the Cowboys took him with pick No. 12 in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old EDGE also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Ferguson, meanwhile, is solid but not elite. In three seasons with the Cowboys, the 2022 fourth-round pick has made one Pro Bowl and has never finished with more than 761 receiving yards in a season. An extension for Parsons will devour future cap space. The Cowboys may be worried about that after giving quarterback Dak Prescott (four years, $240M) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136M) long-term deals in 2024. Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt signed a lucrative three-year, $123M extension on July 17, making him the league's highest-paid non-QB. Parsons could command a similar contract. If cap space is Dallas' primary concern, however, why would it extend Ferguson? He's now set to be the NFL's seventh-highest-paid TE. The Cowboys waited to extend Lamb and Prescott just before the start of the 2024 season. They may be doing the same with Parsons. The star defender has said, "Ownership is always gonna make [contract negotiations] drag out." Regardless, the Cowboys should've paid Parsons before Ferguson. That's a much bigger priority for the team.
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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh clubbed his 40th home run of the season on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Angels, not only extending his major league lead but also making him the first player in baseball to reach the 40-home run mark this season. It also helped him make some history. With his 40th home run, Raleigh became both the first catcher and the first switch-hitter in baseball history to reach the 40 home run mark before the end of July. Here is a look at his 40th home run. He is already in the process of having one of the best seasons ever for a Mariners player, and also one of the best seasons ever for a catcher, for any team. Especially when you add in his defense, where he is one of the best defensive catchers in the league. His only serious competition for the American League MVP Award remains New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. But with Judge sidelined for some time now due to an elbow injury, it might open the door for Raleigh to put himself in the lead for that award.
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