Notes and quotes on Nationals’ starter MacKenzie Gore’s second outing of the spring + more…
GOREGEOUS:
MacKenzie Gore struck out two batters in each of his two innings of work in his first start of the spring last Sunday, giving up a pair of singles and one run the second time up in the 26-pitch, 21-strike outing.
Gore, 25, threw four-seamers for 50% of his pitches (13 of 26), averaging 95.9 MPH with his fastball, which got up to 96.6, with five of nine swinging strikes on the pitch (and two each on his curveball and changeup).
“Yeah, if we can do that every time, we’ll be alright,” Gore told reporters after the outing, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, when a reporter noted he recorded his first three outs (two via strikeout) on 10 pitches total.
I really hope this is an approach change for MacKenzie Gore.
Sitting 96 mph with good iVB, the problem has been the lack of consistent elevation on his four-seamer.
No surprise he went 5/13 whiffs with 11/13 strikes with these locations. pic.twitter.com/aS4PCmUAzE
— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) February 25, 2024
“Let’s bottle that one up and do it.”
“I’m happy with what [Gore] did today,” manager Davey Martinez said, as quoted by MLB.com’s Bill Ladson.
“He looks really good. His breaking ball was a lot better. He threw some really good ones to left-handed hitters.”
Gore got swinging strikes on 2 of 3 curves and 2 of 4 changeups in the appearance.
In his second start of the spring Friday, Gore retired six of the first seven batters he faced, without giving up a hit, then erased a leadoff single in the third, with a pop out and then a 6-4-3, inning-ending DP to wrap up a 43-pitch outing.
“Not as sharp today, but it was good,” Gore said, as quoted by MASN’s Zuckerman after the outing. “We got into some situations and could see what we wanted to use. But I feel good, that’s really the most important thing.”
Another sharp outing for MacKenzie Gore: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K on 43 pitches.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) March 1, 2024
His manager said as long Gore’s pounding the zone, he’ll have success.
“When he’s around the zone, he doesn’t have to be perfect with his pitches,” Martinez said.
“He just has to be in that zone. He gets a lot of swings and misses. … This has been good all spring. He’s just got to get it in that box, and we’ll be in good shape.”
TJS FOR THOMPSON:
“Mason [Thompson], right now, he’s got a little arm issue,” Davey Martinez said on Day 1 of Spring Training last month, as things got started in West Palm Beach.
“We’re going to see what’s going on with him. We’ll take it slow with him.”
About two weeks earlier, Thompson, who turned 26 on February 20th, felt something when he threw in a pre-Spring Training bullpen session.
“We’re a little bit concerned. Like I said, we’ll take it slow with him. We’re still really early in Spring Training, so we’ll see. We’ll rehab him and see where we’re at in two weeks.”
Before the two weeks was up, and the doctors examined him again, Martinez expressed his concerns about what they might find.
“Keeping my fingers crossed,” Martinez said, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman. “To be honest with you, I’m a little concerned.”
Thompson underwent Tommy John surgery in high school, and dealt with injuries as a pro, and he said it felt like more than the sort of soreness you feel when you’re ramping it back up for the start of Spring Training.
“I’ve had Tommy John before, so the feeling wasn’t new,” he said.
“I don’t know necessarily if that’s where it’s headed, but I know that it’s felt a little bit more than just your usual soreness.”
Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
He was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
His manager told him to get to work and dedicate himself to the rehab process.
“As I talked to Mason, I said: ‘Hey, you’re young, and I know you can come back from this. . . . You’ve got to stay positive and work your way back,’” Martinez said as quoted by The Washington Post’s Andrew Golden.
“I know he can do it. Hopefully, everything goes well for him. I’ll talk to him after surgery. But it’s going to be a long process for him again.”
Acquired (along with IF/OF Jordy Barley) from San Diego in a deal which sent Daniel Hudson to the Padres in 2021, Thompson made 51 appearances in an up and down 2023 campaign.
The right-handed reliever posted a 1.89 ERA, a 2.47 FIP, one walk, 17 strikeouts, and a stingy .194/.217./313 line against in 11 games and 19 innings pitched in April.
By the end of May, his ERA was up to 4.76, with a 4.00 FIP, and a .252/.316/.383 line against in 21 games and 28 1⁄3 IP on the year, following a 10-game stretch in which he put up a 10.61 ERA, a 7.11 FIP, and a .350/.458/.500 line against in 9 1⁄3IP.
He bounced back with a strong run in June (in which he posted a 0.82 ERA, 3.26 FIP, and a .189/.333/.216 line against in 12 games and 11 IP), but Thompson put up a 9.00 ERA, 4.13 FIP, and a .394/.462/.455 line against in nine games and eight innings pitched in July.
He went on the IL with a knee issue in August, and when he returned, he made nine more appearances, throwing 6 2⁄3 IP between August 20th and September 10th, with a 12.15 ERA, 5.36 FIP, and a .441/.474/.706 line against before he was optioned down to Triple-A.