It was a slow day for winter ball on Friday due to the entire Dominican league getting rained out. So we start with action in Australia from Saturday instead. Jin-De Jhang caught one game of a doubleheader today and smacked a two-run homer in the first inning. He went 1-for-3 on the day, also drawing a walk and scoring a second run. Jhang had an RBI in his team’s opener on Friday. On defense, Jhang threw out the only runner attempting to steal, although he did make a throwing error earlier in that same inning.
Michael Suchy played both games of the doubleheader. Both he and Jhang are on the Sydney Blue Sox. Suchy went 1-for-3 with a single, walk and a stolen base in the opener. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a run scored in the second game. Suchy homered in the season opener on Friday.
In Mexico, Carlos Munoz went 1-for-5 with a run scored. He’s hitting .263/.367/.343 through 31 games.
Christian Navarro played his eighth game of the winter, striking out as a pinch-hitter late in the game. I was able to get a scouting report on him, to figure out how someone with zero games of pro ball is playing winter ball where the level of competition is at least Double-A quality and better on some days. The team has an outfielder out injured, which got Navarro a spot on the bench. He has above average speed and can play outfield well, so he’s valuable late in the game, although he has yet to play an inning in the field. Navarro has pinch-run five times and pinch-hit three times, striking out each time.
In Venezuela, Elvis Escobar has lost his starting job recently. He came off the bench as a pinch-runner in the eighth last night, stayed in the game in left field and batted in the ninth, popping out to the catcher. He is hitting .269/.316/.324 through 30 games.
Jose Osuna continues to workout with his team in Venezuela, but they have yet to say when he will begin playing. His own 7-10 day estimate he gave the media last week would have put him in the lineup by last night at the latest.
