AAA: Round Rock 2, Albuquerque (COL) 10
Round Rock: 7 hits, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Opponent: 11 hits, 6 walks, 11 strikeouts
Record: 1-2
SP Robert Dugger: 0.2 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 7 R, 2 BB, 1 SO, 34 P / 18 S, 67.50 ERA
RP Grant Anderson: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO, 0.00 ERA
RP Kyle Cody: 3 IP, 4 H (2 HR), 2 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 6.00 ERA
RP Daniel Robert: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 0.00 ERA
C Sam Huff: 2-3, BB
1B Blaine Crim: 1-3, BB
Newcomer Robert Dugger retired only two of nine batters. Dugger was out of contract from early October until last Wednesday. He has appeared in 27 MLB games, and I’m sure he was working out diligently on his own, but he appears to have completely missed Spring Training.
Jonathan Ornelas collected his first AAA hit on an opposite-field liner. Justin Foscue connected at speeds of 88, 96, 98, and 106, and was hitless, again. The only player hitting harder so far is Yoshi Tsutsugo, and he’s also swung and missed only twice in three games, so I wouldn’t fret his 0-11 start.
Round Rock was outhomered 8-0 in the series and hit only one ball that I’d classify as a potential homer: Sam Huff’s deep flyout in the 9th on Friday (102.5 MPH, a slightly-too-high 40 degrees).
Texas signed OF Rafael Ortega. The 31-year-old former Rockie, Ranger*, Cardinal, Angel, Padre, Marlin, Brave, Cub, and Yankee has a career line of .250/.322/.361 including .241/.331/.358 in a career-high 118 games with the Cubs in 2022. With apologies to Clint Frazier, who’s trying to reclaim prior form, Ortega immediately becomes the leader on the minor league OF depth chart. Texas sent IF Dio Arias to Frisco. At present, Round Rock lacks a reserve who can play 2B or SS, and the 3B reserves are Tsutsugo (not ideal) and Blaine Crim (even less so).
* As you doubtlessly recall, Ortega was a Ranger for a few weeks during the 2013-2014 offseason, claimed and then lost on waivers.
The Pacific Coast League did eliminate its divisions to accommodate the new split-season format.