Kingston Thunder alum Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) threw live batting practice for the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last May.

March 16, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes from the past week:

Brash throws BP

In a major step towards his return from Tommy John surgery, Seattle Mariners reliever Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) threw a live batting practice session on Wednesday. It was the first live BP he has thrown since his surgery in May.

“It’s always better when you’re getting off the game mound,” Brash told the Seattle Times. “There’s a little more juice, and everything just comes out smoother. I even got my adrenaline going for the first time in a while. It was fun.”

Brash was instructed not to throw all-out, but it was definitely progress for the Canuck right-hander who missed the 2024 campaign and is aiming to return to the M’s bullpen by the end of April. Brash’s fastball clocked in the 93-to-95 mph range, while his slider, his best pitch, had a spin rate similar to what it was in 2023.

“My slider feels really great,” Brash told the Seattle Times. “I’m really happy with it. It’s coming out nice. And the velo on it was pretty good. The feel has (been) coming back really nice.”

In 2023, in his second big league campaign, the 6-foot-1 righty developed into a go-to late-inning reliever for the Mariners. He led major league pitchers with 78 appearances and had a 9-4 record and a 3.06 ERA. He fanned 107 batters in 70 2/3 innings, good for a 13.6 strikeout-per-nine-inning rate.

The next step for Brash will likely be to pitch a full live batting practice session early this week.

Josh Naylor remains red hot for D-Backs

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) is batting .469 this spring with 15 hits in 32 at bats. His 15 hits lead all Canuck big leaguers.

“I’m honestly pretty bad in spring,” Naylor told reporters on Tuesday. “Not that I want to be, obviously, but I don’t really search for results in spring training.

“Honestly, I search for feels, search for just good at-bats, quality at bats. If I get a hit, cool. If I don’t, it’s not the end of the world. Stats don’t matter. Winning or losing doesn’t really matter here. It’s just about getting your reps in, feeling those in-season feelings, get them back.”

Among Naylor’s 15 hits this spring are a homer and four doubles. He also has six RBIs.

On December 21, Naylor was dealt to the Diamondbacks by the Cleveland Guardians for right-hander Slade Cecconi and a Competitive Balance Round B draft pick.

In 2024, Naylor registered career-highs in home runs (31) and RBIs (108) in 152 games for the Guardians and was selected to the MLB All-Star Game for the first time.

The 2024 campaign was the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad’s fifth with the Guardians and his sixth overall. He made his big-league debut with the San Diego Padres in 2019.

Bo Naylor outhomering his brother

Josh Naylor’s younger brother, Bo, has half as many hits as his brother this spring, but three times as many home runs. The Guardians catcher also has one more RBI (7) than his brother.

In total, Bo, is 7-for-32 (.219 batting average) in Cactus League action. He is expected to see the lion’s share of the work behind the plate for the Guardians this season, his first without his older brother also on the club.

In 2024, Bo socked 13 home runs for the Guardians to set a career-high. He also added 10 doubles, 29 walks and 39 RBIs in 123 games. The 25-year-old catcher also posted a career-best 1.0 dWAR.

The Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad has played in parts of three big league seasons for the Guardians since being selected 29th overall by them in the 2018 MLB draft.

Pivetta roughed up in third start for Padres

On Friday, Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) was roughed up for five runs on four hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings in his start against the Texas Rangers.

Those were the first runs Pivetta has allowed this spring. Last Sunday, he struck out three in three scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants in his second start — the same team he tossed 2 2/3 scoreless frames against in his Padres’ debut five days earlier.

In total, the 6-foot-5 right-hander has a 5.40 ERA in 8 1/3 innings this spring.

Pivetta signed a backloaded four-year, $55-million contract with the Padres on February 17.

The Junior National Team grad went 6-12 with a 4.14 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) for the Red Sox in 2024. He struck out 172 batters in 145 2/3 innings. In total, Pivetta has pitched in eight major league seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and Red Sox. He owns a career 56-71 record and a 4.76 ERA in 223 games (178 starts).

Julien rediscovering swing

After a disappointing sophomore season with the Minnesota Twins in 2024, Edouard Julien (Longueuil, Que.) worked hard in the off-season to finetune his swing. Twins’ new hitting coach Matt Borgschulte even worked with him for a few days in Qúebec City in December.

“At the end of the year last year, I think my swing was a little messed up,” Julien told the St. Paul Pioneer Press in February. “I wasn’t able to adjust to certain pitches and I wasn’t able to hit stuff early, in front, and that’s what I worked on (for) the most part, just to be more through the zone and longer through the zone.”

His hard work seems to be paying off.

Julien is 10-for-35 (.286 batting average) in 12 games this spring. He has a home run, eight runs and a .375 on-base percentage (OBP).

Last season, the ABC and Junior National Team alum slumped to a .199 batting average with eight home runs, 21 RBIs, six stolen bases and 33 walks in 94 games with the Twins.

Selected in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Twins, Julien enjoyed an outstanding rookie season with them in 2023. In 109 games, Julien set a record for most home runs by a Canadian second baseman in a big league season with 16. He also topped Twins’ regulars in walks (64) and OBP (.381).

O’Neill battles through illness, soreness in O’s camp

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) has played just seven games for the Baltimore Orioles this spring. Between March 3 and March 9, he was sidelined first with an illness and then with rib cage soreness. He returned to the O’s lineup last Sunday and has since gone 4-for-12 in four games. Overall, he is batting .353 with a home run and three RBIs in Grapefruit League action.

O’Neill signed a three-year, $49.5 million contract with the Orioles in December.

With the Red Sox in 2024, O’Neill topped the club with 31 home runs. That total also tied him with Josh Naylor for the most major league homers by a Canadian last season. A Langley Blaze and Junior National Team alum, O’Neill played his first six major league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018 to 2023.

Happy Birthday to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.!

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was born in Montreal 26 years ago today.

Here are a few things that he has accomplished through the age of 25 (his first six major league seasons) that no other Toronto Blue Jay has:

-His 160 home runs are the most by a Blue Jay through the age of 25.

-No other Blue Jay has been selected to four All-Star Games through the age of 25.

-His 905 hits are the most by any Blue Jay through the age of 25.

-His 21.5 WAR is the highest of any Blue Jay through the age of 25.

Sabrowski likely to start season on IL

Guardians left-hander Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) has not appeared in a Cactus League game this spring due to left elbow inflammation. The injury is not believed to be serious, but it’s concerning when you take into account that the 27-year-old lefty has already undergone two Tommy John surgeries.

On a positive note, Sabrowski began throwing at 60 feet on Wednesday, which is a step towards his return.

After his first big-league call-up on August 28 last year, Sabrowski struck out 19 batters in 12 2/3 innings and did not allow a run in eight appearances down the stretch for the Guardians. That performance earned him a spot on the Guardians’ postseason roster and he appeared in a combined four games in the American League Division Series and American League Championship Series. Sabrowski finished the playoffs with a 1.69 ERA in five appearances with eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

Chosen in the 14th round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Padres, Sabrowski pitched one season in their organization prior to being selected in the Rule 5 draft by Cleveland in December 2021.

Cruz Jr. fired by Rice University

Former Blue Jays outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. was dismissed as head coach of the Rice University baseball team on Thursday after the team got off to a 2-14 start. Cruz Jr., a Rice alum himself, was in his fourth season as head coach. During that time, the team posted a 63-126 record.

“I do not take lightly the dismissal of a legendary Owl such as coach Cruz,” said Rice athletic director Tommy McClelland in a statement. “However, I came to the decision that it was in the best interest of our student-athletes and our baseball program to make a coaching change now while there is so much of the season remaining.”

Prior to his coaching career, Cruz Jr. enjoyed a 12-season big league career, including six campaigns as an outfielder with the Blue Jays. In 2001, he belted 34 home runs and stole 32 bases to become the second 30-30 player in Blue Jays’ history (Shawn Green was the first in 1998).

Remembering Pete Ward

Former big-league infielder and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Pete Ward (Montreal, Que.) passed away on this date three years ago at the age of 84.

Son of Montreal Maroons hockey star, Jimmy Ward, Pete was born in Montreal, before moving to Portland, Ore., when he was eight. In 1958, the Orioles signed him and he made his big league debut with the O’s on September 21, 1962.

Following that season, Ward was traded to the White Sox in a blockbuster deal that would bring Luis Aparicio to Baltimore. In his inaugural campaign in the Windy City, Ward was transformed into a third baseman. In 157 games that season, he hit .295, socked 22 home runs and finished second in the American League to Carl Yastrzemski in hits. For an encore, he belted 23 homers, knocked in a career-best 94 runs and finished sixth in the American League MVP voting in 1964.

Unfortunately, he suffered a neck injury in a car accident in 1965 that hampered him for the rest of his career. He played his final season with the New York Yankees in 1970. After retiring as a player, he managed for eight seasons in the minors with the Yankees, White Sox and Pirates.