SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Starting right fielder Sal Frelick returned to the lineup with a flourish in the Brewers¡¯ final Spring Training game Monday.
Frelick hit cleanup and had two RBI singles -- one to left field, one to right -- in his two plate appearances in the Brewers¡¯ matchup against the Rockies.
He had not played since March 18 because of left calf tenderness, which he categorized as ¡°so, so minor.¡±
¡°Probably wouldn¡¯t even say anything if it was during the season,¡± Frelick said. ¡°I just want to make sure I¡¯m full go for these guys and going into the season healthy, which is definitely more important than missing a few games in spring.¡±
Frelick said getting back on the field one more time before camp broke was in everyone¡¯s best interest.
¡°Absolutely,¡± he said. ¡°For my teammates, too, to show them Sal is good to go. Even though I¡¯ve been telling them that. Obviously being out there with them for the last game before we head out is important.¡±
Frelick finished with some big spring numbers. He slashed .390/.457/.561 with two homers, 10 RBIs and four stolen bases in 41 at-bats. Health, however, was always his priority.
¡°From a results aspect, I don¡¯t think anybody looks at that stuff,¡± he said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t count. You want to feel good. It¡¯s more just are you ready to go in confident on Opening Day, and I think all of us are.¡±
Brewers manager Pat Murphy has seen a more physical presence in Frelick this spring.
¡°He¡¯s stronger,¡± Murphy said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t always translate into pop, but he¡¯s definitely stronger, sturdier, better balance at the plate. I think it is going to help him. I felt he needed to get out there and test it.¡±
Fightin¡¯ words
Vinny Capra found a novel way to increase his bat speed this winter: Mixed martial arts. No, he did not spar. He did not fight. But he adopted the training regimen.
¡°Throwing punches. Kicks. The form of it [MMA] is very similar to baseball,¡± Capra said. ¡°It is kind of like the transfer of energy from the ground up. The rotational power is essentially the same.¡±
The numbers indicate it worked.
Capra slashed .292/.358/.729 with six homers, three doubles and 14 RBIs in 48 at-bats. He was tied atop the Majors in homers this spring entering Monday¡¯s games.
He spent the offseason training with Chicago-based mentor and MMA combatant Dimitri Therios, and the work helped him earn a spot on the Brewers¡¯ Opening Day roster.
¡°I was trying to work on rotational speed and have things moving away from my body,¡± he said. ¡°I guess it transferred over as best it could. Trying to use the ground, too. That was a big thing. Staying grounded in my swing and using my legs the best way possible.
¡°I haven¡¯t seen the numbers, but I know the process feels better. The main impact is how hard I¡¯m hitting it. How we get there doesn¡¯t necessarily matter, whether it is bat speed or mechanical changes. That was kind of the end result, and I think we are there.¡±