Spring Training Miscellany: Reliever Usage, Montgomery Shoulder, Almora’s Shape, More

The weather continues to be remarkably un-Spring-like in Arizona, which today included enough rain that most of the work was indoors. Good news is that the forecast is holding nicely for Saturday’s Cubs Cactus League opener.

Rain has let up a bit in Mesa but it looks like a washout. Most of #Cubs work will be indoors. Saturday looks OK for the game. pic.twitter.com/vJwPBm8UXP

— Bruce Miles (@BruceMiles2112) February 21, 2019

Meanwhile …

• The heavily-used, and heavily-relied-upon veteran relief arms will understandably and necessarily be limited this Spring:

Top relievers like Strop and Cishek won't get much work until we get into March probably. Main starters might get in there late next week (so around March 1)

— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) February 21, 2019

• As for Mike Montgomery and his shoulder, still no worries, just a little behind:

Maddon: Montgomery (shoulder tightness) doing fine. Long-toss scheduled for Friday with a bullpen right around the corner. Only a tick behind rest of arms, but not a big concern with five weeks to go.

— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) February 21, 2019

• No update on Ben Zobrist, who is absent from camp for personal reasons. He’s been in contact with Theo Epstein, but that’s all we know. I hope whatever it is, it resolves soon and in a positive way for Zobrist and anyone around him that this relates to.
• We’ve got some very strong best-shape-of-his-life comments:

Albert Almora Jr. is in such great shape this spring, he's actually become unrecognizable to his own manager:

"He can not look better than he looks right now. I didn't even know that was him running after some fly balls," Maddon said.

— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) February 21, 2019

It's normal to see Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Javier Báez put on a show during batting practice. But Albert Almora? What the defensive-minded center fielder did to generate some more pop. Now to see if he can bring it into games. https://t.co/Mv6UOZHT0o

— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) February 21, 2019

• Old friends:

Getting the ol’ battery back together. pic.twitter.com/LnHCFDg4qV

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 21, 2019

Storytime with Grandpa. pic.twitter.com/Ue9Z85e4bQ

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 21, 2019

• New friends:

It appears the #Cubs have another bromance blooming as Jon Lester & Cole Hamels spent Valentine's Day together taking in a Coyotes game. They've also been spotted golfing together plenty in the desert…let's hope Jon Lackey isn't getting jealous! #ThrowbackThursday https://t.co/FnnnD2vTO7

— Kelly Crull (@Kelly_Crull) February 21, 2019

• Be careful with that optimism, Jesse – it’s dangerous:

FWIW, Will say for the first spring since I've been here, liking the pipeline of pitchers the Cubs have. Should be a decent/good AAA staff

— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) February 21, 2019

• If you want a fun story to root for this Spring among the many, many relief options:

Back page for Thursday. Our @MorrisseyCST makes a plea to the Cubs. https://t.co/pXSKODGxIe pic.twitter.com/aTueBq01SH

— Sun-Times Sports (@suntimes_sports) February 21, 2019

• New grub arriving at Sloan this year:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuKBuI0gUzA/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

• The Cubs’ first spring game is Saturday, but baseball’s first spring game was today:

folks,,, there is a baseball happening pic.twitter.com/qh1jWI2gBC

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) February 21, 2019