Rick van den Hurk: Florida Marlins starting pitcher Rick van den Hurk pitched three scoreless innings of relief against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. He issued just one hit and a walk, while striking out two. Manager Fredi Gonzalez praised him after the outing:
“Vandy looked real good,” Gonzalez said. “He was pounding the strike zone. His secondary pitches were outstanding. It’s no coincidence, when you throw strikes, good things can happen.”
Roger Bernadina: On Tuesday last year’s number one draft pick Stephen Strasburg, who pitched for Team USA on a European tour in 2008, made his spring training debut for the Washington Nationals. He gave up just two hits in two scoreless innings, striking out two. Outfielder Roger Bernadina entered the game against the Detroit Tigers after Strasburg already was back in the clubhouse. Replacing Josh Willingham in left field, he walked and scored in his lone plate appearance.
Kai Gronauer: The New York Mets have reassigned catcher Kai Gronauer to the minor league camp. The German 23-year-old surprisingly was invited to Spring Training in mid-February and even got a start as designated hitter last Friday in an exhibition game against the Florida Marlins. He went 1-for-2 with a single.