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.”