PHOENIX -- After an illness took a turn for the worse in recent days, Brewers infield prospect Mauricio Dubon was under observation at a local hospital Wednesday morning while doctors performed a battery of tests.
“They’re ruling everything out, and he’s on the recovery a little bit now,” said Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell, “but he’s had a rough five days now.”
Dubon’s spirits went from high to low in a hurry after he started at shortstop for the Brewers’ Cactus League opener against the Cubs on Saturday, marking Dubon’s first game action since undergoing ACL surgery last season. By Monday, he was absent from camp because he was feeling ill.
The Brewers have already said that barring injuries to other players in camp, Dubon, No. 5 on MLB Pipeline’s list of Milwaukee’s top prospects, will open the season in the Minor Leagues. He’s expected to start the year at shortstop for Triple-A San Antonio alongside second baseman and top Brewers prospect Keston Hiura.
“I don’t know the term exactly [for what is ailing Dubon], but he’s struggling,” Counsell said. “He just started eating again. He hasn’t been in [the hospital] this whole time, but he went in, like, two days ago because he wasn’t getting any better. But he is getting better now. They’re just running tests to make sure nothing abnormal is going on.
“We hope to have him back in camp in a couple of days, but we’re not going to see him on the field here for a while.”
Chacin cruises, Ray crushes
Is there such thing as “too clean” a Cactus League outing? Jhoulys Chacin tested that question with a five-pitch spring debut at the start of Wednesday’s 6-1 loss to an Indians split squad. Chacin went three up, three down with three ground balls from left-handed hitters Daniel Johnson, Tyler Naquin and Jake Bauers.
Was it too quick?
“For what you’re looking for, yeah,” said Chacin with a laugh. “But you’ll take those games, too, when they’re swinging the bat early. I was just trying to keep the ball down and get the feel of my pitches. When you get a 1-2-3 inning, five pitches, you can’t complain about it.”
Chacin went back to the bullpen where he’d just warmed up and threw 10 more pitches. After leading the Brewers’ staff last year with a 15-8 record and a 3.50 ERA in the regular season, including what Counsell called “a virtuoso performance” in Game 163 against the Cubs, he’s a leading contender for the Opening Day start.
But Counsell said that decision hadn’t been made.
While Chacin spoke, his attention was diverted by a booming solo home run for Brewers No. 2 prospect Corey Ray, a shot to left field that tied the game at 1. Ray has five hits, including a double and two home runs, in his first 10 Cactus League at-bats.
His homer was one of only two Brewers hits in the game. The other was a Weston Wilson single with two outs in the ninth.
"That's a long homer," Counsell said. "I've been coming here for close to 15 years and that's Prince Fielder territory. That's what it is. You don't see many balls in those trees."
Guerra throwing gas
It was first baseman Jesus Aguilar who noticed the radar gun reading during Junior Guerra’s first spring outing against the Rangers on Sunday and alerted the right-hander. Guerra, who averaged 93.1 mph with his four-seam fastball last season, according to Statcast, and didn’t hit 96 mph until August, put a 96 on the Surprise Stadium scoreboard. On Wednesday against the Indians, he was hitting 95 mph.
“I worked out a lot in the offseason, but I don’t know,” said Guerra. “I don’t know where it’s coming from. The best thing is I’m healthy. That’s the big thing right now.”
When he saw the 96 at Texas, Guerra said, “I was surprised.”
Guerra, 34, is the first player ever acquired by Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns. He was Milwaukee’s Opening Day starter in 2017, but is a bullpen candidate in this camp. Guerra is the only candidate without a set job who is out of options, which could work in Guerra’s favor when the Brewers get down to mulling their initial 25-man roster.
"His two outings have been really good,” Counsell said. “He threw a couple good split-fingers today. He’s in a really good place. I’m really pleased with where it’s at. When [the velocity] is there, it’s there. He doesn’t have to go get more velocity. If it’s coming out early in the spring, that’s a good sign.”
Up next
Reigning National League MVP Award winner Christian Yelich and fellow outfielder Lorenzo Cain are scheduled for their spring debuts on Thursday, when the Brewers have split-squad games at home against the Giants and on the road against the Reds at 2:05 p.m. CT.
Freddy Peralta will start the home game for Milwaukee and Brandon Woodruff will start on the road. Yelich and Cain will stay home to play San Francisco in a game set to be televised by Fox Sports Wisconsin and can be seen live on MLB.TV.