SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Thumbs up on Ubaldo Jimenez.
“Ubaldo was Ubaldo today,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said Monday afternoon.
At this point, isn’t that enough said? If not, all you had to do was check out the radar gun, where Jimenez, after hitting 89-93 mph in his Cactus League debut, amped it up to 91-98 in three scoreless innings against the Dodgers.
“The first game, I just didn’t want to throw hard, but today I wanted to let it go a little bit,” Jimenez said. “I felt good. I didn’t even think about my nail or my finger. I was just going to go out there and try to throw strikes.”
Jimenez missed his previous start after having an infected cuticle on his right thumb drained. Any questions about his health were put to rest early in Monday’s proceedings at Salt River Fields, where he walked one and allowed one hit.
The only question remaining is, when is Tracy going to get around to stating the obvious by announcing that Jimenez will start opening day against the Diamondbacks at Coors Field? Soon, very soon.
“That will be a heck of an announcement, won’t it?” Tracy said. “I know that will be a grand announcement for all of you when I make that.”
Jimenez is scheduled to work four innings in his next outing.
Jimenez, on his higher profile this spring: “It’s different. Every time people come here and I’m going to pitch, they get really excited. Even when I’m in the bullpen, they start yelling my name: ‘Go, Ubaldo!’ It’s really exciting when you see that.”
Stewart progressing.
Ian Stewart, sidelined by a sprained right MCL since the Cactus League opener, hopes to return to action late this week. He has begun doing baseball drills and continues to run on the team’s high-tech underwater treadmill. Said Stewart: “There’s still soreness when I try to run. I’ve got to get through that.”
Footnotes.
Aaron Cook threw from up to 90 feet and “looked awesome,” trainer Keith Dugger said. There’s no timetable for Cook to pitch in a game. He has been plagued by shoulder inflammation and likely won’t be on the opening-day roster. Look for his spot to be taken by Felipe Paulino. . . . Tracy, on Matt Belisle, who has been impressive this spring: “He was pouring that stuff in there.” . . . Jimenez, on his secondary pitches: “I’m pretty close. I threw my slider and my curve, and they were sharp.”
Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
Dodgers 7, Rockies 1
Salt River Fields
Hits: Minor-leaguer Hector Gomez singled and tripled. . . . Catcher Jose Morales doubled in his first at-bat off Ted Lilly.
Misses: Ryan Spilborghs was thrown out trying to stretch a bloop single, then later was picked off first base.
What’s next: Split squad vs. Cubs at Scottsdale (1:10 p.m.) and White Sox at Glendale (1:05 p.m.), no TV or radio. Jorge De La Rosa vs. Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano; Felipe Paulino vs. White Sox’s John Danks.
Jim Armstrong, The Denver Post
