BWDIK: Guerrero Jr., Pivetta, Robson, Smith, Soroka, Upshaw, Whitt
Junior National Team alum and San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) is tied for the National League lead with four wins this season. Photo: San Diego Padres
April 27, 2025
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
Some Canadian baseball news and notes from the past week:
Pivetta shines again for Padres
In his start against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) allowed just two hits, while striking out six, in seven scoreless innings to pick up his fourth win of the season. The 32-year-old right-hander is now 4-1 with a 1.20 ERA in five starts, spanning 30 innings.
He is tied for the National League lead in wins and is second in ERA (among qualified pitchers).
Pivetta signed a backloaded four-year, $55-million contract with the Padres on February 17. A Junior National Team grad, he has pitched in eight previous major league seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox.
Brash makes two more rehab appearances
Seattle Mariners right-hander Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) made two more relief appearances with the triple-A Tacoma Rainiers this past week as part of a rehab assignment. He permitted two runs in 2/3 of an inning to the Oklahoma City Comets last Sunday before hurling a scoreless inning against the Sugarland Space Cowboys on Wednesday.
He owns a 4.91 ERA in four relief appearances since beginning his rehab assignment with the Rainiers on April 13.
Mariners GM Justin Hollander is pleased with Brash’s progress.
“The next phase of his rehab assignment is to start putting him in more game-like situations . . . coming in in a pivot situation in the middle of an inning, shortening up the time between outings, but he’s making great progress. [I] would anticipate that this is the homestretch for his rehab before major league activation,” Hollander told reporters on Friday. “I don’t have a date on that yet, because it could change. But he’s doing great. [I] would anticipate we’re nearing the final stretch of rehab, though.”
Brash underwent Tommy John surgery last May and missed the 2024 season.
In 2023, the 6-foot-1 righty developed into a go-to late-inning reliever for the Mariners. He led major league pitchers with 78 appearances and had a 9-4 record and a 3.06 ERA. He fanned 107 batters in 70 2/3 innings, good for a 13.6 strikeout-per-nine-inning rate.
Smith records three saves
Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) collected saves against the New York Yankees on Monday and Tuesday and another yesterday against the Red Sox. They were his first three saves of the season.
With Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase struggling (7.15 ERA in 12 appearances) and easing back into action after suffering from shoulder discomfort, some have been clamoring for Smith to replace Clase in the ninth inning role on a more than temporary basis. But Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has told reporters that when Clase is fully recovered, he will return to the closer’s role.
In 14 relief appearances this season, Smith possesses a 1.29 ERA and had struck out 17 in 14 innings.
In 2024, Smith posted a 6-1 record and a 1.91 ERA in 74 relief appearances and fanned 103 batters in 75 1/3 innings.
Soroka makes double-A rehab start for Nationals
Washington Nationals right-hander Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) made a rehab start for the double-A Harrisburg Senators on Tuesday and allowed two runs on two hits in 2 2/3 innings to the Erie SeaWolves.
Following the game, Soroka told reporters he felt “very good” and had no further issues with the biceps injury that has sidelined him since March 31. He is set to make another rehab start for the Senators today.
The Nationals placed Soroka on the 15-day injured list on April 4. The move was retroactive to April 1.
On March 31, Soroka was removed from his start against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning after throwing a pitch and flexing his right arm.
The 27-year-old, who has been sidelined with numerous injuries during his big-league career, signed a one-year, $9-million contract with the Nationals on December 19 after pitching for the Chicago White Sox in 2024.
The Junior National Team alum is in his sixth major league season.
Whitt visits Junior National Team in Dunedin
The Junior National Team just completed their Extended Spring Training Camp in Florida where they competed against prospects from several big league clubs, including the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Blue Jays.
On Wednesday, Blue Jays legend and longtime Senior National Team manager Ernie Whitt, dropped by the camp for a visit (Photo below).
Ernie Whitt (left) speaking with Junior National Team coach Shane Dawson (Drayton Valley, Alta.) and business manager Larry Pearson. Photo: Eugenio Matos, Baseball Canada
Four years ago, Guerrero Jr. belted three home runs
Four years ago today, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) clubbed three home runs in a major league game for the first time in his career to lead the Blue Jays to a 9-5 win over the Washington Nationals at TD Ballpark in Dunedin. Guerrero also had seven RBIs in the game.
Two of his home runs came off now Blue Jays teammate Max Scherzer – a grand slam in the third inning and a solo shot in the fifth. He then added a two-run blast off Kyle Finnegan in the seventh.
Leblanc donates Angels hat to Canadian ball hall
Paul Leblanc, the father of Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.), has donated one of his son’s game-worn Los Angeles Angels hats to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Paul presented the cap to Scott Crawford, the Hall’s director of operations, on Saturday prior to the ExposFest gala.
In 2024, Leblanc saw his first big league action since 2022 when he belted two home runs, had seven walks, six runs and posted an .869 OPS in 11 games for the Angels.
Following the season, Leblanc signed with the Atlanta Braves. He is currently playing with the Braves’ triple-A Gwinnett Stripers.
Leblanc made his major league debut with the Miami Marlins on July 30, 2022. In 48 big league contests with the Marlins that year, he hit .263 with four home runs, 10 doubles and 12 walks.
Paul Leblanc, the father of Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.), has donated a hat his son wore for the Los Angeles Angels to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Photo: Scott Crawford, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Ryan broke Johnson’s all-time strikeout at Big O 42 years ago
On April 27, 1983, Houston Astros right-hander Nolan Ryan struck out Montreal Expos pinch-hitter Brad Mills in the eighth inning at Olympic Stadium to record his 3,509th career strikeout to break Walter Johnson’s 56-year-old record.
It was one of five strikeouts Ryan registered in pitching the Astros to a 4-2 win that day.
Ryan was 36 at the time but nowhere near done. He’d pitch 10 more seasons and finish with a major league record 5,714 strikeouts.
Robson signs with Goldeyes
Outfielder Jacob Robson (Windsor, Ont.) has signed with the independent American Association’s Winnipeg Goldeyes. The 30-year-old outfielder spent last season with Gastonia of the independent Atlantic League where he batted .277 with eight home runs and 18 stolen bases in 42 games.
“We’re very excited to acquire Jacob. He will be a huge addition to our lineup and has a ton of affiliated experience including a stint in the big leagues,” said Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins in a news release. “I think he will bring a lot to the table and our fans will love to see another Canadian join the roster.”
Robson has been outstanding for Canada in several international competitions, including at the World Baseball Classic in March 2023. Selected in the eighth round of the 2016 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers, Robson played parts of six seasons in the Tigers’ organization, including four games in the majors in 2021.
Robson will be one of seven Canadians on the Goldeyes’ roster to begin the 2025 season, joining right-handers Landen Bourassa (Lethbridge, Alta.), Trevor Brigden (North York, Ont.), Tylor Jans (St. Albert, Alta.), Landon Leach (Toronto, Ont.), Will Sierra (Montréal, Qué.), and infielder Matthew Warkentin (Windsor, Ont.).
Happy Birthday Willie Upshaw!
Former Blue Jays first baseman Willie Upshaw turns 68 today. Upshaw was drafted in the fifth round by the Yankees in 1975, but his tenure in their organization lasted just three seasons. After the Blue Jays lost 107 games in 1977, they selected Upshaw with the first pick in the Rule 5 draft. He began his career as an outfielder, but the Blue Jays moved Upshaw to first base where he became a staple in the middle of their order. In 1983, he batted .306 with 27 home runs and became the first Jay to knock in 100 runs in a season.
He’d play four more campaigns with the Blue Jays and was a quiet leader on their first division-winning team in 1985. In all, in parts of nine seasons with the Blue Jays, he batted .265 with 112 home runs in 1,115 games.