(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Alswinn Kieboom & Freek Bouw/Phrake Photography)
    Spencer Kieboom returns to Minors; Sicnarf Loopstok added
Nederlands
  WEST PALM BEACH, Florida / PHOENIX, Arizona (USA) -
Catcher Spencer Kieboom has been removed from the 40-man roster of the Washington Nationals on Thursday (March 2) and probably will be assigned to one of its Minor League-teams in the upcoming days.
However, there are several other possibilities, as Kieboom was 'designated for assignment'.
On Monday, Kieboom was the starting designated hitter for the Nationals and was 1-for-2 with a run batted in.
Also on Tuesday, Aruban catcher Sicnarf Loopstok was assigned to the Major League-team of the Cleveland Indians to be an additional player for its game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Loopstok didn't play in the game, but righthander Kenley Jansen made his first pitching appearance for the Dodgers.
Loopstok became the 14th player with a Netherlands passport to be in Major League Spring Training this year.
So far, twelve of them have actually played.
...Spencer Kieboom hitting for Washington...
...during Spring Training in 2016...
(© Photo: Alswinn Kieboom) |
'Designated for assignment' (DFA) is a contractual term.
When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster.
In short, a team then has to make one of the following decisions within seven days after a player has been designated for assignment.
- Return him to the 40-man roster
- Place the player on waivers for the purpose of outrighting him to a Minor League-team
- Trade the player
- Release the player (after having cleared waivers)
- Outright the player to the Minor Leagues (after clearing waivers)
A player is placed on waivers after being designated for assignment for the purpose of outrighting him to one of the Minor League-teams.
A player can only be outrighted once in his career without his consent.
However, a player must clear waivers (that is, no other team placed a waiver claim on the player) to be sent to a Minor League-team.
When a player clears waivers when being designated for assignment, he can be 'outrighted' from the 40-man roster and play for any class in the Minor Leagues.
Waivers last for a period of three days, during which time the player can be claimed by other teams.
When the player is not claimed, he is said to have 'cleared waivers' and his team can proceed with whatever transaction it was planning.
When a player is claimed off waivers by another club, he is immediately added to that new team's 40-man roster and then can be optioned to the Minor Leagues (if he has Minor League options remaining) or be assigned to his new team's 25-man roster.
Clubs sometimes use the 'DFA'-option to clear a spot on the 40-man roster to add a newly acquired player (via trade or free agency), a Minor Leaguer or a player being activated from the 60-day disabled list.
This also is the case with the Washington Nationals, who signed righthanded pitcher Joe Blanton, who was a Free Agent, on Tuesday.
To make room on the 40-man roster, Kieboom was designated for assignment.
...Sicnarf Loopstok in Minor League...
...Spring Training 2016...
(© Ph: Freek Bouw/Phrake Photography) |
23-year old Aruban catcher Sicnarf Loopstok was with the team of Cleveland Indians in Phoenix for the road-game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he didn't play.
Last year, he made his Spring Training-debut, playing briefly in one game for the Indians, but he didn't got an at bat then.
Loopstok made his professional debut in 2013.
Last year, he played in 55 games at the Single-A Advanced level and in 16 games at the Single-A Full Season level.
In total, he collected 60 basehits, including 14 doubles, three triples and two homeruns.
Loopstok scored 33 runs and batted in 21, while finishing the season with a .267 batting average.
The Indians played against the Dodgers at the beautiful Camelback Ranch-Glendale, the Spring Training-complex in Phoenix, which is shared since 2009 by the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox.
The main stadium is shared by both clubs, who also six separate baseball-fields each on the complex.
In the game against the Indians, Kenley Jansen made his first appearance of this Spring Training for the Dodgers.
With the Dodgers leading 1-0, Jansen took the mound in the top of the third inning for starter Clayton Kershaw.
Jansen gave up a lead-off triple to Daniel Robertson.
With one out, he scored when Ronny Rodriguez reached on an error.
Hereafter, Jansen gave up a single to José Ramirez, but moments later, Rodriguez was caught stealing at third base.
Jansen closed the inning with a strikeout.
As the Indians had come alongside, Jansen was credited with a Blown Save.
In Spring Training-games (as well as All Star Games), the ruling for naming a Winning Pitcher is different.
In the regular season, a starting pitcher must have pitched at least five complete innings to become eligible for the Win.
Hereafter, relievers can be credited with a Hold, Blown Save or Save (and of course, they also can be credited with a Loss of a Win when the score changes).
In Spring Training-games, exhibition games and All Star Games, a starting pitcher is credited with the Win when he leaves the mound with his team leading, regardless how many innings he had pitched.
The reason herefore is simple, as starting pitchers (almost) never will pitch the required five innings in these kind of games.
The Dodgers re-took the lead in the sixth, but the Indians came alongside again in the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Dodgers scored twice on a pinch-hit single by Wynston Sawyer and went on to win 4-2.
(March 2)
Related Articles:
 Kieboom starts for 'Nats'; Lithuanian pitches for Pittsburgh. (March 1)
Spring Training-debut Ray-Patrick Didder; Schoop homers. (February 27)
Jurickson Profar, Spencer Kieboom play first game; Juremi Profar added. (February 26)
Daniel Arribas & Chris Pieters make Spring Training-debut. (February 25)
Didi Gregorius homers in first Spring Training at bat. (February 24)
Xander Bogaerts first Dutch player in Spring Training-action. (February 23)
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