(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
    Josh Palacios and Kaylan Nicasia play in Spring Training-games
Nederlands
  LAKELAND, Florida / MESA, Arizona (USA) -
Two more players with a Dutch passport were assigned as an extra Minor League-player for a Spring Training-game.
On Friday (March 24), outfielder Josh Palacios was added to the team of Pittburgh Pirates and on Saturday (March 25), short stop Kaylan Nicasia was added to the team of Milwaukee Brewers.
This brings the total to sixteen Dutch players (or Dutch background) who have so far been in a Major League Spring Training-camp.
The regular season in the Major League opens coming Thursday (March 30).
...Josh Palacios with the...
...Netherlands Kingdom Team at...
...the World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
27-year old Josh Palacios, who was born in Brooklyn, New York (USA), was assigned to the Pittsburgh Pirates-team on Friday and played the same day in an away-game at Detroit Tigers.
The game ended with a 6-6 score after nine complete innings at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland (Florida).
Palacios entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning when he replaced rightfielder Rodolfo Castro.
He didn't get an at bat.
It marked the seventh consecutive season that Palacios has played in a Spring Training-game.
Since 2017, he played in 59 games for Toronto Blue Jays, the highest total being 20 in 2021.
Today was his first with Pittsburgh.
Palacios plays profeccionally since 2016.
During the 2021 season, the outfielder made his Major League-debut and played in 13 games for Toronto.
In April last year, he was designated for assignment by Toronto, then signed with Washington Nationals shortly thereafter.
During the 2022 season, Palacios was recalled to the Major League-team of Washington twice in August and played in 29 games, hitting .213.
In December, he was sent back to Triple-A, then his contract was claimed a week later by Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A team of Pittsburgh Pirates.
Earlier this month, Palacios and his brother Richie played for the Netherlands Team in the World Baseball Classic.
Both were born in the USA, but as their mother comes from Curaçao, they are eligible to play for the Netherlands.
Richie was in Spring Training with Cleveland Guardians, but he was optioned to Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A team on Saturday.
In nine Spring Training-games with Cleveland, the outfielder batted .250 with two runs batted in.
Last year, the 25-year old Richie Palacios made his Major League-debut, playing in 54 games for Cleveland.
He then batted .232 with 26 basehits, six doubles, seven runs scored and ten runs batted in.
20-year old Curaçaon short stop Kaylan Nicasia, born in Oss (Netherlands), was added to the team of Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
Milwaukee played an away-game at Oakland Athletics and won 6-5 at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa (Arizona).
In the top of the seventh inning, Milwaukee rallied for three runs, which were all scored by pinch-runners.
With a runners on first and third base, Sal Frelick delivered a single that brought in the third run.
When Frelick had reached first base, Nicasia became the fourth pinch-runner in this at bat and made his Spring Training-debut.
He moved into scoring position when next batter Blake Perkins also singled, but then was left behind.
Nicasia stayed in the game and became the new leftfielder for Milwaukee in the bottom of the seventh, which was one of eight defensive changes at that moment.
In the top of the eighth, Nicasia caught the ball hit by Oakland's lead-off hitter and in the top of the ninth, he got his first at bat with one out.
Facing new pitcher Hunter Breault, Nicasia immediately went for the first pitch he saw and hit a line drive single into rightfield.
Moments later, he was forced out at second base on a grounder.
After having played for Lions, the team of Champagnat Catholic High School in Hialeah (Florida) as a short stop and pitcher, Nicasia was drafted and signed by Milwaukee in July 2021.
Shortly thereafter, he made his professional debut playing in Rookie League.
The short stop also played in Rookie League last year, hitting .232 in 43 games with five homeruns and 30 runs batted in.
24-year old outfielder Aldrich De Jongh, who was added as an extra Minor League-player to the team of Los Angeles Dodgers on March 17, played in his first game on Saturday (March 25) and made his Spring Training-debut.
In a home-game against Kansas City Royals (which won with a 6-3 score), De Jongh entered the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning as pinch-runner for Steven Duggar, who had hit a single.
The Curaçao-born De Jongh stranded on first base, then became the new designated hitter, but didn't got an at bat.
(March 26)
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