SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- This afternoon's contest again features a pitcher not expected to make the Cubs' rotation this year. Alec Mills was acquired from the Royals three weeks ago for Donnie Dewees. Mills, who turned 25 last November, made three relief appearances for the Royals last year, but is expected to be in the rotation at Iowa.
Here's the scouting report Josh wrote on Mills at the time he was acquired (including some notes from our friends at Royals Review).
Cubs lineup:
Heyward RF, Bryant 3B, Rizzo 1B, Russell SS, Montero C, Baez 2B, Almora CF, Szczur LF, Davis DH
Angels lineup:
Escobar 3B, Revere CF, Cron 1B, Marte DH, Maldonado C, Robinson RF, Fletcher 2B, Flores LF, Fontana SS
Definitely the "B" team for the Angels today: No Mike Trout, no Albert Pujols, no Andrelton Simmons (who has departed for the WBC).
As noted above, Alec Mills will start for the Cubs. Others scheduled to throw for the Cubs today: Maikel Cleto, Caleb Smith, Brian Duensing and Jim Henderson.
Manny Banuelos gets the call for the Angels.
Today’s game is on cubs.com with Len Kasper and Mick Gillispie. It's being televised by the Angels broadcast team on Fox Sports West, so it will be available on MLB.tv. And, there will be a rebroadcast of the FS West telecast on MLB Network at 8 p.m. CT.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Please visit our SB Nation Angels site Halos Heaven. If you do go there to interact with Angels fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
Please note that during spring training, Gameday doesn't usually go pitch-by-pitch as it does during the regular season -- usually, it will update after each at-bat.
For spring-training games, we'll have a first-pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time (because I know how you all like overflow threads!). For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked "Chicago Cubs Game Threads" at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher boxes and regular-season stats will return on Opening Night.
Discuss amongst yourselves.