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Dominican Republic adds Rockies pitching prospect for World Baseball Classic
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- Dominican Republic adds Rockies pitching prospect for World Baseball Classic
Dominican Republic adds Rockies pitching prospect for World Baseball Classic originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Team Dominican Republic is making a change to its pitching staff for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
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Colorado Rockies reliever Juan Mejia will replace Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Edwin Uceta in the bullpen. According to Shawn Spradling on X , Uceta's "cranky shoulder" is the reason for the switch.
Mejia, 25, posted a 3.96 ERA and struck out 10 batters per nine innings in 55 appearances with the Rockies last season. He throws just two pitches (fastball, slider) and held opponents to just a .199 expected batting average in 61.1 innings.
The D.R.'s bullpen is loaded
A solid starting rotation and reliable bullpen leave the Dominican Republic with one of the best pitching staffs heading into the WBC. The top four starters include second-place NL Cy Young finisher Cristopher Sanchez, Sandy Alcantara , Luis Severino , and Brayan Bello .
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Notable bullpen arms include Abner Uribe , Camilo Doval , Carlos Estevez , Seranthony Dominguez , and Dennis Santana . Estevez led MLB with 42 saves last season with the Kansas City Royals .
Mejia is likely to serve in a middle relief role for manager Albert Pujols ' club before returning to spring training with the Rockies for his second Major League season.
