SURPRISE, Ariz., – As he sat in front of his locker in the Texas Rangers clubhouse on Thursday morning, Joey Gallo released a slight groan under his breath.
It didn’t take much to trigger the reaction from one of baseball’s rising sluggers who is coming off back-to-back 40 home-run seasons.
The name “Jesus Luzardo” did the trick. Gallo still was a bit frustrated two days after striking out against the A’s elite hard-throwing prospect. But mostly, he was impressed as Luzardo’s reputation grows through the course of spring training where many veterans are getting their first glimpse of the left-hander.