Mountcastle, Dalbec flip power switch

Any worries there might have been over Ryan Mountcastle missing Wednesday's game were quickly quieted Thursday evening. Meanwhile, Bobby Dalbec is causing angst of a different kind.

Baseball's No. 77 overall prospect, Mountcastle connected on his fourth Grapefruit League homer and third in four games for the Orioles while No. 93 overall prospect Dalbec blasted his seventh roundtripper for Boston.

Entering the game with hits in five of his last six games, Mountcastle capped a six-run second inning for the O's by ripping a three-run jack over the left-center-field fence. The 24-year-singled and walked in his final two plate appearances to finish 2-for-3, his fourth multi-hit performance this spring.

Mountcastle appeared to be a lock for Baltimore's Opening Day roster coming into camp. The organization's No. 5 prospect finished eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2020 after batting .333 with five homers and 23 RBIs in 35 games. However, Mountcastle struggled in the early part of Spring Training, carrying a .179/.172/.429 slash line into March 19. He's gone 8-for-14 with three homers and eight RBIs in his previous four contests.

The Winter Springs, Fla, native caused a minor scare Wednesday when he was scratched from the Orioles' lineup with a "non-physical injury." Gameday »

There have been no such issues for Dalbec, who went deep for the seventh time in 42 at-bats. Boston's third-ranked prospect got his team on the board with a solo blast to left-center field in the fifth, his second long ball in three days.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2016 Draft out of the University of Arizona, Dalbec has enjoyed a torrid spring for the Red Sox. The 25-year-old has hit .310/.396/.857 with 14 RBIs and nine extra-base hits.

Dalbec's power is no surprise. The Seattle, Wash., native has gone yard 79 times in parts of four Minor League seasons, including a career-high 32 in 2018. He added eight more in 80 at-bats last season in his first taste of Major League competition. More »

More notable performances from top prospects on Thursday:

Jarred Kelenic, OF, SEA (MLB No. 4)
Kelenic continued his strong Cactus League slate while proving his left adductor strain is a thing of the past. Seattle's top prospect was hitless through four plate appearances before smacking an RBI double in his final at-bat in the ninth inning. Kelenic, who also walked and scored once, is batting .333/.478/.778 with five RBIs, four extra-base hits, four walks and one strikeout in nine games. Gameday »

Julio Rodriguez, OF, SEA (MLB No. 5)
The second half of the Mariners' dynamic outfield duo, Rodriguez doubled, singled and drove in a run while scoring once. Seattle's No. 2 prospect also walked for the sixth time in 30 at-bats, boosting his OPS to 1.044, third-highest on the team. Just 20 years old, Rodriguez is slated to begin 2021 with Class A Advanced Everett after splitting 2019 between Class A and High-A. He was assigned the Mariners' alternate training site in Tacoma last summer. Gameday »

Casey Mize, RHP, DET (MLB No. 11)
With a spot on the big league roster likely on the line, Mize came through with arguably his best outing of the spring. With his fastball routinely hitting 95-96 mph and topping out at 98, Detroit's second-ranked prospect punched out nine in four innings, boosting his total to 21 in 14 frames. Mize scattered five hits and didn't issue a walk while blanking the Jays through three innings before allowing two runs in the fourth. Despite his strong outing, the 23-year-old will carry an 8.36 ERA into his final outing of the spring. More »

Cristian Pache, OF, ATL (MLB No. 12)
For the first time this spring, Pache reached base more than once. And better than that, he reached three times. The top Braves prospect went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk in the win against the Rays. Pache is a lock to begin the season with the Braves, but he continues to battle Ender Inciarte for the starting center-field job. Gameday »

Sixto Sánchez, RHP, MIA (MLB No. 15)
It took a delayed start to Spring Training and two-plus starts, but Sánchez finally allowed a run. As he continues to work his way towards Opening Day readiness, the top Marlins prospect scattered three hits and a walk while striking out his first three batters of the spring with a fastball that topped out at 100 mph. Sánchez also hit a batter and threw 45 of his 61 pitches for strikes across 3 1/3 innings. His ERA stands at 1.13. More »

Nick Madrigal, 2B, CWS (MLB No. 40)
Madrigal played like a big leaguer as he went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base against the Reds. Following the swipe of second, Madrigal raced to third on a slow roller off the bat of Billy Hamilton. Although the ball was hit to shortstop Kyle Holder, the No. 3 White Sox prospect could see the shift was on and third base was vacant, so he moved over on the head's-up play. Madrigal has only played eight games this spring, but has gotten three at-bats in all but one as he prepares to be the club's Opening Day second baseman. Gameday »

Luis Campusano, C, SD (MLB No. 45)
Campusano made the most of his three plate appearances, collecting a double, an RBI single and a walk while scoring twice. The No. 3 Padres prospect lifted his average to .281 and is ending camp on a high note, hitting safely in four of his last five games. Campusano homered in his Major League debut last September. Gameday »

Jazz Chisholm, 2B/SS, MIA (MLB No. 66)
Despite garnering one official at-bat, Chisholm showed how he can wreak havoc with his multitude of offensive skills. The Marlins' No. 4 prospect got the offense going in the first with a leadoff walk and a stolen base before scoring on a sacrifice fly. Chisholm swiped three bags, walked twice and scored two times in three plate appearances. The 23-year-old is batting .273/.351/.545 this spring. Gameday »

Greg Jones, SS, TB Jones picked up his first career big league camp hit with a game-tying blast to right-center in the seventh against the Braves. The 2019 first-round pick had a stellar pro debut in the Class A Short Season New York-Penn League, then got invited to the Rays' player pool last September. Jones is best known for his 70-grade speed, but he also can make solid contact and show some pop. Gameday »

Pavin Smith, 1B/OF, ARI
Smith has started putting it together of late, collecting four hits in his last nine at-bats, including a solo shot to right against the Royals. The roundtripper is the first of the campaign for the 2017 first-round pick, who has a .780 OPS in 23 games. With right fielder Kole Calhoun still battling a knee injury, Smith will likely get a chance on the Opening Day roster. Gameday »

J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, ARI
Bukauskas went the minimalist route in his brief appearance. The overall picture, however, is extraordinarily impressive. The No. 17 D-backs prospect struck out both batters he faced to increase his total to 12 in 5 2/3 innings. Bukaukas has retired all 17 hitters this spring on 34 pitches but will begin the season with Triple-A Reno. Gameday »

Alek Manoah, RHP, TOR
Manoah was effectively wild against the Tigers while keeping his spotless spring intact. The No. 7 Blue Jays prospect fanned four over two hitless frames out of the bullpen despite hitting two batters. Through four appearances spanning scoreless innings, Manoah has allowed one hit while fanning 15 without issuing a walk. Gameday »

Liover Peguero, SS, PIT
Peguero added a pair of RBI knocks, delivering a run-scoring double in the second inning and a single in the third for his first multi-hit game of the spring. Only 20 years old, Pittsburgh's No. 5 prospect is 3-for-9 with a stolen base since his Grapefruit League debut March 17. More »