INDEPENDENT PLAYERS MAKE BIG JUMP OVER ONE YEAR AGO ON OPENING DAY ROSTERS

With 16 of its former players on Opening Day major league rosters, Independent Baseball made a huge jump over one year ago.  The list would be even more impressive if not for the fact five near certain roster candidates are one disabled lists.  We will have the full list, including salaries, when our weekly Independent Baseball Insider column goes out to subscribers on Thursday.

One who did not make it to opening day was Nelson Figueroa (Long Island, NY, Atlantic League),  a standout for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.  The 38-year-old right-hander was in spring training with Arizona.

RICE GETS FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE OUTING BEHIND HIM

Terry Collins played it perfectly with Scott Rice, getting the 14-year minor leaguer into his first major league game in a non-pressurized situation.
With the New York Mets leading San Diego 11-2 on Opening Day at Citi Field, Collins brought the southpaw reliever in for the ninth inning.  The Atlantic League veteran (York, PA, Long Island, Newark, NJ) struck out the first two batters he faced (Nick Hundley and Cameron Maybin), then got a routine grounder to second to finish the game.

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