Cubs prospect Jesus Camargo arrested, faces felony drug charges

MESA, Ariz — Cubs prospect Jesus Camargo was arrested Wednesday in Eagle, Colorado, after deputies found 21 pounds of methamphetamine and oxycodone pills in his duffel bag. Camargo, who was held on $75,000 bond, faces four felony possession and distribution charges.

According to reports, local authorities pulled Camargo over for speeding and drifting in and out of lanes. Upon K-9 units searching the vehicle, Eagle County sheriffs found the meth, oxycodone pills and cash in a Cubs duffel bag, as well as baseball gloves and cleats.

“We are aware of the arrest of one of our minor-league players,” Cubs spokesperson Julian Green said in a statement. “We are investigating this matter and cannot provide additional comment until we have further details.”

Camargo, 25, signed with the Cubs as an international free agent out of Sinaloa, Mexico, in 2014. He pitched for high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2019.

Marisnick’s skills on display

Outfielder Jake Marisnick’s Cubs debut this spring was delayed after he was slowed by an injured right calf. But after his first week of game action, he has shown why the Cubs wanted to add him to their outfield mix.

Marisnick, who is considered one of the game’s best defensive outfielders, already has made plays with the glove and the bat. He hit his second homer of the spring Sunday, a two-run shot.

“It’s an easy run out there [in the outfield],” David Ross said. “It’s one of those sneaky [runs]. It doesn’t look like he’s moving very fast. But he’s just covering a ton of ground. He just runs the ball down with ease. . . . It’s good. The arm is good. He’s swung the bat well, so it’s been nice to have him back and healthy.”

“It looks like a group that enjoys playing the game, and that’s kind of the vibe I’ve gotten early,” Marisnick said. “I’m really happy to be here, to be honest with you, just kind of interacting with these guys and seeing the group that’s in that clubhouse. It’s unbelievable.”

The 29-year-old outfielder signed a one-year deal this offseason and has a career .229/.281/.385 slash line with 56 homers and 72 stolen bases.

Wick throws off mound

Right-hander Rowan Wick threw off the mound for the first time since suffering an intercostal injury this spring. Wick threw 10 pitches during his bullpen session as his throwing progression ramps up. The 28-year-old right-hander reached 105 feet playing long toss last week.

“Rowan Wick is in a really good spot,” Ross said. “He’s itching to do more. [We’re] trying to navigate a good plan for him. He’s feeling really good, but as good as he’s feeling, which is always great news, with all the time off, we’re trying to build him back up in the right capacity. The trainers and the pitching guys are on top of that, but things are going really well for him.”

SCORE: CUBS 4 , ROCKIES 2 (9)

Bryant hits first homer

Third baseman Kris Bryant hasn’t had the early success of Joc Pederson, Willson Contreras, Anthony Rizzo or even Nico Hoerner, but he had his best swing of the spring in the Cubs’ 4-2 win over the Rockies.

Bryant crushed Jairo Siaz’s fastball to the back of the berm in left field for his first home run.

“KB is still seeing the ball really well as I’ve talked to him,” manager David Ross said before the game. “I talked to him at length [Friday], and he’s happy with the way he’s seeing the ball. He’s taking his walks, and he’s looking to drive the ball a little bit more. There’s a lot of guys that would tell you that.

“What I tell these guys, I encourage all of them to take risks [during spring training]. If there’s something on your mind, this is a time to try and work on it. So there’s going to be sporadic performance in that. There’s going to be some things that really work out. There’s going to be some things that you’re going to throw in the trash, and that’s the great thing about spring training. That’s why it’s exhibition and we let these guys work on things, because [stats don’t] matter.”

Kimbrel’s step forward

Right-hander Craig Kimbrel has been working to correct some mechanical issues over the last week. MLB’s active saves leader struggled in his first three spring-training appearances, which resulted in nine earned runs over 2²/³ innings.

Kimbrel had a slight improvement in his next outing. In the Cubs’ victory Saturday, he flashed the dominance the team hopes is consistent in 2021.

The closer pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning with two strikeouts coming via his breaking ball, which was very effective. Kimbrel’s fastball sat around 97 mph during the inning and touched 98 mph.

On deck

Reds at Cubs, 3:05 p.m. Sunday, Mesa, Marquee, 670-AM, Tyler Mahle vs. Alec Mills.