With declining velocity on his cut fastball, which averaged about 84 mph in 2020, Arizona Diamondbacks starter Madison Bumgarner has been experimenting this spring by throwing with a lower arm angle on occasion and quick pitching for the first time. “Pitching is disrupting timing, and hitting is timing,” Bumgarner said. “Doing whatever I can to try and be as good as I can. Honestly, it makes too much sense not to do it if you can do it.” Bumgarner signed a five-year, $85 million deal last year and posted a 6.48 ERA in nine starts. … After A’s fans complained about problems with the team’s website while trying to buy tickets for 2021 home games, team President Dave Kaval told the San Francisco Chronicle there were multiple issues, including a “cyberattack” on the ticketing website. … Former Cubs first baseman Dan Vogelbach signed a one-year, $1.4 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers in December, but unless there’s a late rule change allowing for a designated hitter in the National League, he might be out of a job. Keston Hiura will start at first now that Kolten Wong was signed to play second, leaving Vogelbach as the odd man out. “It’s a National League game again,” manager Craig Counsell said. “There’s good in that for us. Obviously, this is a player it’s not great for, so we’ll have to figure that out.”
Cactus League report: Why Tim Anderson reminds White Sox manager Tony La Russa of Stan Musial — and remembering Edwin Jackson’s Google Maps mishap at Cubs spring training
