Sheldon Neuse Stays Versatile

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—An award-winning shortstop in college, Sheldon Neuse has primarily played third base as a professional. That doesn’t mean he’s not capable of moving back to shortstop from time to time.

The 22-year-old righthanded batter starred at Oklahoma, and Neuse played six games at shortstop (and 26 at third) last year at short-season Auburn, where he also learned the importance of maintaining his strength and managing his body. A hamstring tweak and subsequent strain limited him to .230/.305/.341 numbers in 36 games.

This spring, Neuse eagerly went through infield instructor Jeff Garber’s drills that rotate each infielder around the diamond.

“It helps to move your feet around that way and stay athletic in your legs,” said Neuse, a second-round pick last year. “Just being familiar at every spot helps you whenever you’re at a different spot because you know where balls are going to come from and the range and arm strength everyone has.”

Neuse grew up in Fort Worth but went to Oklahoma because “it felt like family to me right away.” He said he committed to the Sooners at the end of a weekend in which he went 9-for-9 at their park in a summer-ball tournament. The hometown Rangers took him in the 38th round of the 2013 draft, but he chose college and was a three-time unanimous all-Big 12 Conference performer.

That was a great experience for Neuse, but learning from his short stint in the New York-Penn League helped him, too.

“Sheldon did an outstanding job this offseason preparing himself physically for the rigors of everyday baseball,” farm director Mark Scialabba said. “He’s impressed our staff with his work ethic, attitude and intent.

“He’s a gifted baseball player with great hands on both sides of the ball and a well-above-average arm.”

CAPITAL GAINS

• Third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez went 2-for-2 in big league camp and performed well in minor league camp. “He’s demonstrating the ability to drive the ball to the deep part of the ballpark and is utilizing his large, athletic frame to leverage the baseball more consistently,” Scialabba said.

• Second baseman Ian Sagdal also went 2-for-2 and had a double and two RBIs. “He has a compact, short swing and keeps the barrel in the zone for a long time through the hitting zone,” Scialabba said.

— Lacy Lusk is a writer based in Virginia