Hisanori Takahashi, Bench Spots, Beltran's Doc, Bobby Livingston... and Ike Davis

Hisanori Takahashi:

Japanese lefty Hisanori Takahashi is absent from the team as he attempts to obtain a work visa that would allow him to pitch in the Grapefruit League. Takahashi traveled to the Dominican Republic on Monday and isn’t expected back for at least another day or two. - link

Bench Spots:

At catcher you have roughly 5 guys in camp fighting for the position. Coste, Santos, Thole, Blanco & Barajas. Coste was clearly signed to mentor Thole down in AAA and now he will have extra company in Santos now that Barajas has signed. Even if Barajas tanks in Spring Training, there is no way he won't win the starting job. With him as the starter and with Blanco's superior defense, you can pencil him in as your backup and also pencil him in as the most obvious void on your bench to fill, the backup catcher. - link

Beltran's Doc (pic by A. Causi/NY Post):

Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods and Carlos Delgado are among the other high-profile athletes who have been treated by Galea. Beltran would only say “friends” had recommended Galea to him. In turn, Beltran said he recommended Galea to Reyes, who visited Toronto in September for treatment in which blood was taken from his leg and later replaced. Beltran said his treatment from Galea, which lasted about a month, wasn’t as extreme. The outfielder said Galea performed an ultrasound and took an MRI of Beltran’s knee before prescribing treatment. - link

Bobby Livingston:

Bobby Livingston was strong in 2 2/3 innings, but his minor league numbers suggest he is far from even a situational lefty. Righties hit .293 against him, so he has the “doesn’t get righties out” part down. But lefties have a career .261 average against him in the minor leagues. So don’t get excited - link

Ike Davis:

Ike Davis, by contrast, had a pair of hits. He smoked a double his first time up, but it was his second at-bat, a single against a lefty, that made me take notice. Davis has not hit lefties, even in his breakout year last year. But unlike Mike Jacobs, we don’t have nearly enough data to suggest that he never will; far from it. And Davis worked the count to 3-1, then did just enough with a pitch to send it into left field. It was a professional at-bat. I mean, it was one at-bat. Any smaller of a sample size, and it wouldn’t exist. But a good sign, to be sure, that he doesn’t seem overmatched against lefties. - link