BRADENTON, Fla. -- Didier Fuentes completed his impressive Grapefruit League season by giving the Braves further indication that he can help them overcome the rash of injuries that has depleted their starting pitching depth.
“Whatever the team needs is what I’m willing to do,” Fuentes said through an interpreter. “Whatever they ask of me, I’m ready for.”
Fuentes, who is set to begin the regular season in Atlanta’s bullpen, proved human by finally allowing a run during his final inning of work this spring in Atlanta's 5-2 win over Pittsburgh. But while skillfully navigating the Pirates’ regular lineup at LECOM Park, the Braves’ 20-year-old hurler proved he can be successful against big league hitters.
“It’s one of those things where it just continues to help with the maturity and experience you gain with each outing,” Fuentes said. “It’s just about continuing to do my thing and putting in the maximum effort each chance I get.”
Even with Monday’s news that Spencer Strider will begin the season on the injured list with a left oblique strain, the Braves are planning for Fuentes to begin the season as a long reliever. The plan is for him to stay in that role through at least the season’s first 13 games and then possibly go to Triple-A to continue his development as a starting pitcher.
Fuentes (the Braves’ No. 3 prospect) entered Monday’s start having struck out 17 of the past 27 batters he had faced during his three previous Grapefruit League outings. After hitting the first batter he faced, he completed nine scoreless innings without allowing a hit or issuing a walk. The “no-hitter” was constructed primarily against Minor Leaguers near the end of games.
So, there was reason to be encouraged as Fuentes limited the Pirates to one run on two hits and one walk over 4 2/3 innings on Monday. He recorded just one strikeout, setting down former Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna in the fourth. His first walk of the spring was issued to Spencer Horwitz with two outs in the fifth. Horwitz scored on Nick Gonzalez’s double off of Sam Strickland.
It would have been nice to have gotten that final out to conclude a scoreless spring. But Fuentes can still say opponents didn’t score a single run while he was on the mound this spring. He ended up retiring 39 of the 43 batters he faced.
“He looks different than that little kid we saw last year,” manager Walt Weiss said.
Fuentes was rushed to the Majors far too early last year and produced a 13.85 ERA over four starts. He returned to Spring Training this year with a fastball that now sits in the upper 90s and a harder slider that gave opponents fits over the past few weeks.
“I feel like my confidence has improved a lot,” Fuentes said. “Last year, I didn't have a great year. But I feel like I can just use that as a stepping stone.”