Jaso of all trades: Former catcher starts in RF
BRADENTON, Fla. -- As if playing a relatively unfamiliar position wasn't enough of a challenge, John Jaso's first Spring Training start in right field came on a particularly windy Friday afternoon at LECOM Park during the Pirates' 5-2 win over the Orioles."The elements were in full force today," Jaso said.
BRADENTON, Fla. -- As if playing a relatively unfamiliar position wasn't enough of a challenge,
"The elements were in full force today," Jaso said. "It was pretty crazy."
Jaso caught the first ball hit his way, settling under
With his signature dreadlocks tied back in a ponytail, Jaso snagged
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"It's a tough day to play the outfield for anybody," manager Clint Hurdle said. "I thought he went out there and did a very professional job."
Jaso has two Major League appearances in right field. He played two innings in right for the Rays in 2015, and last June 21, a series of lineup changes led Jaso to right field for 1 1/3 innings. He has never started there during the regular season.
But when concussions forced him to move from catcher, Jaso began taking more fly balls in the outfield before games. He started seven games in left field for the Rays two years ago.
"We're all used to being out there in the outfield or during BP. It was fun," Jaso said. "It was good that I had the opportunity to go out there and play a little bit, get my feet wet out there."
The Pirates will keep Jaso involved at first base, where he practiced during Friday's pregame drills. Jaso, who moved to first last year, is expected to work more often in the outfield this spring while also seeing time at third base.
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"Just stretching him out. We've got a lot of different things that'll happen along the way that may not be normal," Hurdle said. "We've got different reps and routines, so there'll be some things that will come along that might look like an outlier but they're just kind of planned along the way to give guys breaks."
• Saturday's game against the Red Sox will be available on MLB Network in the Pittsburgh area. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET at LECOM Park.
Adam Berry has covered the Pirates for MLB.com since 2015. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook, read his blog and listen to his podcast.