PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- In his first outing of the spring, José Alvarado didn’t get the results he wanted, retiring just one batter, but the left-hander was pleased with how his arm felt in his first appearance since Aug. 24.
Alvarado took the mound for the second time this spring on Saturday in the Rays’ 12-0 loss to the Braves at Charlotte Sports Park, and this time, his results were exactly what he and the team wanted.
“That was good to see,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “I know him and [pitching coach Kyle Snyder] have gone back and looked at some stuff for when it was going really, really well for him. I think they’re just trying to replicate that. I don’t think he’s far off, by any means, and the adjustment isn’t a major adjustment. But if he felt good, we’ll continue to harness that one because it looked really good.”
Although Spring Training stats don’t reflect much, it’s still important for Alvarado to show that he has improved his command of the strike zone. The left-hander has an elite pitch mix, but he struggled with command in what turned out to be a disappointing 2019 season.
Alvarado hit Peter O’Brien with a pitch on a 2-2 count to start his night, but the lefty turned his outing around, striking out the next three hitters. Alvarado said he featured his cutter, sinker and curveball during his outing. He threw 18 pitches, 11 for strikes.
“I feel different than my first time because I’m working on my legs,” Alvarado said. “I’m feeling better than my first time because tonight I see more strikes.”
Alvarado will look to continue his improvement throughout the spring, but Saturday was a step in the right direction. If Alvarado can return to 2018 form, he would give the Rays another quality arm out of the bullpen.
“I’m feeling very positive,” Alvarado said. “I practice in the bullpen, like focus on just one point. Hitting the target; focus on the glove, and that’s it.”
McKay throws live BP
Brendan McKay was sidelined for a couple of days with left shoulder stiffness, but he has been progressing well and threw his first batting-practice session of the spring on Saturday. McKay threw around 25 pitches to Mike Brosseau and Miles Mastrobuoni.
“It felt really good,” McKay said. “My arm felt where it usually is at this time.”
McKay said he was particularly impressed with his changeup, a pitch he has been focusing on this spring.
“I threw a lot of really good changeups, which I’m kind of happy about,” McKay said. “I’ve been on the search for that over the last couple of years. I’ve had glimpses of it, but to throw it that consistently to righties and some lefties, it’s only building that confidence that you can throw it whenever you need to and it can be a dominant pitch.”
Inside Rays camp
• Wander Franco, the game’s top prospect per MLB Pipeline, recorded his first hit of the spring during the 8-1 win over the Nationals on Friday. The game against Washington ended a two-game cameo by Franco. He’s expected to make a couple of more appearances throughout the spring.
“He has all the tools that people talk about,” Cash said. “He’s fast, he has a great arm, he catches the ball, and you can see that he has a knack for making contact. We haven’t seen all of that yet, but just in his little practice and pregame routine, you can tell he has a chance to be a special player.”
• Yoshitomo Tsutsugo got the start at third base on Saturday, and his defense looked good in limited chances. Tsutsugo was also able to show off the arm, making a strong throw across the diamond. After the game, Tsutsugo said he continues to get more comfortable with the speed of the game.
Up next
Right-hander Joe Ryan, the team’s No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will make his first Grapefruit League start on Sunday against the Twins at Charlotte Sports Park. Ryan was the Rays’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2019 after posting 1.96 ERA in 24 games over three levels. Andrew Kittredge, Aaron Loup, Pete Fairbanks and Oliver Drake are also scheduled to pitch for Tampa Bay. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET (watch live on MLB.TV).