MINNEAPOLIS -- The Anthony Gose pitching experiment has progressed to game action. The center fielder-turned-lefty reliever pitched an inning in an extended spring training contest, according to Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.
"The first guy got a hit, and then he struck out the next three," Ausmus said on Friday afternoon.
It's a long way from a spot on a pitching staff in the Tigers farm system, let alone the big leagues, but with the Tigers looking for pitching in their organization, a left-hander throwing in the mid-90s with a breaking ball remains intriguing.
"There are a lot of steps that have to happen, and still have to go right," Ausmus said. "And he's still learning. He has to learn how to hold runners and field his position. It was a good day, but there are a lot of boxes that have to be checked, and it takes time.
"It's encouraging, I guess. You don't see a lot of left-handed guys throwing 95 miles an hour."
That last part is the key. For all the questions about Gose after last season's struggles, his talent and his willingness to give pitching an honest try at age 26 make this worth exploring. He continues to get at-bats in extended spring training as a designated hitter, and he could go back to outfield work if he or the Tigers decide that pitching isn't going to work out.
• Friday officially marked Ausmus' 500th game as a manager, though one of those contests was managed by Gene Lamont after Ausmus was suspended for throwing his hoodie over home plate. "I'd rather have 500 wins," Ausmus said. "I didn't even know it was the 500th game."
• Blaine Hardy, called up from Triple-A Toledo for the second time in as many weeks, joked that he has been in and out of hotels since the season started. "I'm basically living out of my car," Hardy quipped. "I'm like Daniel Norris."