BRADENTON, Fla. -- John Jaso made his third-base debut on Tuesday, and it would be generous to say it was uneventful.
Jaso, a former catcher turned first baseman and corner outfielder, didn't have a chance to make a single play -- and barely had anything hit in his general direction -- despite playing all nine innings of the Pirates' 5-4 win over the Rays.
"Easiest position on the field," Jaso said, smiling.
Jaso -- who hit his third spring homer, a two-run blast in the first to open the scoring -- admitted he was nervous during the first few innings but settled in after that. He has been working at third since the start of Spring Training and was deemed ready for game action. He got in a game, but the action never came.
"I can't remember the last game a third baseman had no plays in nine innings other than probably a game I played," manager Clint Hurdle quipped. "Everybody wanted me to have no plays, and everybody was happy at the end of the day, including me. … He could have had 12 plays and he had none, so what are you going to do?"
The Pirates will try to find another opportunity for Jaso to play third. He is expected to spend most of his time this season at first base and right field while serving as a left-handed bat off the bench. He doesn't expect to start at third during the regular season but said he wants to provide Hurdle with another option "in case he needs to do something crazy."
"The only way to do it is take off the training wheels and push the person out there," Jaso said.
He did have to make one play, sort of. Curt Casali hit a foul grounder down the third-base line in the sixth inning. Jaso scooped up the ball and tossed it into the stands.
"Almost chucked it across the diamond," he said. "I can't wait to get a ball there."
Around the horn
• A Florida man left LECOM Park in an ambulance on Tuesday after a foul ball struck the left side of his face. The fan, Alex Grippi, was sitting in the first row behind Pittsburgh's dugout. The frightening incident, which briefly stopped play in the eighth inning, came one day after the Pirates announced they would extend the protective netting to the end of each dugout at PNC Park.
"Never a good situation," said Hurdle, who added he was "all for" the additional netting.
• Ivan Nova pitched in a Minor League game at Pirate City on Tuesday afternoon. According to a report from bullpen coach Euclides Rojas, Nova threw 97 pitches in six innings, many of them extended to include more than three outs due to his efficiency. Nova recorded a total of 31 outs and retired 21 batters on three pitches or fewer.
• Hurdle confirmed first baseman Josh Bell will be ready for Opening Day, which hasn't been in question since Bell began playing in Grapefruit League games on March 6.
• The Pirates broadcast team switched up their lineups Tuesday. With analysts Steve Blass, Bob Walk and John Wehner on the ROOT Sports telecast, commentators Greg Brown and Joe Block called the game together in the radio booth. Brown and Block had fun with the pairing, decorating their booth with a sign that read, "The party's here."