The breaking pitches aren’t there yet and neither is the fastball velocity, but Braves pitcher Brandon Beachy believes that will come. For now, he’s pleased with progress made from his first to second starts of spring training.
After allowing two runs and as many hits (five) as he recorded outs in his spring debut, Beachy came back Wednesday to pitch three hitless, scoreless innings against the Phillies in a 2-2 tie. He had one strikeout, one walk and hit one batter with a pitch.
“I felt better, more comfortable out there,” Beachy said. “While working on stuff, I was able to make some better pitches than last time out.”
He got knocked around some by the Astros on Friday in his first start since having arthroscopic surgery Sept. 26 to remove a bone chip from his pitching elbow. It was his second procedure in 15 months, following Tommy John surgery in 2012.
Beachy’s fastball velocity has been mostly in the 87-90 mph range, several ticks below his pre-surgery norm. And so far, his curveball and slider lack the nasty bite they had in 2012, when he had a 2.00 ERA and majors-leading .171 opponents’ average through 13 starts before his injury.
But he said before spring training that he would stick to his plan of easing back into things this spring, regardless of early results. He got good results Wednesday despite not letting it all hang out.
“Threw a couple of good (change-ups),” he said. “Mostly a lot of fastballs. Four- and two-seam (sinkers), a lot more two-seam than usual. I was kind of working on that. I threw some curveballs — not very good ones, at all. That’s something I’m going to work on. I think I threw one slider. As spring training progresses I’ll get to those.”
Pitching coach Roger McDowell said it was only natural for Beachy to be a little tentative, after what he went through last year, making only five starts before he was shut down again.
“I think each and every time out he’s going to get a little more confidence, a little bit more stability and mindset that he can go after it,” McDowell said.
Good reports: While the Braves were playing in Clearwater, four Braves pitchers — starters Gavin Floyd and Mike Minor, relievers Jonny Venters and Luis Vasquez — were back at Lake Buena Vista, taking steps toward returning from injuries.
Floyd and Venters are returning from Tommy John surgeries, Minor from a sore shoulder after missing all of January recovering from urinary tract surgery and Vasquez from a strained lat muscle. McDowell watched and said none of the four had any issues during the short throwing sessions Wednesday. The next-day recovery will be monitored Thursday.
Floyd and Vasquez threw five minutes of batting practice, the first time Floyd faced hitters since May surgery and the first for Vasquez since he was injured in a Dominican Winter League playoff game about six weeks ago. Floyd hopes to join the rotation in May; Vasquez could pitch in a game this week.
Venters threw a five-minute side session in the bullpen, his first time off the mound since May surgery, and Minor threw off the mound — also five minutes — for the first time since October. Venters is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery and could return in May or June.
Minor, who had soreness last month after ramping up his throwing program in the first week of camp, hopes to join the rotation in time to avoid a season-opening stint on the disabled list.
Lipka again: After Braves outfield prospect Matt Lipka showed his speed scoring from first base on a two-RBI single and two errors Saturday against the Nationals, he had a similar dash around the bases Wednesday to score the tying run in the ninth inning. This time without hitting the ball out of the infield.
With Jose Constanza at third base and one out, Lipka grounded into a 4-2-5-1 fielder’s choice, with Constanza caught in a rundown. While the Phillies were tossing it back and forth on the rundown, Lipka raced around and was headed for a close play at third when the Phillies fired the ball into the outfield. He scored on the error.
“He adds a dimension of speed,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “And in one of the early games he threw somebody out at the plate from center field. I’ve been impressed.”
Fregosi tribute: The late Jim Fregosi, a former Braves executive and ex-Phillies manager, was honored during an on-field ceremony before Wednesday's game between the two NL East rivals at Bright House Field.
Fregosi, 71, died Feb. 14 after suffering multiple strokes a few days earlier. He spent the past 13 years as a special assistant to Braves general managers John Schuerholz and Frank Wren, who took part in the ceremony along with Braves coaches McDowell, Greg Walker and Terry Pendleton.
Fregosi’s wife, children and grandchildren stood near home plate and were embraced by representatives of 10 teams he played for, managed or worked for as a scout or executive during 53 years in professional baseball.
