PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Pirates started Thursday with some good news, as Chris Archer will make his Grapefruit League debut Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Archer was scratched from his start two weeks ago neck stiffness.
“It’s great to see him back on the field,” manager Derek Shelton said Thursday before the Pirates played the Tampa Bay Rays. “We hope to see him get through tomorrow. How he feels on Saturday will be just as important.”
Archer expects to throw two innings in the game. He hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 20. His 2019 season ended with a shoulder injury suffered in a game against the Washington Nationals. He posted a 5.19 ERA in 23 starts last season.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Archer said. “I haven’t pitched in a real game in six or seven months. I look forward to getting back on the mound and getting out of there healthy.”
Archer told reporters that he wants to work on his fastball command first and build off that.
“I have a pretty good feel for my slider, so I’ll work on that a little later in camp,” Archer said. “But the main goal is my health being where it needs to be.”
Archer threw live batting practice Monday, which opened a path for him to pitch in a game Friday. Joe Musgrove initially was going to start the game Thursday against the Blue Jays, but Musgrove will throw after Archer’s innings to accommodate Archer getting on the schedule.
“If you spend any time talking to Joe, you know that he’s a good teammate,” Shelton said. “He always wants to do what’s best for the team. Once we saw that Chris was going to get through the live BP, it was easy to slide him to [Friday] because Joe was going to make it work.”
Archer said he expects to be ready for opening day, which is in three weeks. Friday, of course, is a helpful step forward.
“I’m excited to pitch,” Archer said. “It’s always great to be out there with my guys.”
More good news
Erik Gonzalez was back in the lineup on Thursday. It was his spring training debut after coming back from foot surgery in the offseason.
Gonzalez played third base, and Philip Evans played second base with Kevin Newman at shortstop. Shelton was intentional in placing Gonzalez at third base instead of the middle infield.
“We wanted to ease him back into action,” Shelton said. “There’s less foot traffic at third. We know that he’s an elite defender at several positions. He can play any of those positions.”
If Gonzalez is healthy, he will likely make the big-league club as a utility man. Gonzalez hit .254 with one home run last season but spent significant time on the injured list.
Positive impressions
Evans didn’t spend any time on a big-league roster in 2019. The infielder was in the Cubs system and last played in an MLB game in 2018. At 27 years old, that could be troubling, but Evans is fighting for a spot with the Pirates.
He entered Thursday’s game with hits in four his previous five games. He’s a solid defender, and the bat is coming along.
“He is having a good spring,” Shelton said. “We like where he is right now. We knew he was a good player when we signed him, and it’s showing up on the field so far.”
It’ll be tough for Evans to find a spot with Gonzalez, JT Riddle and Jose Osuna in the mix, but he’s doing his best to make that a tough call for the Pirates.
Nubyjas Wilborn: nwilborn@post-gazette.com Twitter: @nwilborn19
First Published: March 5, 2020, 6:20 p.m.
