Pirates' Mike Clevinger Gets Second Spring Start vs. Tigers
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PITTSBURGH — Mike Clevinger is aiming for a spot on the Opening Day roster with the Pittsburgh Pirates and he'll get another chance to earn that.
Clevinger starts for the Pirates in their upcoming Grapefruit League game against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. on March 13, his second in Spring Training.
He made his first start with the Pirates back on March 2 vs. the Tampa Bay Rays at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. and had a solid outing, throwing three scoreless innings and posting three strikeouts in the 4-1 win.
Clevinger has also made two relief appearances for Pittsburgh in Spring Training, with his first against the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park in North Port, Fla. on Feb. 25 and then most recently vs. the Boston Red Sox at home on March 8.
He threw two scoreless innings vs. the Braves, giving up two hit and two walks, while getting a strikeout in the 3-1 loss.
Clevinger was less effective vs. the Red Sox in his last outing, allowing an RBI-double and a two-run home run for three earned runs over three innings of relief in the eventual 9-7 victory.
He's relied mostly on his fastball in his outings so far this spring, but his changeup and cutter are the two pitches he's thrown as well. His sweeper and curveball have come into play as well.
Pitch | Usage |
|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 63/134 (47%) |
Changeup | 31/134 (23%) |
Cutter | 21/134 (16%) |
Curveball | 9/134 (7%) |
Sweeper | 8/134 (6%) |
Sinker | 2/134 (1%) |
The Pirates signed Clevinger to a minor league deal and as a non-roster invitee he must take advantage of these opportunities to show that he deserves a spot on the 26-man roster, etiher on Opening Day or later in the season.
Other Important Notes From the Lineup
- Scheduled pitchers for this matchup also include Yohan Ramírez, Chris Devenski and Carson Fulmer. Ramírez is on the 40-man roster, while Devenski and Fulmer are both non-roster invitees.
- Tyler Callihan, who the Pirates acquired in a trade from the Reds on March 4, will start third base vs. the Tigers. It is his third start for the Pirates and his first at third base, where he will compete with Nick Yorke as the utility player on the Opening Day roster.
- Konnor Griffin is back in at shortstop for the Pirates and will make his 10th start in Spring Training. He has slashed .192/.276/.577 for an OPS of .853, with five hits in 26 at-bats, a double, three home runs, eight RBI and six strikeouts so far.
- Endy Rodríguez will start at designated hitter and Jhostynxon Garcia is in right field. Rafael Flores Jr. will play first base, for three other prospects to keep an eye on.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.