DUNEDIN, Fla.- After Jordan Montgomery tossed five no-hit innings in his Grapefruit League start against Toronto, the left-hander sounded just about ready to start the season.
“It gives me a lot of confidence,’’ Montgomery said of his 66-pitch outing in a 1-0 win at TD Ballpark. “That was their lineup. They have a lot of good hitters up and down it and I felt pretty in-control the whole outing. I felt comfortable throwing everything.”
That’s the key for the left-hander, who said it’s only this spring that he’s completely gotten over the effects of 2018 Tommy John surgery.
He’s refined his mechanics and has “a little more faith in my arm, so I can kind of whip it through. I’m not tensing up. It gets to a point where you’re back to normal and you just go through your delivery and throw the ball. I think I’m starting to get back there.”
Montgomery walked one and hit a batter, while striking out four.
“I think the point with [Montgomery] is going back to last year and this [spring] is a better, more powerful fastball,’’ Aaron Boone said before the game. “It’s a tick up now from a velo standpoint. His two-seam [fastball] is still very much in play.”
And if he can continue to refine the use of his fastball, the better his curveball and changeup will play.
“This is how I want to pitch,’’ Montgomery said. “I hold myself to high expectations.”
After being scratched from Tuesday’s game with soreness in his side, Kyle Higashioka was feeling better Wednesday, Boone said. The catcher is scheduled to return to the lineup on Saturday night. “We’ll see where we’re at the next few days,’’ Boone said.
Higashioka didn’t do any baseball activities Tuesday, but was able to work in the gym, in addition to getting treatment.
Miguel Andujar, out with a muscle strain in his right hand, is “doing better,” but hasn’t resumed hitting, according to Boone.
“I know there was some improvement from a symptom standpoint [Wednesday],’’ Boone said. “He’s still getting treatment. He was getting ground balls [Tuesday] and the needle is moving, but nothing imminent as far as playing.”
DJ LeMahieu started at third base and snared a liner from Teoscar Hernandez in the second, but made a throwing error on a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. grournder later in the inning that Jay Bruce couldn’t scoop at first.
Estevan Florial has played in just two games this spring after being delayed into camp by visa issues and Boone said the organization still has high hopes for the 23-year-old.
“He needs to play,’’ Boone said of Florial, who has dealt with a myriad of injuries and other setbacks.
And a year ago, he was among those prospects that was hurt by the lack of a minor league season.
“We’re still really confident in what he can be and what his ceiling is,’’ Boone said. “It’s about him getting consistent reps and taking that next step as the prospect he’s been to the next step as a player.”