Lakeland, Fla. — Well, if this is Framber Valdez after spending the last three weeks throwing bullpens on the backfields, exciting to imagine what he might look like when he rounds into regular-season form.
The Tigers’ new $115 million lefty was crisp and sharp in his spring debut Monday, striking out three in three scoreless innings in the Tigers’ 5-2 spring loss to the Atlanta Braves at Joker Marchant Stadium.
“I felt great,” he said through Tigers’ interpreter Carla Diaz. “Obviously I had some first-game jitters, this being my first start as a Tiger. But overall, it felt really good.”
He gave up a one-out infield single to Aaron Schunk in the first inning and a opposite-field single to former Tiger Brewer Hicklen in the second. He responded to the second single by striking out the other three hitters he faced in the inning.
Two of those were swings and misses at his curveball. The third strikeout was a freeze called third strike on a 95-mph sinker.
“Honestly, my plan today was just to throw strikes,” he said. “I felt comfortable with the curveball early, and that’s the pitch we used to get strikes.”
Of his 43 pitches, 30 were strikes. He got three whiffs on eight swings with the curveball.
Valdez, 32, has been one of the true workhorses in the game the last four years, averaging 192 innings per year plus an additional 41 postseason innings. Because of that, he and the Tigers decided to delay his spring competition for an extra week.
“The program has been great,” he said. “And I think we were able to see the results today on the mound. Everything we’ve been doing on the backfields has allowed me to progress to where we are right now. Now it’s just about getting ready for the season, mentally and physically.”
Valdez was hustling to catch a 3 p.m. bus to the airport. He and the rest of the Tigers’ contingent were flying to his homeland, Dominican Republic, to play two games against the Dominican National team starting Tuesday.
“It’s exciting,” said Valdez, who will be serving as an ambassador of sorts. “I am happy for both teams. It’s going to see the Tigers have that experience.”
Valdez last pitched in the Dominican in winter ball in 2019. He’s never pitched for the national team.
“I’m going to be happy to hang out with both sides, see some old friends and just enjoy the experience,” he said.
Mid-camp blues
Casey Mize’s pitching line Monday will look worse than he pitched.
He was charged with three runs in his three innings, two of them were unearned, set up by errors on second baseman Max Anderson.
Two of the runs were cashed on a berm-shot homer by DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., who hit a first pitch, 94 mph heater that was located at the top of the zone.
Mize struck out two and got three whiffs on six swings at his bigger slider. The 11 balls put in play against him had an average exit velocity of 82.7 mph.
Game bits
Right-hander Beau Brieske, who was pulled back from his last outing because of back spasms, left the game Monday after only three pitches. Per the Tigers, he was experiencing tightness in his right ribcage and was undergoing evaluation.
…Minor league outfielder Brett Callahan has had three at-bats this spring. Two of them have been 400-foot home runs. He slammed an 0-2 pitch 408 feet Monday, curling it inside the foul pole in right.
.. .Shortstop Jim Jarvis, a former Tigers’ draft pick who was traded to Atlanta last July for reliever Rafael Montero, stole a base hit from Dillon Dingler in the second inning. He made a spectacular diving stop of a ball hit up the middle and from his belly started a 6-4-3 double-play.
… Tigers’ No. 3 catcher Tomas Nido launched one to the berm in left field in the ninth.
… Former Tigers lefty Joey Wentz, who is fighting to win a rotation spot with the Braves, pitched three scoreless and hitless innings Monday. He even beat speedy Parker Meadows to first base on a 3-1 putout.
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