FORT MYERS, Fla. — On Tuesday, as he pitched in a Grapefruit League game, Jared Shuster didn’t feel nervous. He was more excited than anything.
“It was just a lot of fun,” he said.
Shuster has big-league dreams, but this is another step in those, no matter how small it may seem. The left-hander is the Braves’ top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and is in major-league camp as a non-roster invitee.
In Tuesday’s 10-7 loss to the Twins at Hammond Stadium, Shuster threw two scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and hit a batter.
This was as much for his supporters as it was for him.
“It’s definitely awesome,” Shuster said. “I know I had a good amount of people at home (paying attention), had some texts waiting for me, so it was really cool to experience out there.”
Asked about seeing Shuster pitch in a spring game for the first time, Braves manager Brian Snitker had a blank stare.
Then it hit him. This was Shuster’s first spring game – ever.
“Oh, I hadn’t really thought of it,” Snitker said. “It seems like he’s been around forever.”
Snitker laughed, then added: “It’s neat. It’s great. I’m sure there’s a little butterflies when you’re doing that.”
This is Shuster’s first normal spring. A first-round pick in 2020, he experienced the post-COVID spring training in 2021. And like everyone else, he dealt with the lockout last year.
Last season, Shuster started in Double-A before the Braves promoted him to Triple-A. At Double-A Mississippi, he posted a 2.78 ERA over 90-2/3 innings in 17 games (16 of them starts). He then had a 4.25 ERA over 48-2/3 frames for Triple-A Gwinnett.
If he pitches well this season, he might be an injury or an underperformance away from receiving his first call-up. He may even have an outside shot to make the opening-day roster, though it seems unlikely.
“It’s really exciting,” Shuster said of being close to the majors. “It’s always been a dream of mine, of course, so I’m excited to get going. But just trying to do what I can, just pitch well and control what I can and see what happens.”
Shuster said he’s worked on being consistent, especially with his slider. He said his fastball, change-up and slider are in a good spot. (He might have the best change-up in the system). He wants his slider to have depth (to play well with his fastball and change-up) and good horizontal movement (so it gets in on right-handed hitters).
The 24-year-old is in camp with veterans such as Max Fried and Charlie Morton. He said he’s picked their brains a little bit, but more has observed their actions.
“I think going forward, I’m going to try to talk a little bit more,” Shuster said. “I’m a little more quiet, but I’m gonna try to talk to them a little bit more and learn what I can.”
Tuesday was a nice moment for Shuster.
“He was good,” Snitker said. ”I’ve liked him in camp. He’s improving. He’s better than what I remember last spring.”
Grissom has a nice game
In the loss, Vaughn Grissom went 3-for-3 with a two-run double.
“He’s swinging the bat pretty good,” Snitker said. “He’s staying inside that ball good, and made the routine plays.”
An important note: Grissom on Tuesday played in his second game in as many days, which could’ve helped him begin to get his timing down. He is 4-for-7 through three spring games.
Pillar blasts a homer
In sports, a “gamer” is someone who, true to the name, excels in games. A gamer works hard, enjoys competition and raises his performance in big moments. They’re ready for anything.
Kevin Pillar, a veteran outfielder in camp as a non-roster invitee, might fit the description.
“He’s been that his entire career,” Snitker said. “I saw him in the minor league. He’s a little gamer ballplayer. I mean, he has no regard for his body, and he plays the game the right way. And he’s a good player.”
On Tuesday, Pillar went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, including a two-run home run, as he continues trying to make the team.
Soroka’s progress
Pitcher Michael Soroka, who reported to camp with left hamstring tightness, is throwing on flat ground.
“To me, it looked good. I watched him throw in the outfield (at the spring training facility),” Snitker said. “I think he’s coming around.”
Soroka has been dealing with the ailment for a couple of weeks.
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