Seattle Mariners news has Brandon Maurer ready to make his first Spring Training pitching appearance this year. According to a report from late Saturday (Feb. 23), Maurer was held back when he got drilled in the shin by a Kendrys Morales line drive in batting practice. He is ready to go now and will pitch against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday afternoon (Feb. 25).
This is a big deal for the Mariners because Maurer is coming off a season where he was voted the Southern League Pitcher of the Year. He finished the 2012 season with a 9-2 record and 3.20 ERA at Double-A Jackson and is looking ready to make the next step in his baseball career. It is likely that Maurer will begin the 2013 season with the Tacoma Rainiers, but it's always possible he could impress enough in Spring Training to get that push to the big club.
Maurer is considered one of the top 10 prospects in the system and stands pretty tall at 6-foot-5 on the mound. He definitely has the intimidation factor that a lot of MLB pitchers would love to have and that should only serve as an advantage once he gets started pitching in Spring Training. He won't make the start in this game, as that is going to free agent acquisition Jeremy Bonderman, but he will be coming out of the bullpen.
Seattle Mariners fans in Peoria who haven't seen Brandon Maurer pitch could end up pretty impressed with his mechanics. It's a tough task to go against a team like the Angels right out of the gate, but it will definitely showcase whether he has developed even further since his positive 2012 finish. Game time against the Angels is 12:05 p.m. PT with the match-up being shown on MLB.TV.
More Seattle Mariners News:
Blake Beavan Pitches Spring Training Gem
Mariners Trade Mike Carp To Boston Red Sox
Mariners Pull Off Trade With New York Yankees
Felix Hernandez Becomes Highest Paid Pitcher in History
Mariners Trade Jason Vargas
Comments