Tigers' Anthony Gose gives up hit, strikes out side in Florida
Ex-centerfielder allowed a hit, then struck out the side in an inning of work in extended spring today, per Brad Ausmus
MINNEAPOLIS – Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Anthony Gose pitched an inning of extended spring training Friday and had good results.
“First guy got a hit, struck out the next three,” Ausmus said of Gose’s outing.
Ausmus said Gose, a left-handed pitcher, had a 92-95 m.p.h. fastball along with a curveball and changeup.
While the initial report was positive, this is just one baby step in a long road for Gose that may never include a return to the major leagues.
Gose, 26, is getting at-bats in extended spring training, too, but his focus is on pitching.
“He’s still learning,” Ausmus said. “He’s gotta learn how to hold runners, field his position.”
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The Tigers traded Devon Travis to the Blue Jays in November 2014. Gose hit .254 in 140 games as the starting centerfielder in 2015.
He hit .209 in 30 games in 2016 before he was demoted to Triple-A Toledo. He was later demoted to Double-A Erie after an argument with Toledo manager Lloyd McClendon, now the Tigers' hitting coach.
Gose is getting at-bats in spring training as both an outfielder and designated hitter.
“It’s much easier for him to work on pitching in a controlled environment down there than in Toledo or Erie,” Ausmus said.
If he does end up pitching beyond extended spring training, Gose will likely do so as a reliever. There's no timetable for when Gose might pitch somewhere beyond extended spring, though.
“It was a good day, but there’s a lot of boxes that have to be checked,” Ausmus said of Gose’s progression from outfielder to pitcher. “It takes a little time. It’s encouraging, I guess. You don’t see a lot of left-handed guys throwing 95 miles per hour.”
Notebook: Ausmus said he didn’t get a report yet on J.D. Martinez, who was supposed to run Friday. Martinez was with the Tigers for the series against the Rays in Florida but is still rehabbing from a Lisfranc sprain in his right foot.
Contact George Sipple: gsipple@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgesipple. Download our Tigers Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!