FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Right-hander Phil Hughes looked sharp in his first outing since undergoing a second rib surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome in August, throwing two scoreless innings against the Cardinals in a 5-4 win on Monday at Hammond Stadium.
Hughes, who is competing for a spot in the rotation along with Anibal Sanchez and Adalberto Mejia, threw his fastball at 90-91 mph, which is an improvement from last season, when it averaged 89.7 mph. He allowed one hit and showed good command, throwing first-pitch strikes to all seven batters he faced.