MESA, Ariz. — A’s manager Bob Melvin made it clear before Sunday’s game that he wouldn’t be interested in the results when Santiago Casilla made his spring debut against the Chicago Cubs.
Casilla exhibited some obvious rust when he made his 2017 debut, throwing his first pitch about 58 feet and allowing a long two-run triple on his last.
But the biggest development was simply that Casilla, whose arrival in camp was delayed by visa issues, got on the mound in a live game and began his process of preparing for the season. He completed 2/3 of an inning, allowing two runs and two hits.