CLEARWATER, Fla. — Orion Kerkering’s first Grapefruit League outing of the spring was a mixed bag. He allowed one run on two hits and walked one batter. His defense helped him out. He had one strikeout. He threw 96 mph. Most importantly, he was out there.
“He was fine,” manager Rob Thomson said after the Phillies tied the Tigers, 4-4, on Friday afternoon at BayCare Ballpark. “I thought he got better as the inning went on. Threw a couple good sliders.”
Kerkering got a late start to the spring due to a hamstring issue. He pitched in a minor-league game at the Carpenter Complex on Tuesday, then finally made his appearance in a big-league exhibition.