FORT MYERS, Fla. -- From an unknown to someone the Tampa Bay Rays may rely on to begin in the rotation, right-hander Matt Andriese continued his solid spring Wednesday.
Andriese allowed no runs and three hits in five innings with six strikeouts and one walk in the Rays' 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium. He threw 75 pitches, 48 for strikes, and he looked in command throughout the afternoon.
"I just try to go out there and stick with what I've been doing," said Andriese, who's 1-1 with a 1.10 ERA in five appearances (16 1/3 innings) this spring. "I was happy to get good results today. ... I'll take a lot out of this outing, for sure."
Andriese, gained in the same trade with the San Diego Padres that brought utility player Logan Forsythe and reliever Brad Boxberger to the Rays in January 2014, is considered a possibility to join the rotation for the start of the season after injuries involving left-hander Drew Smyly (shoulder tendinitis) plus right-handers Alex Cobb (forearm tendinitis) and Alex Colome (pneumonia). The front of the Rays' rotation projects to be right-handers Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi and Nathan Karns until Cobb and Colome return in mid-to-late April.
Andriese, 25, was 11-8 with a 3.77 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 28 appearances (25 starts) as part of Triple-A Durham last year. The native of Redlands, Calif., has never pitched in a regular-season major-league game.
"I thought Matt Andriese was outstanding," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Really good. Changeup seemed to be really good for him. You just didn't see many strong swings against him. He kept guys off-balance.
"It looks like his pulse is extremely low, and to me, that's a good thing. But he made some good pitches. Just kept pounding the zone."
Andriese said he was pleased with the way he commanded the strike zone, and his sinker and cutter particularly encouraged him. Catcher Rene Rivera had positive reviews from his vantage point.
"He was mixing up everything," Rivera said. "He was throwing his sinker well, his cutter, his change-up was outstanding. When he needs to throw a curveball, he will do it. I liked the composure there. I liked the way he took care of himself on the mound."
Another day brought more momentum for Andriese. With plenty to gain, he'll try to remain focused on the task ahead.
"I just try to stay consistent with myself and not try to worry about all the stuff that's going on," he said. "Obviously, everybody knows that there's a competition going on. And I just try to go out there and not worry about that. Stay consistent."
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
