Tigers rookie Bruce Rondon is starting to show why he generates excitement.
He pitched a scoreless fifth inning Saturday during the Tigers' 10-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in Lakeland, Fla., Tom Gage reports in The Detroit News.
"He threw some fastballs I didn't see, but they somehow ended up in my glove," catcher Alex Avila said of the rookie right-hander who'll probably be the Tigers' closer if all goes well for him this spring. "By far one of the best arms I've ever seen."
Rondon threw 24 pitches — 21 fastballs.
Toronto's Maicer Izturis, who hit an infield pop-up as the first batter to face Rondon, calls him "deceptive" because of a slight pause in his delivery.
Freep sportswriter John Lowe, who also was at Marchant Stadium, spoke with Jays' TV broadcaster Buck Martinez, a former Jays manager and catcher, about Rondon:
"You can see he's blessed with great talent," Martinez said in an interview moments after the game.
"It was a good test for him. He had a couple of big strikeouts when he was on the ropes. He looks like he has the stuff to be a closer."
