SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — It was in an intrasquad game on a practice field, but Juan Nicasio made a big-league impression Sunday, taking another step toward earning a spot in the Rockies’ starting rotation.
The stocky right-hander, making his first start since breaking his neck Aug. 5 in a game at Coors Field, blazed threw two innings, pounding the strike zone with his fastball.
He threw consistently at 93 to 95 mph (once hitting 97). Of his 35 pitches, 27 were strikes.
Nicasio didn’t allow a run. He gave up two hits, struck out two and hit a batter.
His only big mistake was throwing a flat slider to Charlie Blackmon, the first batter Nicasio faced. Blackmon drove the ball to right field for a double.
“He pounded the strike zone and he pounded down,” manager Jim Tracy said.
“Right now, I’m throwing a lot of fastballs down and in,” said Nicasio, adding that he’s working this spring on a changeup and slider.
Tracy wanted to see if Nicasio would be gun-shy in a live game.
“We will see more when he throws against another club,” Tracy said. “But obviously one of the things we were looking for was his reaction as he goes to throw the pitch.
“Meaning, is he going to finish the pitch? Or is he going to start fielding his position too soon to protect himself? Will you see some recoil or something like that? But there was absolutely none of that.
“It was actually a better Juan Nicasio than the kid who came to us from (Double-A) Tulsa last year. More mature, more convinced he belongs at the major-league level.”
Tracy said he also was pleased with the depth and movement of Nicasio’s slider.
Veteran status. The old guys are easing into the Cactus League season.
First baseman Todd Helton, 38, won’t play until later in the week, possibly against San Francisco on Wednesday.
Third baseman Casey Blake, 38, is scheduled to play Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.
First baseman Jason Giambi, 41, likely will get two at-bats as a designated hitter against Arizona today.
“I’m at a point now where I don’t need to perform in spring. I just need to get myself ready for the regular season,” Helton said Sunday. “It’s a long grind, so I want to make sure I don’t get worn down.”
Footnote. Jhoulys Chacin makes his spring debut today. “We want him to work on his delivery and repeating it and not getting the jerky motion where his fastball starts to run away from him,” Tracy said.
