Jason Marquis Gets First Crack At Starting Young Arms Impress Price

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Veteran Jason Marquis will get the ball to kick off the 2015 Cactus League season against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.

The right-hander with 14 years of Major League experience is in the mix to fill two permanent spots in the Reds' starting rotation and one temporary spot, left by Homer Bailey's recovery from surgery.

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Manager Bryan Price laid out the first week of games, noting that things could change.

Marquis, veteran left-hander Paul Maholm, Anthony DeSclafani, Tony Cingrani, Rasiel Iglesias, David Holmberg, Dylan Axelrod and Daniel Corcino all have a chance to fill two spots.

"We won't have enough starts for nine guys," Price said.  "We have an idea but we have to get through live batting practice so every thing could change but we have an idea of who will pitch the first week."

The tentative plans include Tony Cingrani as the starter for the second game and Johnny Cueto the third game both of them are also against Cleveland.  Mike Leake will probably pitch on March 7 against the Chicago Cubs in Mesa.  Homer Bailey will not pitch in the first week.  The other candidates for starting roles will pitch behind the designate starter in early games in which pitchers will only work one or two innings.

Price has been impressed by several young arms in camp.

Jon Moscot caught Price's eye in live batting practice.  Moscot was the Reds' fourth round pick in 2012. The 23-year old right-hander spent most of the 2014 season at Double A Pensacola. He was promoted to Louisville on August 18 after being named to the Southern League All-Star team.  Moscot was 7-10 at Pensacola with a 3.13 ERA and started three games at Louisville in which he was 1-1 with a 5.71 ERA.

Moscot velocity is between 89 and 92.

"He throws plenty hard enough, but its command, bottom of the zone command and side-to-side," Price said.  "He has a very, very good slider and an improved change-up. We target the Robert Stephenson, the Michael Lorenzen, the Nick Travieso and Amir Garrett.  The big hard throwing guys and they're great.  Arm strength is is a great starting point but when push comes to shove efficiency is what wins."

"DeSclafani and Moscot were the top two from when I was watching but there were others Lorenzen, Garrett and Marquis stood out," Price said.

The Yips

Nick Howard, the Reds' first choice in the most recent June draft out of the University of Virginia is having a difficult time throwing the ball to firstbase on infield drills.  Howard hit Kevin Towers, the Reds' special assistant to the general manager, in the foot during a drill.  Witnesses said that two or three went straight into the ground, several other throws sailed over the firstbaseman's head.

There have been noted cases of players, suddenly unable to make a simple throw.  Dodgers infielder Steve Sax had a period in which he simply could not throw the ball to first base.  Former Mets' catcher Mackie Sasser one day developed a phobia that did not allow him to make the simple throw to the mound after a pitch.