Bray possibly going to Triple-A
By John Fay • jfay@enquirer.com • March 30, 2009
SARASOTA, Fla. - It appears as if left-hander Bill Bray will start the season in Triple-A.
Bray pitched a scoreless inning Saturday and gave up an unearned run Sunday. But his velocity was off 5 or 6 miles an hour Saturday, manager Dusty Baker said.
"That's the question right now," Baker said. "He did a good job for us last year. He has outstanding stuff. (Saturday), his velocity was down a little bit. You don't know if that's from overthrowing. He's been checked, and they can't find anything."
Bray was shut down early in camp with shoulder tendinitis. After he came back from that, he missed time with a sore hamstring. Baker thinks Bray might be pressing to catch up.
"I've talked with him about being himself and not trying too hard," Baker said.
Daniel Ray Herrera probably would get the call as a left-hander out of the bullpen, if it's not Bray. Herrera has retired 22 of the 23 batters he's faced this spring.
"Early in the year, change-of-speed guys are the hardest to hit," Baker said.
Herrera is a classic change-of-speed guy - with a five-pitch arsenal.
