Archer, Twins pleased with 1st spring outing

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Chris Archer said he got a little tired toward the end of his outing against the Braves on Friday, but that's to be expected for a pitcher at the end of a 50-pitch outing a mere four days after signing with his new team.

The five hits and three runs he allowed in 2 2/3 innings against the Braves were far less important to the Twins than the encouraging quality of the fastball and slider that showed the injury issues that plagued Archer for two seasons could be behind him, and that the veteran right-hander should, indeed, be ready to step right into the Minnesota rotation without tracking behind.

"I was actually elated with what I saw with him today," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "The stuff was excellent. He was in and around the zone for the entire start. He looked very comfortable out there on the mound."

Archer worked exclusively with his fastball and slider to get the feel for those pitches with the regular season so close, generating five swings and misses -- all with the slider. His fastball averaged 94 mph against the Braves, well above his 92 mph average from last season. It topped out at 95 mph, matching his highest velocity from the 2021 season, with all the stuff around the strike zone.

"For my first Spring Training outing, I’m really happy with where I’m at," Archer said. "I’m not trying to think about the past too much, just because the game has evolved and I’m going to have to evolve as a pitcher, but my stuff was right where I wanted it to be for my first Spring Training outing."

Archer is likely to line up as the Twins' fifth starter when camp breaks, giving him some extra time to settle in before he needs to face a big league lineup when the results matter.

The Twins took a shot on Archer with the idea that he could be ready to contribute immediately, taking the pressure off their top pitching prospects to become impact Major League arms from Day 1. If Archer can't bounce back from the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in '20 and forearm and hip issues in '21, those prospects might have had some more time to finish their development.

But there's possible upside with Archer if he can get back to even something resembling his two-time All-Star form from his days with Tampa Bay, and he says his hip feels better than ever. It looked like it on Friday.

"We've seen guys obviously over these last few years who have had struggles physically that do have a bounce-back year along the way," Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. "He's still young enough. He's still got a good enough arm. We were attentive to that, so he was always on our radar."

Arraez to see time at first base
Toward the end of last season, Baldelli briefly mentioned that there's a chance the versatile Luis Arraez could be asked to add first base to his skillset. That manifested on the field for the first time on Thursday, when the infielder moved to first base for three innings of a game against the Red Sox.

Expect to see more of that this spring -- and possibly beyond.

"It’s going to be good for his versatility and it’s going to be good for us," Baldelli said.

The Twins will look for any opportunity they can find to get Arraez's bat in the lineup, particularly with Gio Urshela likely to take up a large chunk of the plate appearances at third base and Jorge Polanco fixed at second base. There could be some at-bats available at designated hitter, but it's likely that Gary Sánchez will also be in line for plenty of looks in that role.

Arraez has only made one professional appearance at first base, and that was all the way back in 2014, his first season in the organization, when he played one game there in the Dominican Summer League. This sort of thing isn't new for the Twins, who used former utility infielder Ehire Adrianza at first base when needed and previously pushed Arraez to learn left field, though he'll no longer work in the outfield.

"It’s going to take a little time to get comfortable [at first], and I’m glad he was able to go over there and receive one over there and everything," Baldelli said. "Getting him on the field was important. We’re going to see it again."