Cowart experiment adding intrigue to camp

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Kaleb Cowart woke up Wednesday morning expecting a struggle to lift his right arm out of bed. He was pleasantly surprised to discover his first pitching session against live hitters since high school left his throwing arm feeling fine.

“I was expecting it to be a lot more sore than it is,” he said.

With that obstacle cleared, Cowart checked the schedule for the day, checked in with coaches and prepared for a workout session with infielders – something he admittedly wasn’t sure he’d be allowed to do one day after throwing.

He took part in cutoffs and relays. He took batting practice against other pitchers in camp. He did infield drills with coach Ramon Santiago. He didn’t do any strong throwing, but essentially, Cowart had a normal Spring Training workout for an infielder after having a normal Spring Training workout for a pitcher.

The Tigers’ experiment with Cowart as a two-way player is in a feeling-out period. Though Detroit has had position players who pitched in emergencies, such as Don Kelly, Andrew Romine and Josh Wilson, none of them worked on pitching in Spring Training. Likewise, though Shohei Ohtani set the template for the two-way player last year with the Angels, he was mainly a designated hitter during the season.

“It’s a learning experience for all of us, really,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said, “because we haven’t had this. I haven’t had it, a pitcher/infielder.”

The Tigers are making pitching Cowart’s primary focus. That was the facet of his game that drew Detroit to claim him off waivers last month, and that’s the facet to which he’s making an adjustment. It’s only a week into camp, but the adjustment so far has gone relatively well.

Cowart had moments Tuesday when he looked and felt out of place. Even after several bullpen sessions over the past few weeks, the feeling of stepping on the mound and staring down a hitter in the box was a different one for him. A few early wild throws reflected the rust more than his velocity, which seemed strong. A curveball he tried to spin popped out of his hand later, but he shook it off.

“I was amped up there to start with,” Cowart said. “I had not had that feeling in a long time. And I felt good; felt really good. After the first three or four [pitches] that I kind of yanked, I settled down and started throwing strikes. Other than that, I felt the stuff was crisp. Obviously the command wasn't exactly what I want. …

“I think it's going to be there. 'Pens have been good. I've been throwing a lot of strikes. We're not always going to hit our spots. Guys that [pitch] every day don't always do it.”

Cowart will throw another 10-minute session of batting practice Thursday before Grapefruit League games begin. The at-bats will get tougher, and the decisions facing the Tigers will loom larger, from how to divide Cowart’s playing time to how to judge him on the roster.

In some ways, Cowart is like a Rule 5 Draft pick. He has no Major League experience as a pitcher -- no Minor League experience, either -- but he’s out of Minor League options. If the Tigers want him to pitch in their farm system, they’d have to designate him for assignment and hope he clears waivers. The more potential he shows on the mound, the more likely it is that another team would claim him.

For many managers, it’s easier to carry a Rule 5 pick in the bullpen than on the bench. A manager can pick and choose his spots to use a reliever, and he has several other options. With fewer spots on the bench, a position player is more likely to be needed for playing time in various situations.

If this experiment works, Cowart offers the appeal of both.

“We know he can catch the ball. I know he can play defense,” Gardenhire said. “He’s a heck of a defender, with a great arm. But we signed him to pitch, to see what he can do off that.”