Harvey: 'Right where I want to be' in debut

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Right-hander Matt Harvey was solid in his spring debut, retiring five of the six D-backs he faced in a "B" game at the Angels’ Spring Training complex on Saturday.

Harvey, who missed three days early in camp with a glute strain that put him slightly behind the club’s other starters, struck out three of the six batters he faced and walked one over 1 2/3 innings. He threw 29 pitches with 17 going for strikes.

“It was all right,” Harvey said. “Obviously, I wasn’t happy about the walk, but that happens. We got behind a couple guys, but I was able to bounce back and settle in a little bit. It was good.”

“Trying to get everything moving in different directions is the key. It’s something big that Doug [White, pitching coach] is working," Harvey said. "Just getting different angles and getting things moving in different directions is how you can get people out. I’m not necessarily throwing 100 anymore so I have to work things in a little differently.”

The changeup, in particular, impressed catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who had caught Harvey in a few bullpen sessions this spring, but had yet to catch him in a game setting. Harvey threw his changeup roughly 11 percent of the time in 2018, as he relies more on his slider (24 percent) and has seen his curveball usage drop over the years. Harvey threw his curveball 13.4 percent of the time in 2013 but it was down to 5.4 percent last year.

“His changeup was really good,” said Lucroy, who homered off Arizona’s Zack Greinke in the first. “That's something that I think is going to be big for him this year. He hasn't really thrown them much, but he threw some today and mixed them in well behind in the count. It was real nice, definitely nice to see. That's going to be a weapon we're going to use.”

Harvey’s fastball ranged from 91-94 mph, which is a good sign considering it was his first outing and it came in a relaxed setting on a backfield without much fanfare. Harvey's fastball averaged 94.4 mph in his 24 starts with the Reds last season.

“It’s good,” Harvey said. “[The ball's] coming out well. Last year, I was able to pick it back up into the upper 90s. Today without much adrenaline or a huge crowd, it was pretty good. Today being March 2, I’m right where I want to be. Everything is good.”

Harvey, who joined the Angels on a one-year deal worth $11 million this offseason, said he’s working on inside changeups to right-handers and two of his strikeouts came on that pitch. He also mixed in a few sliders and curveballs as White has been helping him get a better feel for his offspeed pitches. Harvey, 29, knows he's not likely to reach the peak velocity he had when he was an ace with the Mets from 2012-15, which makes his other pitches that much more important.

Harvey is finally healthy after battling injuries over recent seasons, including Tommy John surgery, an operation to alleviate symptoms from thoracic outlet syndrome and scapula surgery. Lucroy said he believes Harvey will continue to build arm strength this spring and is excited to see what he can do this season in his first year with the Angels.

"There's more in the tank, for sure,” Lucroy said. “But you know, working with a low pitch count, we're working into that."