PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough isn’t about to start lighting up radar guns like some other pitchers in Rays camp, but his increased fastball and cutter velocity early this spring is worth a second look.

During a live batting-practice session on Thursday at Charlotte Sports Park, Yarbrough’s fastball was in the 89-mph range, while his cutter was clocking in around 83-86 mph. That’s not going to turn a lot of heads in this era of premium velocity, but it’s much more in line with the way Yarbrough pitched in 2018-19 than he did last season. And there’s a reason for it.

After multiple starts last year, Yarbrough bemoaned how his tendency to let hitters put balls in play “left up a little more to chance.” Inducing weak contact is always going to be his strength, but he can more effectively do that with a greater separation between his fastball, cutter and the rest of his arsenal.

That separation existed in 2018, when his sinker averaged 89 mph, his cutter 86.9, his changeup 81.2 and his curveball 76.6. That season, Yarbrough went 16-6 with a 3.91 ERA and struck out 7.8 batters per nine innings. Last year, there was less velocity on all his pitches (86.4 mph sinker, 81.9 cutter, 78.4 changeup and 71.1 curveball) and less success overall, as Yarbrough posted a 5.11 ERA in 30 outings with 6.8 strikeouts per nine.

“It was not egregiously different. It was like a little tick down, maybe just giving them a little bit extra chance,” Yarbrough said. “So it was a matter of, 'All right, let's do some arm-strengthening stuff. Let's just try to get back to where it was and see how that plays.’”

Working with Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks, Yarbrough focused on a long-tossing program that started two or three weeks earlier than he’d usually begin throwing. With the offseason extending longer than expected due to the lockout, Yarbrough had even more time to strengthen his arm before coming into camp. The early returns have him and the Rays encouraged.

“We're not going to super-focus on velocity with how I limit hard contact,” Yarbrough said. “You kind of have a tough year like last year, and you're like, ‘OK, we need to get back to being a little bit better about it.’ Intent is just a lot better there, just trying to actually get into the ball a little bit better.”

Meaningful outing for Mazza
Right-hander Chris Mazza gave up just one hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings to start the Rays’ 7-6 loss to the Red Sox on Friday afternoon at JetBlue Park in their Grapefruit League opener. It was a particularly special outing for the non-roster invitee, for reasons that had nothing to do with his performance.

Mazza said Friday was the first baseball game for his nearly seven-week-old daughter, Sloan, as his family lives in the Fort Myers area.

“A little extra juices flowing from that,” Mazza said, smiling. “So that was exciting.”

Mazza shuttled between Triple-A and the Majors, serving a multi-inning role for the Rays last season, covering 27 1/3 innings over 14 outings with a 4.61 ERA. He was at his best in his final outings, as he allowed only one run over his final 8 1/3 innings from Aug. 20, then decided to rejoin the Rays on a Minor League deal this offseason.

“The way he finished last year … by all reports leading into the game, he was kind of the same guy,” manager Kevin Cash said. “He could really do some big things for us at different points.”

Mazza said he benefited late last season from his work with former Tampa Bay reliever Chaz Roe, who showed him the grip on his sweeping slider.

“From there on, everything just kind of took off. It was that pitch to help separate and get off the fastball, my cutter, and it kind of became my main pitch,” Mazza said. “Even when guys know it’s coming, it's still hard to make good contact when it's moving that much.”

Back at camp
Five Rays pitchers faced hitters in live batting practice on Friday morning at Charlotte Sports Park: starters Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen and relievers Fairbanks, Colin Poche and new addition Jason Adam.

McClanahan (97-98 mph) and Rasmussen (also in the upper 90s) flashed their high-end fastball velocity on the stadium scoreboard’s radar gun during their two-inning “outings,” while the newcomer Adam induced a bunch of awkward swings with his mix of 93-94 mph fastballs, changeups and breaking balls.

“That’s good stuff,” Cash said of Adam. “Not surprising, our guys [would] find somebody like that.”

Up next
The Rays will begin their Spring Training home schedule against the Braves on Saturday afternoon at Charlotte Sports Park, with most of their regular position players -- Brandon Lowe, Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena, Austin Meadows, Mike Zunino, Ji-Man Choi, Yandy Díaz, Manuel Margot and Brett Phillips -- expected to be in the lineup. Right-hander Phoenix Sanders will come over from Minor League camp to start.

First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. ET. The game will air locally on Bally Sports Sun as well as WDAE 95.3 FM/620 AM and the Rays Radio Network.