JUPITER, Fla. — St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa wanted Rich Hill to throw more than the two innings the left-hander had given him in his first two outings of the spring.
Hill gave La Russa three on Thursday, but they were hardly a step forward.
Hill didn’t do anything to improve his bid to become the Cardinals’ fifth starter, allowing three earned runs on two hits and five walks in a 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves.
“Today he was cranking the ball all over the place,” La Russa said after only 41 of Hill’s 79 pitches found the strike zone.
A non-roster invitee, Hill spent a good portion of last season on Baltimore’s disabled list with elbow and shoulder injuries while posting a 3-3 record with a 7.80 ERA in 14 games.