CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Jerad Eickhoff impressed everyone in the Phillies' organization with his work after coming over from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade last summer.
His 2.65 ERA in eight starts earned him a penciled-in spot in the team’s starting rotation for the start of the 2016 season.
But Eickhoff is clearly behind in this camp, a result of the fractured right thumb he suffered in a bunting drill the week before camp began. The 25-year-old right-hander has enough time to close the gap and be ready for the start of the season. He took an important step on that course Saturday when he pitched two innings in a minor-league intrasquad game.
Eickhoff gave up four hits, two walks and three runs over two innings of work, but no one seemed all that concerned with the results. It was his first outing of the spring. All that mattered was he come out of it healthy, and he did.
“It feels good to be back out there,” he said. “It's been a long time coming. I felt good just getting my feet wet again. My pitches felt good. My body felt good. It’s just a matter of getting that feel, getting that repetition.”
Eickhoff could pitch in a Grapefruit League game in the coming week. He may head back to a minor-league game for his next turn so he can build his pitch count as the available innings in big-league camp shrink because the other starters have to be stretched out.
Eickhoff believes he will be ready for the start of the season.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he said.
Coming into camp, the Phillies' rotation appeared to be Jeremy Hellickson, Aaron Nola, Charlie Morton and Eickhoff. Vince Velasquez, Adam Morgan and Brett Oberholtzer are competing for the remaining opening. Morgan and Oberholtzer are scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Yankees in Tampa. Velasquez pitched Saturday (see story).