Neither Ortiz nor Plassmeyer had been designated for stay-ready camp in Florida, though Nelson was. He hasn’t allowed more than one run in any outing.
But since a rehab stint, he allowed 16 hits and four runs in 23.2 innings (1.52 ERA) with Lehigh Valley. Plassmeyer struggled early in Triple-A, was released in June but signed a minor-league deal to return. Thomson did not forget that valuable service this spring when the lefty was in the conversation for the fifth starter’s job. Last year, he pitched Game 162 in Houston, digging deep for 90 pitches and six innings to keep the bullpen fresh for the Wild Card series in St.
