After last year’s career-worst performance, Bronson Arroyo changed up his off-season workouts and reported to Spring Training feeling “as healthy and flexible as I’ve been in a lot of years.”

Of course, everyone shows up to Spring Training in the best shape of their lives*. But the first real test is not Arroyo’s self-reporting, but some game action. Arroyo started today. How’s he lookin’?

“I felt like the ball was coming out of my hand better than it was in couple of years,” he said. “I’m interested in the velocity. Then it gets down to pitching.”

Arroyo was told he was hitting 88, 89 mph on the radar gun.

“There you go,” he said. “I feel like if I can throw 90 miles an hour when I want to, I feel good about what I can do out there. Last year, I was humping it up there at 86 a lot of times with everything I had.”

Arroyo went the longest of any Reds starter so far this Spring, pitching three innings. Over the course of that, he allowed one run, two hits, and one walk. And while the speed increase of 2-3 miles per hour on his fastball is a promising sign, the fact that he struck out nobody during his outing has me a little concerned.

The Reds have a chance to be good this year, but Arroyo, even with his large salary, cannot be given too long of a leash. Another year like last year would likely sink this club.

* Juan Francisco is not included in the definition of “everyone.”

Boxscore

The unthinkable has happened. Mat Latos, the off-season acquisition that cost so much, has started a game, yet the Cincinnati Reds lost.

Not only that, but their chance at an undefeated Spring Training–and the coveted Cactus Cup trophy–has been crushed. The regular season may as well be forfeited. And Joey Votto should be traded away for nothing.

Okay.

Now that that nonsense about taking Spring Training results at all seriously is out of the way, let’s look at the game. Latos did start in the game against the Mariners, pitching two scoreless innings. Like many elite pitchers, he was a little off in the first, allowing two hits and a walk, but his second inning was perfect.

The pitchers that followed him, not so much. Brett Tomko fared the worst, allowing 5 runs in his inning. Two other relievers who are long-shots for making the Opening Day roster–Nick Christiani and Andrew Brackman–also allowed runs.

The offense continued to produce runs, though. Denis Phipps hit a three-run home run, and Donald Lutz added a solo shot. But it wasn’t enough to give the Reds a meaningless win. But it did give the players practice.

The next game will be back at Goodyear, when the Reds host the San Diego Padres at 3:05pm EST. Bronson Arroyo will make his Spring debut.