Pitching Notes

Pitching is the name of the game...

• Jeff Karstens was limited to tossing off flat ground the past couple of sessions and will miss his early live pitching slot because of bicep tightness. Neither he nor the Bucs seem concerned, shrugging it off to pre-season rust and some chilly weather.
• Mike Sanserino of the Post Gazette reports that the Bucs believe it's Jason Grilli's time to shine.
• Carson Cistulli of Fangraphs projects RHP Kyle McPherson as the #2 rookie pitcher entering the league this season. If he makes the roster, that is... 
• Keith Law of ESPN had earlier selected Gerrit Cole as a Top 20 impact rookie.
• RHP Vic Black, one of the top Pirate back-end prospects who features some nasty heat and an intimidating Mohawk, told Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review that his secret is...yoga.
• David Miller of Rant Sports wonders if Kris Johnson's moment has arrived. Maybe not yet, but the lefty has put himself on the Pirate radar.
• John Morosi of Fox Sports thinks Kyle Lohse would be a clutch addition to the Bucs, even as he notes they've shown no interest in the righty. Between the draft pick compensation and his salary (he turned down $13M to become a FA), we don't expect the FO to take the bait.
• Pittsburgh has five of Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects. Three are pitchers - Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and Luis Heredia.
• MLB this year has taken the fake-to-third, throw-to-first pickoff off the books so that now you have to throw directly to third or it's a balk. The O's Buck Showalter thinks it'll have an impact; we're not so sure.