Manaea started a Cactus League split-squad win over the Indians on Saturday and allowed two earned runs on four hits across three innings. He struck out two.

EDGE Analysis

Manaea was coming off a forgettable Cactus League debut Monday versus the Brewers, one in which he allowed six earned runs across just 1.2 innings. The left-hander had struggled some with the location of his slider, a pitch he's been heavily focused on this offseason and spring. Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports Manaea was much sharper Saturday with the help of a fastball that hit 93 mph on multiple occasions, and due to a grip adjustment suggested to him by pitching coach Scott Emerson during a recent bullpen session, one that turns the slider into a hybrid cutter. Manaea deployed the offering approximately 10 times across his 48 pitches and plans to continue refining it during his remaining exhibition starts. "It's a little bit harder," Manaea said of the new cutter. "I was throwing it at 85 mph and I've never thrown a slider before at 85. It was cool. Really just trying to get where I feel like I have that explosiveness. It was a big step in the right direction."