Leake fired three perfect innings in Tuesday's 2-0 Grapefruit League loss to the Braves. He struck out three.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran right-hander got his spring off to an ideal start, setting down a regular Braves lineup that included Freddie Freeman and Matt Kemp on an efficient 32 pitches, 21 of which he threw for strikes. Leake had solid command of his sinker, as evidenced by the six groundouts he induced over a nine-batter sample. The 29-year-old is still in the process of putting weight back on after having endured a bout with shingles late last season, and hopes to reach 180 pounds by the start of the regular season. His efficiency Tuesday allowed him to surpass his original projected two-inning workload and drew rave reviews from his boss. "He already looks so much sharper than when we saw him early on last year," manager Mike Matheny said after the 2-0 loss. "He's in a great place."