Trevor Williams shuts down Blue Jays in rehab start for Marauders

Trevor Williams’ spot in Triple-A Indianapolis’ loaded rotation lasted two batters.

The pitcher recorded one out and allowed one hit with Indianapolis before pain shot through his right shoulder. From then on, Williams’ season has taken place in minor league bullpens and the mostly vacant fields of Pirate City.

Williams’ season resumed Sunday at McKechnie Field with a rehab start for the Marauders. And for five innings, he mowed through the Blue Jays as his final preparation for a return to the Indians. The Marauders reaped the benefits with an 8-2 win against Dunedin in front of 953.

“We’re 100 percent,” Williams said. “I just needed to get the stamina back up to be a starter.”

Williams expects to return to Indianapolis for his next start after cruising through the mostly stress-free in Bradenton. Dunedin scattered four hits in five innings against the lanky right-hander while the pitcher struck out four and walked none.

With Williams’ dominant outing, the three-run third inning Bradenton (22-20) put together was enough to hold off the Blue Jays even before the Marauders tacked on five more in the eighth.

Success for Williams (1-0) comes when his command is steady and 44 of his 62 pitches were strikes. The four strikeouts came as a result of his control and a mid-90s fastball. He caught the first batter of the game looking for his first strikeout and struck out one in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Even though the second inning was his only 1-2-3 inning, Williams never pitched with a runner in scoring position and faced only one serious scoring threat.

With two outs in the first inning, Dunedin third baseman Jason Leblebijian rolled a ground ball down the first-base line. Jerrick Suiter set up a few steps behind the bag as the ball reached first base. The grounder hit the edge of the base and popped up in the air, over the first baseman’s head and into right field. The next batter, Ryan McBroom, belted a double to left field, but Leblebijian was cut down at the plate to quash the threat.

“It’s fun for us to watch guys like that, just the way they go about their business,” manager Michael Ryan said. “He had a plan going into the game, he got his work in, and he was just under control and just super professional. It’s great for those guys to see and to learn from, and understand that some day they’re going to be at that point.”

Williams’ expected but rapid rise from No. 44 pick out of Arizona State to the edge of the majors began in Miami, where he was a unanimous top-10 prospect in the Marlins’ farm system. Miami sent him to the Pirates this past offseason in a trade that was reported by ESPN to be compensation for the Marlins’ hiring of former Pittsburgh pitching guru Jim Benedict. The former second-round pick earned an invitation to spring training with the major league team in March, and he began the year with the Indians, joining a rotation that includes Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon.

He lasted a third of an inning in his only appearance for Indianapolis before he landed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation that was later diagnosed as a mild rotator cuff strain. For the past three weeks, he has built his way back to the six innings he expects to throw when he returns to the Indians, first through simulated games and then extended spring training.

Against Class A Advanced hitters, Williams did everything he needed to be ready for his return.

“It was good to be in a stadium setting and throwing in games that actually count,” Williams said. “It was really good to be back on the mound today. I feel consistent. I feel the way I felt at the end of spring training.”

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 12:41 AM with the headline "Trevor Williams shuts down Blue Jays in rehab start for Marauders."