MESA, Ariz. – Carlos Lagrange received the news Thursday that he was being reassigned to minor league camp, but there was still a reward to come for a standout camp.
The Yankees’ top pitching prospect boarded the cross-country charter with the club from Tampa on Sunday for a chance to make one more start against the Cubs on Monday afternoon.
It was a small taste of the big league life, giving the 22-year-old right-hander a glimpse of what is to come if and when he gets the call to the majors later this season.
“It leaves you wanting more,” Lagrange said through an interpreter. “It gives you hunger to keep on working harder to get to it.”
That reward, though, also came with some reality that was still the case even as he dominated lineups in the Grapefruit League earlier this spring: he is not yet a finished product.
Facing the toughest lineup he has seen all spring – essentially the Cubs’ Opening Day lineup – Lagrange came back to earth for a day.
His strike-throwing was not as sharp as it had been the rest of camp and it led to him getting tagged for eight runs on nine hits across 2 2/3 innings, raising his spring ERA from 0.66 to 4.96.
“It was tough, but it was pretty good because I threw versus big league hitters,” Lagrange said. “There’s a big difference between big league hitters and minor league hitters. … It jumps out that they know how to look for a pitch and be ready to attack in different counts. Falling [behind] doesn’t help when you’re facing those guys.”
Of course, the results this time of year still do not matter, and the rough ending should not tarnish what was otherwise a terrific spring for Lagrange, showing the Yankees he may be closer to the big leagues than they thought entering camp, despite never having pitched above Double-A.
That will change later this week, as Lagrange is set to open the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, another test for him as he races toward the big leagues.
