Hill threw five innings in a minor league game Friday, but continued his spring struggles, allowing five runs and walking five.
Since the A's were playing a division rival in Cactus League play, they chose to have Hill throw in a minor league game instead. The walks continue to be a huge issue for Hill, and he has not yet had anything close to solid outing this spring, with a ridiculous 12 walks in 7.2 innings. Hill did indicate that he felt better the final three innings Friday and called the day a "big step in the right direction." He will have one more spring start, likely Wednesday, before his first regular-season start, tentatively scheduled for the A's second game of the season.