Nicasio fired a scoreless fifth inning in Sunday's 16-3 Cactus League loss to the Indians, recording two strikeouts.
Nicasio has been progressively ramping up his velocity this spring, and Sunday's outing provided a glimpse of how far he's come. The right-hander hit 95 mph on his final pitch, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports, setting down Yonder Alonso for his second strikeout. Nicasio also whiffed Lonnie Chisenhall within his sole frame, and his strong spring (seven strikeouts over 6.2 innings) lends credence to the notion that he could serve as an effective set-up option to closer Edwin Diaz. "Juan has done a really good job all spring and you're starting to see the velocity creep up into the range he pitched at last year," manager Scott Servais said. "He's a veteran guy. He knows how to get ready. No worries with him at all."