Indians ace Justin Masterson still can't find the mid-90s velocity that helped him thrive in 2013, but he has learned to adapt. Another strong performance Thursday proved it despite a fastball that peaked at around 90 mph.
Masterson threw five one-hit innings against Minnesota before weakening, but he finished having yielded just two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings and got the win. He has four quality starts in his last five and owns an ERA just under 3.00 during that stretch with 33 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings.
"I'm not letting the velocity get in the way," Masterson told MLB.com. "It will come when it's supposed to come, if it's going to come. And [in the meantime], we'll just pitch and make it work."
Masterson is set for free agency after this season, though both sides have left open the possibility he will sign before he reaches that point.