Mariners pitcher Taijuan Walker threw three scoreless innings Saturday, pushing his streak to eight innings in three spring training appearances. Walker could earn the final spot in the Mariners' starting rotation if he is able to keep this pace up, reports MLB.com.
"He showed a lot of poise when we made a mistake there and put him behind the eight-ball," said manager Lloyd McClendon. "He kept pitching, pounded the zone and did a nice job. I think he's come a long way from September of last year. He's grown quite a bit."
McClendon is hoping Walker can provide depth to the rotation and bullpen that was not there last year.
"You look at last year, we didn't have that," McClendon said. "We were a mess leaving Spring Training. It's nice to have that depth and knock on wood it will stay that way."