Rarely do spring training results mean much to the upcoming season, and it's even more true with established players. Still, it looks odd to see Roy Halladay connected to a pitching line like the one he put up Wednesday, allowing five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings, allowing two home runs on 70 pitches.
A scout told FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal that Halladay was throwing just 89 mph and "lacked bite" on his changeup and sinker.
And it wasn't just a scout that noticed Halladay's lack of potency on his change, so did Halladay -- especially after Josh Willingham hit one for a homer in the first.
So what did he do?
"I told Chooch (catcher Carlos Ruiz), 'Keep calling it as much as you can,'" Halladay told reporters after the game (via the Philadelphia Inquirer). "See if we can figure out how it feels when it's off. We have some ideas and things I can play with in my next bullpen."
This is hardly out of the ordinary for a player like Halladay, who doesn't need to worry about his spot on the roster. A couple of years ago, I had a pitcher tell me that early in spring sometimes he'll work on a single pitch or a single location for an entire outing, results be damned. That's pretty much what Halladay said after his outing.
"I'm going to use the entire spring training to get ready," Halladay said. "I feel like we're getting closer. Mechanically things are better. It's just the consistency of executing pitches. It's ultimately what I need to improve on the most."
It should also be noted that it's not quite like Halladay is that far off on velocity. Last season his fastball averaged just 91.3 mph, so if he's at 89 according to a scout's gun, not only is he not too far off, he's also well within a reasonable margin of error for the gun itself.
With three weeks to go until opening day, it's not only a little early to worry, but it's also borderline silly.
RELATED: Projected lineups, rotations and closers for all 30 teams