Duchscherer will go 3 on Sunday

Justin Duchscherer came through his first spring start on
Tuesday with no problem, and manager Buck Showalter said Wednesday the plan is
for the right-hander to pitch three innings in Sunday’s intrasquad game.

“I’m thinking about separating
him and [Brian] Matusz,” Showalter said of Duchscherer, who was slowed earlier
this spring with some residual left hip soreness from an offseason procedure. “[The
intrasquad game] would allow us to control the environment a little bit.”

Duchscherer said after Tuesday’s start that he is encouraged
by how his hip is progressively feeling better with each outing, and admitted
it is also a matter of mentally putting the hip injury out of his head.  He tossed two scoreless innings against the
Phillies, allowing a double and a walk.

Matusz pitched three innings in
relief of Duchscherer, and will now take the mound for Sunday’s scheduled
contest against Detroit at 1:05 p.m.ET. The intrasquad game will be in the
morning and Showalter will also set up a left-handed portion of the game to
allow some of the team’s southpaws, such as Clay Rapada and Michael Gonzalez,
to get some work against left-handed hitters.