Groome unhittable in rehab start for Spinners

Jay Groome is feeling just fine these days.
The top Red Sox pitching prospect tossed five hitless innings, striking out six and walking two, in Class A Short Season Lowell's 5-2 win over Hudson Valley on Thursday at Dutchess Stadium.
The outing marked the left-hander's third rehab appearance with the Spinners since suffering a lat injury on April 10 in his season debut with Class A Greenville. 

Groome worked around a walk to Vidal Brujan in the first inning and a free pass to Matt Dacey in the second. He also hit Emilio Gustave with two outs in the third, but catcher Samuel Miranda threw the Renegades center fielder out trying to steal second. 

The 12th overall pick in the 2016 Draft did not allow a baserunner over the rest of his outing. Groome threw 49 of his 85 pitches for strikes in his longest outing as a pro.
The 18-year-old missed more than two months while recovering from the injury. Last Sept. 2, Groome gave up one run, walked four and struck out two without surrendering a hit in one start for the Spinners.
"You learn that baseball is a mental game," Groome told MiLB.com earlier this month. "It's very frustrating at times, but you just learn from everything that happens. When you get your chance to throw again and compete, it's awesome."
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MLB.com's No. 35 overall prospect surrendered four runs -- two earned -- on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts over six frames in his first two rehab appearances in the New York-Penn League. He sports a 1.64 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP through three starts on the circuit.
Groome said he has focused on raising his changeup to the same level as his fastball and curveball. The offering rates as a 50 on MLB Pipeline's 20-80 scouting scale, while the latter two rank at 60 and 65 respectively.
"My fastball and curveball are my two best offerings right now," he told MiLB.com. "Still working on the changeup, but it's progressing very well. Hopefully I can get it to be a plus-plus pitch soon."
The New Jersey native is pleased just to be on the mound again.
"It's great to live out every kid's dream, and I'm finally doing it," Groome told MiLB.com. "I get to wake up every day and do what I love, play baseball."

Lukas Young fanned the side after hitting a batter in the sixth for the Spinners, but Oscar Rojas singled to lead off the seventh to end the no-hit bid.
Devon Fisher (2-0) yielded a hit and a walk in two clean innings of relief, while Dominic LoBrutto notched his first save with three strikeouts and two walks in a scoreless ninth for Lowell. 
Stanley Espinal finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, Raiwinson Lameda chipped in three hits and Nicholos Hamilton launched his first professional homer for the Spinners. 
Drew Strotman (0-1) was tagged for a run on two hits and a walk over 1 1/3 innings for Hudson Valley.