Hess gaining information in camp

SARASOTA, Fla. - The workout that's unfolding later this morning at the Ed Smith Stadium complex includes live batting practice sessions from 13 pitchers and regular bullpen sessions from 13.

David Hess is in the latter group while he awaits his first Grapefruit League assignment. The opener is Saturday against the Braves in North Port and he hasn't been told whether he's involved in it.

Hess has been pleased with his side work and first live batting practice round. The work done over the winter after visiting the Premier Pitching & Performance center in St. Louis seems to be taking hold.

"I think for me personally, I just feel like the ball is coming out of my hand a little smoother," Hess said earlier this week. "Getting live BP in and getting some feedback from the hitters as to what they were seeing, it sounds like the improvements that were made over the offseason are starting to come into play a little bit.

"Even if it's things you can't necessarily put your finger on, just trying to elevate each pitch to be a little bit more effective, so they had good feedback for me, good responses. So it sounded like everything is starting to come into place."

The gathering of pitcher and hitters after batting practice leads to an important exchange of information. Hess wants to absorb every syllable after going 1-10 with a 7.09 ERA and 1.550 WHIP in 23 games in his second major league season.

"After we get done I always want to pick their brain and see what it looked like coming in," he said. "Was it easy to pick up? Was there a difference between the way that something spun out of my hand on off-speed pitches? Really just kind of evaluating that based on what they were seeing, because at the end of the day you're just trying to get outs and so they can give some really valuable input going into games in spring."

Hess will find out later which catcher is behind the plate this morning. Taylor Davis caught the live batting practice session. Bryan Holaday and Austin Wynns paired up with him in the bullpen.

Tommy Milone, Michael Rucker, Shawn Armstrong, Brandon Bailey, Dean Kremer, Richard Bleier, Travis Lakins, John Means, Wade LeBlanc, Cole Sulser, Keegan Akin, Zac Lowther and Evan Phillips are scheduled for live batting practice today.

Alex Cobb, Paul Fry, Tanner Scott, Chandler Shepherd, Miguel Castro, Bruce Zimmermann, Brady Rodgers, Tom Eshelman, Marcos Diplán, Cristian Alvarado, Dillon Tate and Asher Wojciechowski will throw in the bullpen.

Chris Davis, sent home yesterday because of the flu-like symptoms that keep weaving through the facility, wasn't at his locker this morning.

Manager Brandon Hyde will reveal his starter later today for Saturday's game.

Don't read too much into it. There's no link between the assignment and opening day on March 26.

Yefry Ramírez started last year's exhibition opener. He wasn't under consideration for the regular season assignment.