PEORIA, Ariz. -- Baseball isn't an easy game, even when you can throw 100-mph heat. So Thyago Vieira, a powerfully built Brazilian who opened eyes early in Mariners camp, will not be an overnight sensation.
But the Mariners hope the 23-year-old Vieira continues developing his craft in the Minor Leagues in the coming months and draws from some hard lessons learned this spring, when he's struggled his last two Cactus League outings and was hit hard in Friday's 11-10 win over the Cubs.
Manager Scott Servais acknowledges it's a big learning curve for a youngster who was pitching at Class A Advanced Bakersfield last year.