Romero has 'lots to be happy about' after unexpected start

Ricky Romero, the former All-Star more than two years removed from his last MLB appearance, walked off the mound at Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday afternoon and - for the first time in a long time - had something to smile about.

Making his first spring training start since 2014, the 31-year-old left-hander, whose once promising career was derailed by control problems and knee issues, fired 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the San Francisco Giants, notching a pair of strikeouts while allowing one hit and issuing two walks before reaching his 35-pitch limit.

"I had a little bit of jitters and nerves going out there, but I think I was able to find better rhythm in the second inning," Romero told MLB.com's Chris Haft. "There's lots to be happy about."

Romero was initially slated to make his Cactus League debut in relief, but was handed Saturday's starting assignment against the Texas Rangers after Johnny Cueto's spring debut was pushed back. According to manager Bruce Bochy, though, allowing Romero to start would offer the club a "truer read" of his abilities.

Should he manage to crack the 25-man roster this season, Romero would likely pitch in relief - something he did just twice in five seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. He acknowledged that his job is to help the Giants "in whatever way I can help them."

He has to make the team first, though, and will have to do it without even a modicum of success in recent years. Romero hasn't pitched in the majors since 2013, when he lost his spot in Toronto's rotation in spring training, and has stumbled to a 5.52 ERA with a 21.8 percent walk rate over 45 2/3 minor-league innings since 2014. From 2009 through 2011, however, Romero crafted a 3.60 ERA (119 ERA+) with 54.6 percent ground-ball rate while averaging 204 innings per season.