FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jon Lester will start for the first time this year Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins at cross-town Hammond Stadium.
In many ways, the lefty is already locked in.
Throwing a simulated inning on the back field at City of Palms Park on Saturday morning, Lester managed to get more than the usual attention from pitching coach Curt Young.
"He looks really good, really good," Young said. "He was sharp with everything, his warm-up was great. Just his attitude — he was getting himself ready to pitch in a game. It was pretty impressive."
Lester has been known to have some rocky starts early in the year. He said he is not doing anything different to try to curb that trend. Early on, he looks more than ready to hit the ground running.
"He's a touch ahead of everybody else," Young said of the foursome that threw Saturday, which also included John Lackey, Bobby Jenks and Alfredo Aceves.
