Brett Anderson looks like a young'in (but not on the mound)

When I saw this picture cross the wire last month, I thought Brett Anderson looked more like a guy ready to polish off his tater tots before fifth-period biology than a left-handed super prospect competing for a spot in Oakland's young rotation.

But today — after seeing him up close on both the mound and then sitting in front of his locker with a giant ice bandage on his left arm — I think I can say he somehow looks like both.

After pitching two scoreless innings against the Indians before being lifted with "tightness" in his left arm, the 21-year-old Anderson unwound on his locker stool and ran his fingers through a hairstyle that can only be described as "young Joe Blanton."

"I told him I could have gone more," said Anderson, who pitched for Team USA in Beijing last summer. "But they were just being overly cautious, which is certainly understandable. It's spring training."

Anderson allowed only one hit in his appearance and lowered his spring training ERA to 1.60. He said he won't miss his next spring training start, but still doesn't want to think too much about breaking camp with the big league squad, even though he's said to be the "most polished" of a fifth starter race that involves Vin Mazzaro and Trevor Cahill.

"None of us really think about that, we just go out there and throw," Anderson said. "Obviously it's getting later and later in camp and stuff, but you can't think about it."