Obviously, we need to be healthy, |
Right now, I'm looking at it like it's an anomaly. The [high pitch count in the] first innings have happened this year more than in the past. I think there are a few things that can be adjusted to try to prevent it. We'll work at that. |
Right now, we'll see how he recovers [Tuesday] and the next day. Then I'll decide what we'll do after that. Before he's going to face hitters, I want to cut down the recovery time in-between and make sure he can do a little more in-between and then work it up to hitters. |
Shoulders are a little bit different, and talking to doctors and trainers, [Wood and Miller] have gotten through points where they usually get set back and that's the strenuous long-toss program. Hopefully once they face hitters we can put them on a schedule to get ready for the season. |
Since he's come back, he's been pretty good and it's progressed to the point where he doesn't feel it at all. |
That could change, but hopefully it doesn't have to. I want to see how he is [before then] after loading him down with this kind of throwing. |
That was a big part of it. With Jim Hendry, he's always been very fair with me. He's a great person to work for. He's going to get it done. |
That will be determined as we go. We'll see. He's where he should be in rehab. There have been no setbacks. As long as we can keep progressing, that's what we're after. |
That'll be determined by how he comes in each day and the strength of which he can throw, and we'll keep moving toward it. |
That's been part of it, ... but he's still pitched very well. You look at what he's done and what he's been through and I think there have been some pretty good positives there. Getting through this year healthy would be a huge benefit. |
The injury, the line drive [to the elbow], was pretty significant. He came back from it a lot quicker than anybody thought he would. While he's doing that, he's facing hitters who are in shape and he's trying to get back on the beam. |
The next time, we'll bump his up quite a bit. He may be ready to face some hitters and start the program that Woody started a couple weeks ago. |
The only plan is to keep his arm in shape, because he's gone a long way to get it to where it is and we don't want to go backwards. In the middle of a rehab, it's important to keep throwing and keep the looseness in there. |
The program is set so he can face hitters in batting practice [Thursday], take a couple days and then face hitters in different circumstances, and build from there. Right now, he's well on his way of doing what we need him to do. |
The second round is important for us to get him ready and that he keeps progressing. I have nothing to say about it, but I would like him to get a start. Some consideration has to be given to that. If not, then we have to reconsider what's going on. After the first round I need to find out what's going on with him. |