Watson begins throwing program after second surgery

Shane Watson, image- Jay Floyd

Righty hurler Shane Watson is on the road to recovery once again.

Following his second shoulder surgery in a year, the Phillies' first round draft choice from 2012 began a throwing program on Friday under the watchful eyes of Phillies trainers and coaches in Clearwater, FL on Friday.

Watson threw 25 pitches from 60 feet and stated via text message on Sunday that he feels good. The California native will throw again on Monday. Going forward, his throwing program will consist of throwing two consecutive days, followed by one day off, throwing two days and so on, as he works to build arm strength.

Currently, the six-foot-four 200-pounder is also working on strengthening modalities with the Phils' training staff as well as "dry mound work" with minor league pitching coach Steve Schrenk.

The 2015 season will begin with Watson serving a 50-game suspension, stemming from a positive test for a banned substance late last season. The suspension will count as served, despite the 21-year-old being on the disabled list at the time. The forced time off could be good for Watson, who experienced setbacks following his previous surgery to correct an enlarged capsule.

Watson went under the knife most recently in late autumn after his initial procedure last January wasn't enough to keep him in throwing shape.

Prior to being sidelined with his initial shoulder ailment in July 2013 as a member of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, Watson posted a 4-7 record with a 4.44 ERA and a 6.9 K/9 mark in 21 career pro games.

The current projection is to have Watson seeing game action by June, if everything progresses well.

Comments

Stats to Ponder: Jimmy Rollins Edition

J-Roll has batted under .200 for a calendar month twice in his career. In April 2004, Rollins went 13-for-71, for a .183 average. The following month, Rollins went 30-for-107, which is a .280 average. And in August 2005, Rollins went 22-for-117, for a .188 average. The month that followed saw Rollins go 49-for-122 for a .402 average. Rollins is batting .171 so far in May 2009. Improvement is not far away for Jimmy. The Phillies are 10-2 in games this year which Rollins scores at least 1 run. The Phillies are 4-12 in games which Rollins does not score. Jimmy Rollins in 6 games against the Braves this year is batting .071 (2-for-28). In 2008 Rollins batted .284 against the Braves in 18 games. In 2007 Rollins batted .347 against the Braves in 18 games. In 2006 Rollins batted .367 against the Braves in 18 games. Jimmy Milestone Watch: 6 more RBI and Rollins will tie Scott Rolen for 25th all time in Phillies RBI leaders. 7 more triples and Rollins will tie Richie Ashburn for 4th all time i...

Crawford's Chronicles: JP Crawford talks Spring Training

JP Crawford, image- Jay Floyd Entering this year as the widely regarded top prospect in the Phillies organization, J.P. Crawford will be taking time each week to provide insight directly from inside spring training in Clearwater, FL, right here on PhilliesNation.com. Crawford, 20, was named the top positional prospect in two leagues (Class A South Atlantic League and Class A Advanced Florida State League) last year, when he combined, in 123 games, to post a .285 average, 11 homers, 48 RBI and 24 stolen bases. He also represented the Phils organization in the MLB All-Star Futures Game last season. As the 2015 campaign approaches, the six-foot-two 180-pound lefty batter is expected to reach the Double-A level and continue to prove why the Phillies selected him in the first round of the 2013 draft. In this initial installment of our weekly check-in with J.P., he shares thoughts on a variety of topics, including his exclusion from big league camp, which member of the big leagu...

Phreestyle Battle & Notes

Unrelated to baseball, really...but it's fun and our Phils are off today. This new kid on the hip hop scene, Charles Hamilton , whose single Brooklyn Girl is ripping up radio and video count downs, was at PSU for a performance recently. A freestyle battle ensued, and as you'll see, the Penn State student held his own. Stay tuned for the ending. It's the best part. Here are some random Phillies-in-idle baseball thoughts and notes- Colbert Hamels is slated to make his Grapefruit League debut tomorrow vs. Team Canada. Shane Victorino is going to wear #50 on his jersey for Team USA, a nod to Hawaii Five-O. Brad Lidge is likely to not see game action till next week, after he throws some more bullpen sessions and works out the tightness in his forearm. Albert Pujols is declaring "respect for his country" as reasoning for sitting out of the Cardinals' exhibition this week against Team Dominican Republic. He told reporters, "I don’t want to play against them...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog