Kuhl makes big progress in recovery
Competes for spot in starting rotation
The feel of the mound beneath his spikes, the Clemente Bridge and the City of Pittsburgh over his shoulder, the cozy feel and look of the limestone wall behind the catcher, Chad Kuhl noticed and enjoyed all of the perks of home while throwing a simulated game Wednesday night at PNC Park.
Just imagine how this Pirates right-handed pitcher, who’s returning from Tommy John surgery, will feel when the game is
real, even if there still won’t be fans in the stands.
“There’s really no other way to describe it,” Kuhl said Thursday on a Zoom call with local reporters. “It’s just good to be back.”
By nearly all accounts, Kuhl is all the way back. He might split a rotation spot with Steven Brault, occupy one himself or contribute as a long man out of the bullpen. But no matter what happens, this version of Kuhl likely will be different than the last.
In a good way.
That version of Kuhl had a four-seam fastball that averaged 95.3 mph, the pitch occasionally reaching the upper 90s. This version was at about 93-94 mph Wednesday, occasionally a tick higher, but he was worried less about velocity and more about pitch execution.
Oh, and this version of Kuhl has been perfecting a curveball that has thus far drawn rave reviews, a pitch that Kuhl used 13.1% of the time in 2018 — he threw his four-seamer, sinker and slider more — and against which batters hit just .125 and slugged .188.
Kuhl has thought about what it will be like to toe the rubber at PNC Park again, his first competitive action since he left a game June 26, 2018 against the Mets , after just four innings. The affable 27-yearold possibly couldn’t be more excited about the thought.
“I think that will be super special in itself, knowing that it’s just been so long since I’ve been on the mound,” Kuhl said. “It’s going to be a really good feeling to be back out there.”
It will be even more special for the Pirates if Kuhl looks like an advanced version of his 2018 self. That season, Kuhl went 5-5 with a 4.55 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 81 and walking 33 in 85 innings.
Kuhl threw hard back then, but it wasn’t always productive. Against his four-seamer and sinker, opposing hitters slugged .547 and .600, respectively. When Kuhl went with spin, those numbers dropped to .295 for his slider and .188 for the curve, which Kuhl used more than twice as much as he did in 2017 (6.2).
There was significant confidence gained in the curve, said Kuhl, who spent a significant amount of time this offseason trying to improve its spin rate (an already-elite 2,901 rpm) and his overall feel for the pitch.
Kuhl said it now rivals how he feels about his slider, which has long been his bread and butter.
“I feel really good with where it’s at and what I’m doing with it,” Kuhl said.
The delayed start to the 2020 season did not hurt Kuhl. In fact, it likely helped. After just two oneinning outings in Bradenton, Fla., Kuhl likely was slated to start the season in the bullpen.
Then the coronavirus took over, and Kuhl got an extension. He threw at his alma mater, Middletown High School in Delaware, and worked out in his basement gym, where he has an exercise bike, free weights, a pull-up bar and rowing machine.
It wasn’t pretty, but it looks like it was enough.
“Humble beginnings,” Kuhl joked. “Going to the old high school field that I thought was just so awesome and you realize it’s just a dirt field … it was really cool just to be back there. I was able to get my work in on a consistent basis, which was the important thing.”
The good news is that Kuhl was able to spend a little more time fishing, and he said he relished the chance to actually spend Mother’s Day with his mom, Wendy.
Since getting back around the Pirates, there has been talk about piggybacking starts with Brault, which Kuhl said he’s perfectly OK doing. He also would love to continue starting.
“Whatever wins ballgames,” Kuhl said.
Solid pitching can surely win ballgames, and the
Pirates will need more of that.
Without Jameson Taillon and Chris Archer this season, a fine way to tip the scales in the other direction might well be the re-emergence of Kuhl, a ninthround pick in 2013 armed with an even better curveball and some additional perspective.
“I think I had that moment in Florida where it just really hit me that I was back and was throwing pain-free,” Kuhl said. “I called my dad afterward and was so happy, relieved, whatever you want to call it.
“That was super special. Felt really good to be back out there. I’m sure this one will feel good, just in a different way.”