Shoemaker hopeful for smoother ride
After string of injuries veteran pitcher feeling ‘very good’ in Dunedin
a shredded anterior cruciate ligament when you’ve already undergone brain surgery to stanch a bleed from a rope of a comebacker to the mound flush against your head?
The caterpillar scar near Matt Shoemaker’s right temple is but one remnant of the pitcher’s start-crossed career, plagued as the 33-year-old has been by injuries. Among his misfortunes, a funny bone split lengthwise and, one time, a misdiagnosis that led to the wrong bit of stress relief surgery on a forearm nerve.
Three years, more or less, racked up to repeat rehab, only 26 games on the resume across that span. The right-hander’s tenure as a Blue Jays starter — actually on the mound — has been pitifully brief.
He was rather brilliant out of the chute last year, 3-0 through five starts with a microscopic 1.57 ERA and looking like a salutary free agent pickup before disaster struck again: shredded his knee on April 20 during a rundown between first and second base.
Although he made occasional appearances in the clubhouse, most of 2019 was spent mending from ACL surgery, taking to social media to announce his first bullpen session last October.
Still here. Still itching for pitching. And still very much in Toronto’s plans for 2020, all fixed up. In January, he agreed to a one-year extension worth $4.2 million (U.S.).
Come Monday, Shoemaker will take the bump for the first time in 315 days in a real game. Well, spring-training real.
Cleared to go following a simulated game on Wednesday.
“Very good,” he declared of the pretend effort. “I executed pitches the way I wanted, where we wanted, with the spin we wanted, the location, the release points. Felt crisp.”
Certainly the arm is fresh. There was never anything wrong with it. At least not this time ’round.
The Jays have been prudent with Shoemaker in Florida, cautious about exposing him to field work although he’s adamant the underpinning is just fine. He acquiesced without grumbling.
“Because it’s spring training and we have time. We’ve got it all scheduled out to be ready for the season. There was no rush and thankfully it was just a matter of easing into (pitcher’s fielding practice), where you’re being forceful on your lower half, fielding a bunt, a swinging bunt. Just being smart about it.”
But, holy, so much waiting, eager to get on with it.
“At the end of October it was six months and I threw several bullpens to get clear. But hey, we got through that. We knew from that point we were good to go. Then, continuing to rehab, building up my strength. When I got to spring training, it was, like, hey man, the season’s just around the corner. Like, it’s beginning.
“As soon as you get on the mound, facing real hitters, it’s super exciting, it’s special. We love this game so much, love playing it, the competition, just going out there, having fun.”
Shoemaker has no doubt that he’s perfectly competent to replicate his superb start from a year ago. “Sure, why not? We all know what we’re capable of. I’m feeling physically and mentally strong and in a great spot. I remember how I felt going into the season last year and I feel that way again. I feel the same if not better than previously, which is awesome. Now it’s just a matter of putting everything together.”
The veteran is highly regarded in the clubhouse, seems never to suffer a crisis of confidence, has been endlessly buoyant and upbeat despite the chronic physical travails. He’s enthusiastically embraced the role of a baseball eminence grise on a decidedly youthful club.
“I want guys to be able to lean on me in any capacity. Come talk to me. Whether it’s baseball or about life. Whether it’s emotionally or physically. I want to be a person people can trust. We have a lot of guys in the clubhouse who are also like that. For young guys, you try to be as professional as possible.”
Fun, but serious. The yin and yang of a long baseball season.
“That’s what makes a clubhouse great and what makes a clubhouse win on the field. I just want to be that person the players can come to for information, for support, and do everything I can to help anybody in any way they need.“
And, fingers crossed, never be carried off the field again.
Teoscar Hernandez drove in three runs, on a double and a triple, as Toronto edged the Tigers 5-4 in Lakeland on Friday.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a late addition to the lineup at DH, contributed a run-scoring single.
Lefty starter Anthony Kay gave up a pair of hits but no runs in his two-inning contribution. Shun Yamaguchi, bidding for a rotation job, is expected to start against the visiting Phillies on Saturday.