Williams’ outing provides hope
INDIANAPOLIS — Help could be on the way for the Pirates’ pitching staff as Trevor Williams successfully navigated his rehab start with Class AAA Indianapolis Thursday at Victory Field.
Although the results were only so-so — four hits and two earned runs allowed in three innings — Williams said he felt great and experienced no issues stemming from the right-side strain he suffered May 16.
Williams threw 71 pitches in the game, then another 20 or so afterward in the indoor cage. On the field, he walked one and struck out five.
“I wish I could have gone six shutout innings and had everything run smoothly, but it doesn’t always happen that way,” Williams said. “I feel strong. I don’t have any residuals with my side. It was encouraging to go out there and fill up the zone as much as I could and get back out on the mound with a jer-sey."
Williams said he will join the Pirates Friday in Miami. The next step will be a group discussion with manager Clint Hurdle, director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk and probably likely a few others to determine what should come next.
Although Williams would be agreeable to whatever the team deems best, he seems to be targeting the two-game home series against the Detroit Tigers next week.
“We’re going to see how I respond,” Williams said. “I’m anticipating I’m going to respond well. We’ll throw a bullpen on Saturday or Sunday. I think it will depend when we sit down [Friday] and map out what we want to do next.
“If I’m pitching the first game against Detroit, it would be a bullpen Saturday. If I’m pitching Wednesday, it would be Sunday. Or if they want me to go on another rehab assignment, we’ll see.
“We’ll find out more [Friday] when I get to Miami, but I’m anticipating I’m going to wake up and feel great. I look forward to getting back on a big-league mound.”
It was only three innings, but his start Thursday featured a lot.
In the top of the second, Williams had a chance to pick off Buffalo Bisons third baseman Patrik Kivlehan at first base and executed a couple of pickoff moves with authority — hardly a leisurely throw over.
Later in the inning, former Pirates prospect Reese McGuire smoked a line drive up the middle that came within inches of cracking Williams in the head, and Williams had to sprint and cover first base on a slow roller to the right side from Bisons left fielder Roemon Fields.
In the third, Williams had to duck down quickly on a throw to second, another athletic movement where everything felt as it should.
“You don’t like to see it [meaning the line drive at his head], but you like to be able to react in game-like motions and you don’t feel anything,” Williams said.
Williams had been on the injured list since May 17 after he left his start the previous day in San Diego after just 3⅔ innings. Before the injury, Williams had gone 21 with a 3.33 ERA, continuing his tremendous second half from last season, when he pitched to a 1.38 ERA in 12 starts after the All-Star break.
In eight starts this season before the injury, Williams went at least six innings every time — length the big club could use right about now.
The only thing he lacked Thursday was consistent command. He threw 71 pitches but just 42 for strikes, going to a three-ball count on seven of the 14 batters he faced. Williams threw first-pitch strikes to nine of those 14, but retired nobody on three or fewer pitches.