The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
‘Dr. Sticks’ always on call for Guardians
Which player on the Guardians roster has the most appropriate nickname to corresponds with his body type?
It would be difficult to name a player with a better moniker than Triston “Dr. Sticks’ McKenzie. McKenzie is 6-foot-5 and listed at 165 pounds. He cannot walk into JCPenney and buy pants off the rack. He should walk around storm drains just to be safe.
Guardians manager Terry Francona and the coaches would not mind if McKenzie were a little heavier. But if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. McKenzie had the same build when the Indians made him a first-round draft choice (42nd overall) in 2015.
“He’s really athletic,” Francona said May 5 before the Guardians hosted the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field in the first of a four-game series. “He’s drinking milkshakes … I wish I had that issue. It looks fun.
“The durability because (he is so slender), we keep an eye on him. It probably is a little harder for him to hold up than other guys just because he is so thin. But he’s really athletic, also.”
Shane Bieber, the ace of the Guardians pitching staff is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Aaron Civalle, the May 5 starter against the Blue Jays, is 6 foot2, 215 pounds. Zach Plesac, who started Game 1 of the doubleheader with San Diego on May 4, is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds.
Bieber, Civale and Plesac all have more typical builds for a Major League pitcher, yet all three spent extensive time on the injured list last season. Bieber missed more than three months with a strained right shoulder. Civalle missed more than two months with a sprained middle finger on his throwing hand. Plesac suffered a freak injury when he fractured his right thumb when he accidentally whacked it on a chair removing his shirt after a rough outing against the Twins.
Plesac, Bieber and Civale were not hurt because of their size. But their size did not help them avoid injury.
Meanwhile, McKenzie keeps flowing along like a peaceful river. An upper back strain caused him to miss the entire 2019 season when he was in the Indians’ farm system. But he has had no major health issues since then. The 24-year-old righthander from Brooklyn, N.Y., is slated to start the May 7 game with the Blue Jays.
“I don’t know how I stay so slender,” McKenzie said in the Guardians’ clubhouse.
“I feel like I eat a decent amount. I think it’s just how my body works.
“I believe baseball is very taxing. I feel like I burn through a lot of what I eat. I’d say throwing the way I do is me learning my body and learning what makes me feel good and being consistent day in and day out.”
McKenzie said he loads up on carbs like pasta the night before he pitches and again on the day he walks to the mound. He comes by his high metabolism honestly; McKenzie said both his parents are slender.
“My dad said he didn’t gain weight until shortly after I was born,” McKenzie said. “My mom said the same thing. They’re both slender. I wouldn’t say skinny in any way. They’re both solid people.”
McKenzie has made four starts this season. He is 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA. As planned, he relieved Bieber in the season opener because starters at the beginning of the season weren’t ready to pitch deep into games. McKenzie made 25 starts last season (5-9). He made six starts in 2020 (2-1) when the season was reduced to 60 games because of COVID-19.
“Coming up here in 2020 when stuff was a little weird (because of COVID) and evolving through last year, coming into this year, I feel a lot more comfortable,” McKenzie said. “I feel the team aspect has grown on me. I know a lot of the guys really well now.”
McKenzie said he was shy when he was a rookie in 2020. Some of that shyness melted away last year, but not all of it.
McKenzie said he felt awkward about approaching Jose Ramirez to talk about what Ramirez might see from his position at third base when McKenzie was pitching, and so he was hesitant to start that conversation, even though J-Ram is one of the most likable guys on the team. Now that isn’t an issue.