Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    Twitter
    Home » Iwakuma to shed splint, start throwing program
    Baseball

    Iwakuma to shed splint, start throwing program

    Adam LewisBy Adam LewisMarch 18, 2014Updated:March 27, 2014No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email

    After missing the first five weeks of spring training with a strained middle finger on his throwing hand, Mariners No. 2 starter Hisashi Iwakuma was cleared to begin his throwing program Tuesday. The rehab plan is for Iwakuma to begin finger stretching/strength exercises this week, start throwing tennis balls Friday, continue through the weekend, then progress to throwing baseballs Monday. 

    It’s been a tedious recovery process for Iwakuma since he fell backward off the mound and got his hand caught in netting during a workout in Los Angeles a few weeks before the start of spring training. The injury ensured Iwakuma wouldn’t be ready by opening day.

    “To be honest, it’s been a very, very long five weeks, I can tell you that,” Iwakuma said via  translator Antony Suzuki.

    The initial belief was that Iwakuma might miss a few starts and be ready by mid-April. Tuesday manager Lloyd McClendon was evasive when asked when last year’s Cy Young contender might return.

    Iwakuma likely will start the season on the 15-day disabled list.

    “I just need to focus on who I’ve got here and what I’ve got available and what I’m dealing with,” McClendon told reporters. “You get caught up in that and you get disappointed. So I don’t even think about that.”

    In 2013, Iwakuma started 33 games and went 14-6 with a 2.66 ERA in 219.2 innings. He made his first American League All-Star team and posted a 1.006 WHIP, best in Mariners’ history. Like McClendon, Iwakuma doesn’t know exactly when he’ll be ready,

    “It’s hard to say being in my situation right now,” Iwakuma said. “I want to come back soon, but I don’t want to push it and get any more setbacks. It’s a long season. I look forward to finishing strong.”

    With Taijuan Walker (bursitis in throwing shoulder) expected to begin the first few weeks on the DL, McClendon is still searching for candidates to fill four spots in the rotation. Left-handed pitcher James Paxton, who went 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four starts last season, likely has a spot clinched.

    Right-handed pitcher Scott Baker has been adequate (3.38 ERA) in eight innings over three spring training starts. Roenis Elias, a 25-year-old left-hander from Cuba, has impressed this spring (1.46 ERA in 12.1 innings). Last year, Elias was an All-Star with the Jackson Generals of the Double-A Southern League.

    Lefty Randy Wolf, 37, gets one of his final auditions in a start Tuesday against the Padres in Peoria (7:05 p.m. PT, Root Sports).

    Share. Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email

    Related Posts

    A few musings about sports journalism as the unwinding begins

    February 18, 2022

    Carroll’s staff makeover seeks to get Wilson back in the game

    February 16, 2022

    Arizona loss unmasks truths about Hopkins, UW hoops

    February 15, 2022

    Comments are closed.

    • Follow @Art_Thiel on Twitter
    Use our affiliate link on Amazon

    Subscribe to Our Weekly Roundup

    Get the top stories sent to your inbox every Thursday.

    Art Thiel on KNKX 88.5FM

    Kirsten Kendrick's Q. & A. with Thiel can be heard every Friday during Morning Edition at 5:45am and 7:45am and again that same day on All Things Considered at 4:44pm. It also airs Saturday at 9:35am.

    Listen now!
    Latest Posts

    A few musings about sports journalism as the unwinding begins

    February 18, 2022

    Carroll’s staff makeover seeks to get Wilson back in the game

    February 16, 2022

    Arizona loss unmasks truths about Hopkins, UW hoops

    February 15, 2022

    Rams win a survivors contest called the Super Bowl

    February 14, 2022
    Twitter
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    © 2025 Sportspress Northwest

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.