A's Doolittle, Melvin upbeat after strong bullpen session
Sean Doolittle recently vowed to make it back to the pitching mound for the Oakland Athletics in 2015, despite shoulder issues that have limited him to just one inning of work this season.
It would appear that his proclamation may have a chance of happening, especially after his 'impressive' bullpen session on Thursday at O.co Coliseum. Considering he's passed the time away from the diamond by doing things like hiding burritos in his car dashboard, it's probably in his best interest to get back to work.
It was the first time Doolittle has thrown off a mound since re-injuring his shoulder back in May, and Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area reported that the lefty reliever's pitches had more velocity and 'bite' to them than they did earlier this season. Said Doolittle to that effect, "Before I was throwing 88, 89, and I didn't have the hand speed or the arm speed that I do right now. It was kind of interesting going back to the drawing board, kind of relearning some of the stuff I thought I learned the first time (rehabbing).”
His manager, Bob Melvin, was similarly upbeat about the session, as he told Stiglich: "That’s the best bullpen I’ve seen him throw. I think he feels psychologically better about letting it go. … He looked way better for me than last time."
Experiencing two arm setbacks this season, Doolittle added, provided him with the opportunity to learn about his body, his arm, and come back stronger than ever: "I think the biggest difference this time around is I trust it a lot more. It feels a lot stronger, I have a lot more confidence in it, and I think that's allowed me to get back to my natural arm slot and get on top of the ball and throw harder."
With roughly two months left on the schedule, Doolittle seems destined to make good on his promise before the season ends - barring any more setbacks, of course.
