Doolittle's resilience a big reason his A's return could be imminent
The Oakland Athletics could be getting star reliever Sean Doolittle back later this week.
That's the expectation after Doolittle, limited to just one inning of work this season due to a shoulder strain, dazzled in a rehab appearance for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on Sunday.
According to CSN Bay Area, Doolittle pitched a 'flawless' frame in which he struck out all three hitters he faced. The appearance came after more rave reviews of a rehab stint last week in which he demonstrated an increased velocity on his pitches - something the A's were surely happy to see.
Doolittle, one of the A's most charismatic personalities, also recently penned his own blog entry for ESPN Insider in which he writes in great detail about the struggle he's had this season. It's been a frustrating year for the 2014 All-Star, as his absence in the A's bullpen corps has definitely been felt.
Here's a choice quote from Doolittle in the blog post:
I've found that in this game, all you can ask for is a chance. I have a chance to come back this year, and I'm trying to give myself every opportunity to take advantage of that chance.
As for his recent impressive rehab inning, Doolittle's girlfriend Eireann Dolan took to Twitter to express her perspective on seeing all that he has gone through over the past year:
Doolittle's entire career has been one of resilience and determination, and it looks as if he's ready to start the next chapter soon.
