(Jupiter, FL) Though it was something that he had done thousands of times before, as Mitch Harris stood on top of the mound this afternoon, it brought back all the excitement of being new again.
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“Just to get back on the mound feels awesome,” said Harris, who didn’t throw a single pitch in a game last season before eventually having elbow surgery in June. “When you’re playing for a while you get used to it. You get a little adrenaline rush and go, but today was a little different. Get more butterflies and realize, alright, we’re doing this again. So it felt good to feel that. It’s good to know that passion is still there.”
Harris’ final line of 1.0 inning pitched and allowing three runs on three hits is a bit misleading.
“Today is tough–the competitor in me is frustrated,” shared Harris. “But to step back and realize this is my first time in over a year, I felt good. I made some good pitches. I missed here or there, my stuff wasn’t as good as I want it to be. It’s still early and it’s also the first time I’ve thrown in a year in a game. So, all that aside, I’m very happy–just for the fact that I feel good, now I know that I can work on some stuff. Maybe push it a little bit, depending on how recovery goes. I’m excited.”
After striking out the first batter he faced, a two-strike call went against Harris for a walk and a jam-shot into shallow left allowed for a second runner before a hard hit double down the line in right.
“Good velocity, the ball was coming out well,” assessed Mike Matheny. “Got a strikeout on a slider that backed up a little bit, but it was effective. Probably had that second strikeout on that check swing, put him into a spot were a couple of guys put some pretty good swings on him. But I think for him right now, feeling good and the ball coming out good, are the
“The only pitch I really, really want back is the ball the guy hit down the line,” he explained. “That was a pitch for me that I’m working on–a two-seamer. I really want to get a two-seamer and I threw the pitch where I wanted to and it didn’t run arm-side. That’s kind of the stuff that it’s early on and I’m working on and I’m pleased with.”
How Harris recovers from today’s outing will help determine what is next for the 31-year old right-hander. The ideal plan is for some throwing at a decent distance and then be able to throw again at a strong intensity on Thursday.
photo credit: STLBaseballWeekly.com
