Shoulder sound, Bautista back on track
02/23/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- There's no doubt where right-hander Denny Bautista ranks in the mind of catcher John Buck.
"He's got the most exciting arm in camp," Buck said.
That's scintillating stuff for the Royals as they search for five starting pitchers.
Bautista, 25, leaped into the rotation last spring. His first start was a dazzler; he held the Angels to one run in eight innings. He struck out eight and retired 14 straight batters.
"They didn't have no idea," then-manager Tony Pena said accurately.
But Bautista would make just six more starts, leaving the mound in the third inning May 11 at Toronto with shoulder tendinitis. He didn't pitch for the Royals again the rest of the season.
"It never happened. You know, when I was ready to throw and they talked to me and they said, 'OK, we know you're ready but we have to send you to the instructional league,' " he said.
"And I worked hard down there."
Mixed in with his Arizona stay were six injury rehabilitation appearances for Triple-A Omaha. By September, he was ready to pitch for the Royals. But the club decided to be cautious.
"They said, 'We're not going anywhere, so we're not going to use you. We want you for next year,' " Bautista said.
Over the winter, Bautista pitched for Estrellas in the Dominican League. Enduring a slow getaway, he finished 2-4 with a 4.26 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 38 innings.
"I just felt great," he said. "My last outing I was throwing a no-hitter until the eighth inning. And they got one hit."
So far in Surprise, Bautista has kept his well-advertised sinkerball low.
"There's late movement and the ball just gets a second wind -- vooooosh! " Buck said.
Bautista, 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, was plucked from the Baltimore Orioles on June 21, 2004, in exchange for reliever Jason Grimsley. That came just three days before the influx of other young players -- Buck, Mark Teahen, Mike Wood -- in the Carlos Beltran deal.
After Bautista posted a 2.53 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings for Double-A Wichita, the Royals thought they had a steal. When he broke camp last year as a starter, they were sure of it.
Then came the shoulder tendinitis.
"It's like something is going on and you don't know what happened," Bautista said.
Manager Buddy Bell remembered the lingering problem.
"There were certain pitches that he threw that kept tweaking it," Bell said. "We changed his arm slot, too, which I don't think helped. His arm was dragging and his arm speed wasn't there."
That's all behind him, Bautista insisted.
"I'd have to say I'm ready right now because I'm feeling so strong in my shoulder. My arm speed is good so everything is fine," he said.
Bell indicated that if Bautista did not make the Royals rotation, he'd probably be sent off to Omaha so he could be a starter instead of working out of the Kansas City bullpen.
It's early but, to hear Bautista, he's ready for April.
"I've got my curveball back and I'm throwing my slider and I've got everything in the zone right now," he said.
"I could go out there for a game right now. My shoulder doesn't hurt anymore."
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- There's no doubt where right-hander Denny Bautista ranks in the mind of catcher John Buck.
"He's got the most exciting arm in camp," Buck said.
That's scintillating stuff for the Royals as they search for five starting pitchers.
Bautista, 25, leaped into the rotation last spring. His first start was a dazzler; he held the Angels to one run in eight innings. He struck out eight and retired 14 straight batters.
"They didn't have no idea," then-manager Tony Pena said accurately.
But Bautista would make just six more starts, leaving the mound in the third inning May 11 at Toronto with shoulder tendinitis. He didn't pitch for the Royals again the rest of the season.
"It never happened. You know, when I was ready to throw and they talked to me and they said, 'OK, we know you're ready but we have to send you to the instructional league,' " he said.
"And I worked hard down there."
Mixed in with his Arizona stay were six injury rehabilitation appearances for Triple-A Omaha. By September, he was ready to pitch for the Royals. But the club decided to be cautious.
"They said, 'We're not going anywhere, so we're not going to use you. We want you for next year,' " Bautista said.
Over the winter, Bautista pitched for Estrellas in the Dominican League. Enduring a slow getaway, he finished 2-4 with a 4.26 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 38 innings.
"I just felt great," he said. "My last outing I was throwing a no-hitter until the eighth inning. And they got one hit."
So far in Surprise, Bautista has kept his well-advertised sinkerball low.
"There's late movement and the ball just gets a second wind -- vooooosh! " Buck said.
Bautista, 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, was plucked from the Baltimore Orioles on June 21, 2004, in exchange for reliever Jason Grimsley. That came just three days before the influx of other young players -- Buck, Mark Teahen, Mike Wood -- in the Carlos Beltran deal.
After Bautista posted a 2.53 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings for Double-A Wichita, the Royals thought they had a steal. When he broke camp last year as a starter, they were sure of it.
Then came the shoulder tendinitis.
"It's like something is going on and you don't know what happened," Bautista said.
Manager Buddy Bell remembered the lingering problem.
"There were certain pitches that he threw that kept tweaking it," Bell said. "We changed his arm slot, too, which I don't think helped. His arm was dragging and his arm speed wasn't there."
That's all behind him, Bautista insisted.
"I'd have to say I'm ready right now because I'm feeling so strong in my shoulder. My arm speed is good so everything is fine," he said.
Bell indicated that if Bautista did not make the Royals rotation, he'd probably be sent off to Omaha so he could be a starter instead of working out of the Kansas City bullpen.
It's early but, to hear Bautista, he's ready for April.
"I've got my curveball back and I'm throwing my slider and I've got everything in the zone right now," he said.
"I could go out there for a game right now. My shoulder doesn't hurt anymore."
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
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