The Los Angeles Dodgers spent the first three months of the 2016 season without Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu, then saw both pitchers return within four days of each other. McCarthy’s debut in July was largely expected, while Ryu endured multiple setbacks in his recovery.
That’s left Brett Anderson as the lone returning starting pitcher who’s yet to pitch this season. At the time of undergoing back surgery for a bulging disc, Anderson’s recovery time was set at three to five months.
There naturally wasn’t much on Anderson through April and May, but he began playing catch in June and threw his first bullpen session earlier this month since undergoing back surgery.
According to J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group, Anderson threw again on Friday with a focus on refining his pitches:
Anderson said he threw three sets of 15 pitches each, with a few more tacked on to the final stanza for good measure. The final total came out to about 50 pitches. “Felt good,” he said. “This one was more about honing my stuff.” Anderson said he threw all his pitches, topping out at “probably 80, 85 percent” of maximum effort.
Anderson is scheduled for additional bullpen sessions as he works his way toward facing hitters and eventually a rehab assignment:
Anderson said he’ll throw another bullpen next week (probably Wednesday) then face live hitters in a simulated game setting. Once he begins a minor league rehab assignment, Anderson said he’s hopeful that “I can get a 3- or 4-inning outing the first time.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts this week a return in mid-August was realistic for the southpaw. After going 10-9 with a 3.69 ERA, 3.94 FIP and 1.33 WHIP, Anderson returned for another season with the Dodgers by accepting their one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer.
He later said the decision was in part tied to gambling on being healthy for another season and testing free agency this winter, when the pool of pitchers won’t be nearly as deep.
