Rangers prospect Matuella returns to game action

Michael Matuella admitted to some nerves before making his spring debut on the back fields Sunday afternoon. It’s not hard to blame him after not pitching in a game since June 17 and before that April of 2015.

The results? Well, they could have been better. The only result he and all the Rangers coaches, scouts and front office wanted concerned his health after throwing 20 pitches in a minor-league game.

“My elbow feels perfect,” the right-hander said.

Matuella, the Rangers’ third round pick in 2015 after Tommy John surgery two months earlier at Duke, now finds himself on a regular starter’s schedule. He might not break camp and head to Low A Hickory when the minor-league season opens next week, but he isn’t long for Surprise.

“Any time you’re out of the game that long, it’s definitely exciting to get back in there,” Matuella said. “Anytime you do something new, it’s kind of another thing off the checklist for me. Anytime you get to check something off it’s exciting and fun. But I’m fully confident in my elbow, for sure.”

This story was originally published March 26, 2017 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Rangers prospect Matuella returns to game action."