‘Oh my god!’ What prompted Woodward to say that after watching Volquez pitch for Rangers?
The first pitch Edinson Volquez threw Wednesday, in his first meaningful game against a real major-league batter since August of 2017, registered 95 mph on the Surprise Stadium radar gun.
The next one came in at 96.
“Oh my god,” Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward said.
He was excited, even though Volquez ended up allowing four runs in his one inning of work against the Chicago Cubs. All that mattered after a 9-5 Cactus League loss was that Volquez feels good some 18 months removed from Tommy John surgery.
“That’s about as happy as I’ve ever been after a four-spot,” Woodward said.
Volquez maxed out a 97 mph and is looking forward to pushing his pitch count to 35 his next start after tossing 19 against the Cubs. They collected four hits, three of them fairly loud, but Volquez also used his changeup to strike out two hitters.
As for the velocity, Volquez seemed surprised.
“I don’t know what that came from,” said Volquez, though his career fastball velocity is 94.5 mph. “Most of the guys coming back from TJ come back throwing harder. I’d say I’m lucky to be one of them.”
Woodward said that the Cubs ambushed Volquez on a few of their hits, knowing a fastball was coming. The results as good as the two scoreless innings by Cubs starter Cole Hamels, but all that mattered was how Volquez’s right elbow felt.
“As long as I feel good, that’s good for me,” he said. “I didn’t know how it was going to be. I gave up a couple runs, but it’s not about the results. It’s about how I feel. I feel great.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 5:36 PM.
