Andy Jasner from mlb.com has an update on Jason Schmidt and his road back to the majors. The veteran righty threw 94 pitches in most recent Class A outing. This is a huge breakthrough in my opinion, he has the arm strength and stamina to throw 94 pitches again. The details of the outing in regards to his command and movement are not mentioned however. Here are some of the highlights from the report.
Schmidt, who had major shoulder surgery 23 months ago and a second procedure seven months ago to remove the arthritic tip of the clavicle, threw 94 pitches for Class A Inland Empire in five-plus innings Tuesday.
Schmidt then flew to Arizona to the Dodgers’ training complex and was scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday.
“It’s been a very trying time for him, because he’s been frustrated knowing the pitcher that he once was,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.
Torre continues to receive daily reports on the hard-throwing right-hander and is staying close to the situation.
“He’s continuing to build momentum,” Torre said. “Obviously, we get reports regularly. … There may be a time we have to explore it. I think he’s still a ways away.”
Schmidt is in the final year of his large multi-million dollar deal, and will be a free agent at the end of the season. It seems that Schmidt may still pitch in the majors this season. It is still to early to tell the condition Schmidt is truly in. I am not sure how much Schmit will be able to contribute if he reaches the major league level again. However if he can even get up to a reliable 4th or 5th starter again that would be a major win-win for everyone. You have got to admire this guys attitute and work ethic. He could be sitting at home collecting his pay check, not this guy he is out trying to get back to Chavez Ravine every single day.