“This was not so much about his stuff but how well he commanded the strike zone, that he had no discomfort and that he got his pitch count up. The answers were yes, yes and yes. . . . He earned an opportunity to really throw his hat in the ring (for the fifth starter spot).”
“We are bringing him back in four days, so there was no reason to push it. The important thing is, he sat down and had to loosen up six times, so he got a chance to really test the groin.”
“He's still very weak. I really don't know when I can get him off a mound, let alone in a game. So the clock is ticking, and it's not going to stop. It's going on nine or 10 days since he's pitched a game. These are all the things you can't make up for. All you can do is, first and foremost, get him healthy.”
“He's just a model for everybody to emulate, whether it be first-pitch strikes, getting ahead in the count consistently [or] quality of location. And he's averaging eight to 10 pitches an inning. He makes his put-away pitch. I'm sure he feels very good about where he is right now.”
“He throws 10 pitches (during the game), and then he's in the conditioning room for an hour and he's just rolling in to the clubhouse when the game is over. He's put in that much work to maintain his body. He doesn't take his body for granted. That's why he's so good. That's why he's had longevity.”
“We haven't seen any signs of Sunny having the form that he had last year. We talked [on Saturday]. To me, it's not a mechanics issue. I think he's kind of lost in what he's trying to do, as far as how he wants to execute each pitch. It's not coming naturally.”
“He can feel the difference between where he wants to be and where he's been. But it's not coming naturally yet, and until that happens, we still have a ways to go. The arm strength, the ability to do it is still there. But until he can subconsciously do it instead of consciously try to do it, then you're going to see the inconsistencies.”
