Before last month’s start at Coors Field, Matt Waldron increased his pregame bullpen throws from 20 to 40. It was at the suggestion of pitching coach Ruben Niebla, who’d been noticing a trend from the 27-year-old knuckleballer:
Waldron got better as the game went on.
The change paid immediate dividends as he fired six innings of one-run ball to beat the Rockies, the best start of his career given the circumstances.
After the worst start of Waldron’s career on Sunday, Niebla picked up on something else to work on in between starts. At 6 feet, 7 inches, Waldron’s extension ranks in the 74th percentile in the majors, but that delivery was off while getting pounded for eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and three walks in three-plus innings in Arizona.
“It’s just how I get down the mound,” Waldron said. “I’m at my best when I’m not necessarily getting closer, but closer with my front shoulder closed and like committing out here, out in front of me to get them out. It’s somewhat of a mechanical adjustment, which will in turn make me hit my spots better, because I really believe in my ability to command the fastball. But that can get hurt and I just got to mix it up a little bit better.
“It was ugly. It’s a tough way to learn, but it’s the quickest way, that makes you not want to do it again.”
The slug (three doubles and a homer) that Waldron allowed on Sunday was indeed entirely on either a four-seamer or sinker that found too much of the plate. The traffic, however, began with the Diamondbacks collecting singles off a flatter-than-usual knuckleball.
On average, Waldron is throwing that floater 35 percent of the time and it is his most effective pitch as he’s allowed just a .220 batting average and a .340 slugging percentage (compared to .548 off four-seamer, .611 off the sweeper, .486 off the sinker and .571 off the cutter). The longer warm-up pens before games are, in part, to help lock in the feel of that pitch as Waldron’s ERA for his career has trended down from 6.64 in the first three innings to 3.31 in innings four through six.
The knuckleball in his last start?
“It wasn’t good,” Waldron said. “It was spinning a lot. That is one of my strengths and I use it 30-ish percent of the time. So if I don’t have that, it hurts a little bit. I need everything to complement each other and it starts with the work I do (between starts and before games). I had a great bullpen. Ruben knows what he sees out of me. …
“It’s all preparation.”
Musgrove’s progress
Joe Musgrove stopped by his locker Friday afternoon to slip into his cleats as he prepared to play catch for the first time since going on the 15-day injured list over the weekend with right elbow inflammation. He was careful not to speak out of turn, but he did have good news to share before throwing from 90 feet in front of Niebla and head athletic trainer Mark Rogow at Petco Park.
“Yeah, we got some imaging done,” Musgrove said. “Looked at it, make sure the ligament’s all intact and everything looks really good. Just some inflammation.”
Meaning Musgrove continues to expect a minimum stay on the shelf.
“Everything else is solid,” Musgrove said. “Nothing more than this 15 days.”
Musgrove, of course, would have to progress to a bullpen before the Padres can begin to cement those plans. While the official designation is elbow inflammation, both he and the team have described the discomfort as in the triceps area.
He did not join the team in Chicago, opting instead to fly from Arizona to San Diego to visit with doctors.
“Joe’s doing well,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “ … He is moving in a favorable direction. He’s feeling well and recovering well, but we’ll see what the next steps look like.”
