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By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 11:02 p.m. EDT, Jun 12, 2009
Most major-leaguers don't like to rehab in the minors. It often reminds them of just how far away the major leagues really are at this level.
This time, though, Jake Westbrook really didn't mind.
This time — the third consecutive year the Indians pitcher has made a rehab start in Akron — came exactly a year to the day that the right-hander underwent Tommy John elbow reconstructive surgery.
When a ball player's career is that up in the air, pitching in the minors doesn't seem all that bad. If Westbrook didn't have that perspective before, he sure sounds like he does now.
After his four-inning outing Friday against Portland, Westbrook admitted to being thrilled just to be throwing a ball somewhere outside of the Indians' vacant spring-training facility in Goodyear, Ariz.
''As I've progressed on with my arm feeling pretty good, I began to get anxious,'' Westbrook said. ''And that began once I started throwing way back in December . . . To throw and feel good, it's a great feeling. But then there's a whole process of a throwing program that I had to go through, and I had to pull back the reins.''
Friday night at Canal Park, Westbrook threw 44 pitches to 13 batters, allowing three singles and striking out three batters. In his first outing with Akron on June 6, Westbrook limited host Altoona to one hit with one strikeout in three innings of work.
''I can tell that I'm putting a little more stress on my arm because I'm throwing more and more,'' Westbrook said. ''Now, it's just a matter of how I handle each outing and how I feel tomorrow morning, as well as four days from now.
''So far it's been pretty good. I'm sore each day, but it's a good sore — the same you feel after you pitch when you're healthy.''
After two starts with the Aeros in which Westbrook has thrown without any abnormal pain, the veteran's next stop appears to be Triple-A Columbus — where he will finally be just one step away from rejoining his teammates in Cleveland.
''They've already got it mapped out,'' said Westbrook, who previously pitched for the Aeros in 2007 to rehab an oblique muscle strain and in '08 with an intercostal rib injury. ''I think my next start will be in Columbus and then I'll continue to progress on with innings and pitches.''
Earlier this week, Indians manager Eric Wedge said he'd like Westbrook to be able to comfortably throw 100 pitches before he rejoins the Tribe starting rotation. Last year, Westbrook pitched in just five games (1-2, 3.12 ERA) before being sidelined.
A first-round pick (21st overall) of the Colorado Rockies in 1996, Westbrook is 63-64 with a 4.31 ERA in his major-league career spanning 200 appearances (160 starts).
He was acquired by Cleveland in a trade with the New York Yankees in 2000, and went on to win 44 games for the Indians from 2004-06 while pitching at least 200 innings each season.
Westbrook's best season came in 2004, when he went 14-9 with the third-best ERA in the American League (3.38) and was named to the AL All-Star team.
He'd like to think he still has that kind of pitching in him, but he's smart enough to take his time making his comeback.
''I don't feel like I need to [hurry up and get back],'' he said. ''I want to make sure this is done right. And when I come back, I want to be back for good and contribute.''
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians and Aeros blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters.
Most major-leaguers don't like to rehab in the minors. It often reminds them of just how far away the major leagues really are at this level.
This time, though, Jake Westbrook really didn't mind.
This time — the third consecutive year the Indians pitcher has made a rehab start in Akron — came exactly a year to the day that the right-hander underwent Tommy John elbow reconstructive surgery.
When a ball player's career is that up in the air, pitching in the minors doesn't seem all that bad. If Westbrook didn't have that perspective before, he sure sounds like he does now.
After his four-inning outing Friday against Portland, Westbrook admitted to being thrilled just to be throwing a ball somewhere outside of the Indians' vacant spring-training facility in Goodyear, Ariz.
''As I've progressed on with my arm feeling pretty good, I began to get anxious,'' Westbrook said. ''And that began once I started throwing way back in December . . . To throw and feel good, it's a great feeling. But then there's a whole process of a throwing program that I had to go through, and I had to pull back the reins.''
Friday night at Canal Park, Westbrook threw 44 pitches to 13 batters, allowing three singles and striking out three batters. In his first outing with Akron on June 6, Westbrook limited host Altoona to one hit with one strikeout in three innings of work.
''I can tell that I'm putting a little more stress on my arm because I'm throwing more and more,'' Westbrook said. ''Now, it's just a matter of how I handle each outing and how I feel tomorrow morning, as well as four days from now.
''So far it's been pretty good. I'm sore each day, but it's a good sore — the same you feel after you pitch when you're healthy.''
After two starts with the Aeros in which Westbrook has thrown without any abnormal pain, the veteran's next stop appears to be Triple-A Columbus — where he will finally be just one step away from rejoining his teammates in Cleveland.
''They've already got it mapped out,'' said Westbrook, who previously pitched for the Aeros in 2007 to rehab an oblique muscle strain and in '08 with an intercostal rib injury. ''I think my next start will be in Columbus and then I'll continue to progress on with innings and pitches.''
Earlier this week, Indians manager Eric Wedge said he'd like Westbrook to be able to comfortably throw 100 pitches before he rejoins the Tribe starting rotation. Last year, Westbrook pitched in just five games (1-2, 3.12 ERA) before being sidelined.
A first-round pick (21st overall) of the Colorado Rockies in 1996, Westbrook is 63-64 with a 4.31 ERA in his major-league career spanning 200 appearances (160 starts).
He was acquired by Cleveland in a trade with the New York Yankees in 2000, and went on to win 44 games for the Indians from 2004-06 while pitching at least 200 innings each season.
Westbrook's best season came in 2004, when he went 14-9 with the third-best ERA in the American League (3.38) and was named to the AL All-Star team.
He'd like to think he still has that kind of pitching in him, but he's smart enough to take his time making his comeback.
''I don't feel like I need to [hurry up and get back],'' he said. ''I want to make sure this is done right. And when I come back, I want to be back for good and contribute.''
Stephanie Storm can be reached at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians and Aeros blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters.
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