ARLINGTON — It was busy on the mound Saturday even before Jacob deGrom started the game for the Rangers.
Cody Bradford threw to hitters for the second time in a week and Josh Sborz faced hitters for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery last fall.
Sborz threw a one-inning simulated game outing against Alejandro Osuna and Ezequiel Duran, with his fastball sitting at 90-91 mph. It was up about three ticks from his best bullpen session to date.
“The shapes on all the pitches were there and the lateness of the break was there,” Sborz said. “I just need the [velocity] to ramp up.
“I’ve never had surgery, so I don’t know how or when the velocity is going to come back. [President of Baseball Operations] Chris Young said it would just keep going every time out. So, that’s what I’m doing is just chasing velo a little.”
At his best, Sborz has been a 97-mph fastball guy, whose breaking ball makes the fastball play even better. Last year, as he battled the shoulder issue all year leading to four different IL stints, the fastball velocity dropped to 95 mph.
Sborz’ target date for returning from the offseason shoulder surgery has always been around the All-Star break, and with another month until that, he seems to be right on schedule.
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