PHOENIX – Sean Doolittle looks at the radar gun after each pitch he throws because it gives him some immediate feedback.
If he’s at the low end, he needs to be sharper with his locations. If he’s pumping fastballs in the mid-90s, he has more room to be aggressive and a little bit more margin for error within the strike zone.
When he sees the two digits flash in ballparks these days, it’s a lot different than it was last year. Doolittle’s fastest pitch in 2020 was 92.3 mph. This year, he’s averaging 93.4 mph with his fastball and he’s topped out at 96 mph.
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“Last year I really felt like I had to try to create velocity somehow,” Doolittle said. “When you do that, you get outside yourself. You start sacrificing location just because you’re trying so hard to throw the ball. You’re not focusing on executing your game plan. You’re panicking a little bit. That’s what I did last year. This year, I feel much more confident and I feel like my old self. It’s been a while since I felt like this.”
Doolittle relies on his fastball as much as anybody. He throws it about 85% of the time. Hitters know he’s throwing it, but his elite vertical break makes it tough to square up.
He’s struck out five of the 12 batters he’s faced, entering Sunday, while surrendering two hits and two walks. He’s given up hard contact that have turned into outs, fortunate that a line drive Friday with two runners on base went straight into Mike Moustakas’ glove at third base, but a resurgent fastball is an encouraging step forward.
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“There were signs throughout the offseason,” Doolittle said. “The first thing that started to come back was the shape of it, the vertical break. That was something I had lost last year. I realized that I was starting to dial in the spin efficiency and getting that hop on the ball. That kind of told me that your body is starting to move better again.
“I’ve been really happy with how I’ve thrown the ball three out of the four times I’ve been out there this year. I just have so much more confidence than I did last year.”
GRAY TO RETURN: Everything went smoothly in Sonny Gray’s simulated game at Chase Field on Saturday and he will rejoin the Reds’ starting rotation as early as Friday against Cleveland.
Gray threw 60 pitches in a scrimmage at the Reds’ alternate site last week, so he should be built up to throw around 80 pitches in his season debut. He’s been on the 10-day injured list with mid-back muscle soreness, which limited him to only one spring training start.
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“We all know how important Sonny is to our team and to our pitching staff,” Reds manager David Bell said. “It will be great to have him back. No matter how we make that happen, it’s going to make our entire staff better and deeper.”
It’s a good boost for a Reds staff that entered Sunday with a 1.98 ERA in its last seven starts, which doesn’t include Luis Castillo giving up 10 runs on Opening Day.
“It’s huge,” Wade Miley said. “Between him and Luis, that’s two top dogs. Two No. 1 (starters) on a lot of teams. We’re fortunate to have him here with us right now. Just the attitude that he brings and what he does for our team and our ball club, more than pitching. It says a lot about his character and who he is as a person. He’s just a big energy in our clubhouse.”
ALL-STAR GAME REACTIONS: Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision to yank the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to Georgia changing its state’s voting laws has drawn criticism from some politicians.
Former Cincinnati Mayor and Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell told Fox Business in an interview that “the baseball commissioner got way out over his skis on this.”
The Reds released a statement after Manfred announced the 2021 All-Star Game would be moved to Colorado.
“The decision to move the All-Star Game was made by the Commissioner Rob Manfred and Major League Baseball,” the statement said. “The Reds will support the All-Star Game wherever it is played because it is so important to baseball. We thank the Colorado Rockies and the city of Denver for agreeing to host the All-Star Game, to make sure this important jewel event takes place.”
WINKER SITS: Jesse Winker was out of the lineup for the second straight game Sunday. He was removed from Friday’s game, his first time playing in six days, because of cramps in both calves.
“Tough call not starting him,” Bell said. “After talking to him (Saturday) night – he was in the lineup – we are not 100% sure that (Sunday) was the best thing to start. He will be fully available to come into the game and then start (Monday) night. We just want to give it one more day to be 100% sure we don’t aggravate the calf.”
