FORT MYERS, Fla. –– Rich Hill‘s recovery from Tommy John surgery is progressing. Through the first week of spring training, the lefty has been throwing in bullpen sessions. Hill, a Boston native, suffered the season-ending injury last June when he unleashed a curveball to White Sox slugger Adam Dunn.
As he sprinkles in long tosses between bullpen sessions, the 31-year-old is aiming to take the next step in his recovery.
“Now, I’m seeing that instead of just throwing the bullpen we’re getting more into pitching,” Hill said. “We want to hone in on location, start to develop consistency with mechanics.”
Hill was on a precise pace last summer. Since making his first appearance for the Red Sox on May 5, the southpaw had been flummoxing hitters, allowing three hits and throwing eight scoreless innings.
That momentum abruptly ended after his pitch to Dunn. Despite the devastating setback, Hill isn’t moping about his misfortune.
“There’s no sense of self-pity,” Hill said. “It’s [great] that you get the opportunity to pitch again, which is great and that’s something that I’m thankful for as far as being able to have a procedure done and have it done successfully.”
The Red Sox on Tuesday elevated Hill to the 40-man roster in a sign that they seem to believe he will return sooner rather than later.
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