MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — As the Boston Red Sox bolstered their bullpen this offseason with the additions of All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel and up-and-coming reliever Carson Smith, another man quietly went about his business with the intention of contributing at some point in 2016.
Brandon Workman, who underwent Tommy John surgery on June 15, hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors since Sept. 18, 2014, yet the 27-year-old remains optimistic about his impending comeback.
“I’m definitely planning on that,” Workman said Saturday at the Red Sox’s Baseball Winter Weekend event at Foxwoods Resort Casino when asked about returning to the majors this season. “It’s a ballpark 12-month recovery-type of deal. So I should be — not on time when camp breaks — but at some point this year be back ready to go.”
Workman struggled in his most recent taste of the bigs, posting a 1-10 record and a 5.17 ERA in 19 appearances (15 starts) in 2014. The right-hander pitched meaningful innings for the Red Sox during their 2013 World Series run, though, even completing a scoreless eighth in Boston’s series-clinching win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 of the Fall Classic.
“I’m not trying to pretend like I had some deep perspective change on my life or anything like that, but I definitely appreciate being healthy and being able to play baseball when that is the case, because this summer wasn’t the most fun summer I’ve ever had, just sitting, rehabbing and that sort of thing,” Workman said. “I’m definitely excited to get back out there and won’t take that for granted at all.”
Workman first started throwing around the four-month mark (roughly mid-October) following his surgery. He’s still working through his progressions and has been throwing from 100 feet of late with an eye toward throwing from flat ground with a catcher squatting in the coming week.
According to Workman, he’s had no setbacks in his rehab, which remains without a timetable. It’s been a difficult stretch for the former second-round pick to deal with, but he seems to be trending in the right direction.
“It’s been a definite process — that’s the word for it,” Workman said. “It’s been slow — slower than I’d like at times — but I’m just trying to stay focused, take it day by day, stay on the plan, not looking too far ahead of myself and stay with it like that. But it has been a process.”
It’s unclear how Workman will fit into the Red Sox’s plans once he returns to the mound and, eventually, game action, though it’s safe to assume he’ll need time to ramp up in the minors before even becoming a major league consideration.
As Workman put it, he’ll cross that bridge when he gets to it. For now, he’s just focused on handling his business and is excited about the prospect of finally helping the Red Sox again after their second straight last-place finish.
“Kind of when I started picking up a ball and throwing it, that’s when I got back to, ‘OK, I’m actually a baseball player. I’m not just laying on a training table, getting worked on every day. I actually do this,’ ” Workman said. “So that’s when it actually picked up, and I’m sure once I see a catcher squatting down that’ll be another big step.”
Workman is somewhat of a forgotten man in the Red Sox’s pitching mix. Perhaps not for much longer.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
