Nathan Eovaldi has been making positive progress throughout his recovery from surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in April.
Every update has been positive, including Friday’s when Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the right-hander looked great while throwing a simulated game.
But how did Eovaldi critique his own outing?
“My splitter felt really good,” he said, via MassLive. “It’s been feeling probably the best out of all of them. My cutter’s been feeling good as well. I threw some curveballs. I felt like I was locating the fastball.”
Eovaldi likely will need a rehab assignment before rejoining the team, but he said Friday he felt “normal” while throwing to Brock Holt and Michael Chavis. The 29-year-old also noted he hasn’t faced any setbacks during his recovery.
“I haven’t really had any setbacks or anything like that,” Eovaldi said. “It’s just been taking it slow.”
It’s probably smart Boston decided to not rush Eovaldi back. The pitcher has had two Tommy John surgeries, and also underwent another loose body procedure last March.
Making sure Eovaldi is 100 percent before taking the mound seems to be the Red Sox’s top priority throughout his recovery. And he certainly will add a boost the rotation once he returns.