Former Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard last pitched at Fenway Park in 2013 while closing out his five-year run in Boston, but he now has the chance to revisit the very mound where his big league career began.
Bard, 38, is back in Boston with the Red Sox opening up a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies on Monday night. Since departing the Red Sox, Bard has undergone a rollercoaster, which has included various battles with mental health issues and a seven-year hiatus from Major League Baseball.
Yet, the right-hander is thrilled about returning and overcoming the past decade of hurdles in order to get back on the bump at Fenway.
“I think I’m more proud that I’m here right now than what I did last year or even what I did back in Boston as a player,” Bard told Rob Bradford of WEEI hours before first pitch on Monday. “That I’m here, I’m active, I’m still getting outs, going through with what went on earlier this year. Things like that.”
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Getting his shot in Colorado back in 2020, Bard has flourished. He notched a career-best 1.79 ERA in 2022, striking out 69 batters through 60 1/3 innings of relief in 57 games. That dominance has carried over to this season with Bard’s ERA dropping to 1.96 over the course of 18 appearances, which came after beginning the season on the injured list due to anxiety issues from the World Baseball Classic in March.
“I wanted to be able to make this trip and hopefully get an inning here, maybe a couple and just soak it in,” Bard explained.
Featured image via Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports Images
