Jake Peavy Has Another Successful BP Session

Throwing batting practice for the second time this week, White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy continues to make progress while recovering from surgery to repair a detached lattisimus dorsi muscle under his right shoulder. It’s kinda sad that I don’t even need to look up the name of the muscle anymore because I’ve written it so much.

…okay so I looked it up afterward just to make sure, but from now on I won’t need to, I swear.

Peavy threw two simulated innings at 20 pitches apiece. He worked against Omar Vizquel, Lastings Milledge, and Eduardo Escobar, changing speeds and using more breaking pitches than he had in his 40-pitch session Monday.

Peavy’s followthrough isn’t where it normally would be, but remember this is only his second time facing live batters this spring. The reason spring training is six weeks long is because it takes pitchers awhile to get their arms back into playing shape…and that’s when they’re NOT coming back from surgery.

Peavy on pain

"I feel completely pain free. I feel normal. Obviously there is some stiffness and soreness, but I feel normal. That’s something I haven’t felt in quite a while."

Peavy on timetable for return

"The biggest thing is make sure my arm progresses and the strength progresses throughout spring training. Spring training starts and your stuff’s OK, you work on some stuff, and by that third or fourth start of spring training you’re able to let it go and do stuff, your velocity should be close to what it’s gonna be out there in the regular season. That’s what’s going to be the telling tale, if I keep getting stronger and progress and get through that little dead arm period that we all go through. If by close to the end of March you’re able to throw the ball at the velocity I want to throw it, bounce back and throw a bullpen. I think we won’t know until we get there, if you’re ready to start a season and pitch every five days. Doing these 40 pitches, day off, 40 pitches being able to do that was a big deal in my mind, recover enough to get out there and throw today and put a little something on it. I don’t know if there’s one thing, but that’s going to be a telling tale, when I start a game and go five, six innings, if I’m able to take a day off, throw a bullpen, and get ready to start again in five or six days and go six or seven innings. At that moment, we might know if I’m going to be ready to start the season, or if I’m going to need a few more weeks."

Catcher Ramon Castro on Peavy’s Wednesday session

"He was nice. He was throwing every pitch, fastball, slider, curveball, changeup, for a strike. His velocity wasn’t, I don’t think, he was putting some on it but he was pretty good. It looked like the old Peavy, breaking ball stuff. Fastball he’s not there yet, but he’s going to get there. We have to see in the games."

Pitching coach Don Cooper on Peavy’s Wednesday session

"He probably went up a notch in intensity. He threw more breaking balls. He certainly is doing what everybody else is doing. He certainly has more to do and climb, but I don’t think the climb could be going any nicer than it is right now."

Peavy is scheduled to pitch again Saturday.