Braves starter Kevin Gausman is set to return from the injured list and start Sunday against the Nationals.
Gausman, who posted over a 6.00 ERA before landing on the IL with plantar fasciitis on his right foot, believes he’ll be a better pitcher than he showed earlier in the season.
He spoke with reporters before Friday’s game against the Washington Nationals at SunTrust Park to analyze his rehab assignment and the changes he’s made in that time.
Q: Has this time away been beneficial for you?
A: Obviously it's unfortunate what happened, but I've used this time to focus on things I need to do to get better, not just this year but for the rest of my career. I feel like just getting away, getting to reset was a good thing. I made some mechanical changes, just trying to get on top of my fastball a little more. My stride was getting a little too long, so that was the biggest thing. Then just working on attacking the zone and going after guys.
Q: Regarding your stride getting too long, does that make you more prone to leave pitches up?
A: I don't have the angle as much. It's like anything, if you think about trying to put yourself in a split position and be powerful, it's pretty hard. That was something that was an easy fix, and I noticed the change right away just in the life of my fastball. I've really noticed it since I went on my rehab starts. Obviously it's the minor leagues, there's a little bit of not knowing what to expect, but I had some really good results. Faced some good talent in Triple-A the other day. I faced Logan Morrison, who I faced a lot in Tampa (while with Baltimore), with Minnesota. So I did pretty well against him. Gave up one homer, first pitch of the at-bat. But everything was good and I feel good where I'm at right now.
Q: On expanding his repertoire:
A: I used that time to focus on my secondary pitches. I used that to set up my fastball more. I always feel like I'll have my splitter in my back pocket. I really used that time to work on spinning the ball and other things. I'm excited about it going forward.
Q: Were you encouraged by the results?
A: Absolutely. Dave Wallace and Dom Chiti (Braves organizational pitching instructors) were down there with me. They were with me in Baltimore. I have a great relationship with them. So to be able to have them there helping me right the ship was good. They were encouraged with everything. It was good. I've really been pounding the strike zone during my starts in rehab, and that's the biggest thing with new pitches. You always wonder what they'll be like in the game and they've been even better in the game. So it's encouraging.
Q: Do you feel like this step backwards could actually help, from an innings-management perspective?
A: This is the least amount of innings I've thrown at this point through the season since before high school. I feel refreshed. I feel great. It's only going to work to my advantage. We've put ourselves in a good position and I think this team is good enough that we're going to be playing baseball for a long time. It's almost a good thing, especially with some of these young guys who might need a break.
Q: On recognizing the need to alter his approach:
A: I've been hard-headed at some times in my career. Maybe that's what it was. But (Wallace and Chiti) just reminded me that when I was in Baltimore, I had a really good curveball. That was a real game-changer and made all the other stuff better. It's not going to be a pitch I'll throw as much as (Stephen) Strasburg. I'm not going to throw it all the time. But I think it makes everything else better. It complements my other stuff better. It was me being like, I need to be smarter and take a step back, look at what I've done to this point, and realize I can do a lot more with the talent I have. The biggest thing was conversation, having conversation with two people I respect who know me really well. It was good.
