INDIANAPOLIS – Justin Masterson knows what his immediate future holds: he’ll be a reliever in Triple-A with Indianapolis.
His long-term future depends on how his arm recovers from shoulder surgery. How quickly his arm reaches its new optimal performing level isn’t certain.
“I don’t know,” Masterson said. “I think the way things are going — I don’t know when that deadline would be when it would take place. … A lot of guys that have shoulder surgery it’s a year later and a year-and-a-half when they’re full strength. They’re competing well before that, but when the full power comes back it’s kind of then.”
But the early indications are positive. Masterson recently watched video of his last outing with the Indianapolis at Columbus on June 8th. He pitched six innings, allowing six hits and two runs, while walking one and striking out five.
Then, for a comparison, Masterson watched a video from a major league start from a couple of years ago when he last felt completely healthy. That comparison was enough to make him feel good about his comeback. He just needs some more time to get his arm built up.
“The mechanics and everything are really close,” Masterson said. “It’s just a little bit of that power, which a lot of that is strength.”
Masterson wants to increase his velocity, but feels comfortable where he’s at right now because his control is improved. Most of that feeling is attributed to simply being healthy again. That’s just part of the progression he’s made. The more work, the more things have come back.
“As I continue to get more reps off the mound those things kind of flush back,” Masterson said. “I think, ‘Oh yeah, this is what I need to do. Oh yeah, I couldn’t do that before because it hurt.’ Now I can do those certain things — get the arm in the right spot again because I’m healthy enough.”
The more innings Masterson pitches, the more strength he builds. When he was healthy, his velocity would range between 86-96 MPH. In his last start, a few peeks at the scoreboard told Masterson his velocity was 84-89 MPH. His slider jumps down 3-4 MPH.
Masterson admitted looking the velocities appearing on the scoreboard, partly out of interest in how strong his arm was that day. But mainly because it’s something he’s done his entire career. He has always been a pitcher to add and subtract velocity from his fastball. So, knowing a velocity on each pitch allows him to better gauge what he needs to do to reach the desired extension.
“Now, I have extension and for the last two years the velocity was similar, but there was no extension,” Masterson said. “There was nothing behind it. Now I can have late life and have a good slider again.”
Masterson would love for his velocity to reach where it was before. Whether he can fully regain all of that remains to be seen, but he knows there’s more of an increase to be had.
“I’d like to have more, but I know there’s a lot of room for my strength to come back,” Masterson said. “Just rearing back – I know there’s more in there, but it will take some time to come back which is understandable.”
But not having the mid-90s velocity isn’t necessarily the end of the world. Masterson has made it work before and has no choice but to think that could be the case again.
“For me to have mental success in the process, I can’t be thinking, ‘Man, I want to throw 96 again’ because that’s not going to help me,” Masterson said. “But you go years back when I first came into the big leagues, my first six or seven starts I didn’t throw a ball over 90. I still had that range, it was probably 86-90. I think the more reps that bottom can kind of raise up and then the ceiling can go a little more, too.”
Masterson may provide the Pirates with much-needed bullpen depth at some point this season. But he also provides something else: a veteran voice on a staff filled with young prospects.
In the clubhouse, Masterson can be seen talking with the young pitchers and offering advice. Outside of Masterson, only three players had appeared in a major league game prior to this season: Kyle Lobstein [Detroit] and Curtis Partch [Cincinnati] had each made 20 appearances. Guido Knudson made four appearances with Detroit. Two others, whom are technically on the roster — Casey Sadler and Brandon Cumpton — have major league experience. But they’re in Florida and not with the team as they rehabilitate.
“When you’ve been there with the experience that [Masterson’s] had and the success that he’s had, that’s somebody you’re going to listen to,” Indianapolis manager Dean Treanor said. “He wants to reach out to these guys. That’s part of his DNA. With him being here, for me that’s the most important thing about him being here.”
A veteran like Masterson could easily mind his own business in the clubhouse and go about his own routine. The coaching staff wouldn’t force someone like Masterson, in his position, to reach out to the younger players.
“I think he’s the kind of guy that wants to do that and wants to give to these guys,” Treanor said.
Masterson has shown he knows how to pitch, Treanor said. His time in Indianapolis isn’t about learning what pitch sequences will work. It’s a matter of building strength in his arm. But if his velocity doesn’t get to where he had it prior to his injury, Masterson could still be a viable arm if he can successfully build a range in which he can add and subtract velocity from his pitches, while maintaining good movement on his sinker.
