Chris Paddack feels well-prepared for his first appearance on a big league mound since just before last year’s All-Star break. He did all that duck and deer hunting over the winter, after all.
Temperatures are expected to be in the low 40s on Monday when Paddack starts against the White Sox in Chicago, “so I might have an advantage over most guys because I’m used to the high winds [and] cold mornings out on the hunt.”
Actually, his biggest advantage is probably the return of his ability to hit the corners, blow high strikes past hitters and not worry about further damaging his surgically repaired shoulder and elbow.
The secret, he hopes, is more regular low-impact throwing in order to keep his arm prepared for the intensity of a major league game.
The surgeon who performed Paddack’s second Tommy John elbow surgery in 2022, Dr. Keith Meisner, “told me whenever I take time off, even just a couple of days, my body doesn’t respond very well to ramping back up. I have stiffness or arm fatigue the next time I get on a mound,” Paddack said. “It sounds crazy, but he convinced me of the idea of having a backyard catch like when I was a kid, throwing three of four times a day with my dad or brother. Or throwing a football around for a while, or just long-tossing. So I do something every day, just to keep the shoulder and elbow moving, just flexing the joints.”
It seems to have worked over the winter, between hunts, and Paddack says he feels better than he has felt in years.
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