TUCSON, Ariz.-
Right-hander Mike DeJean is preparing to face the Chicago White Sox in the Colorado Rockies’ spring opener Wednesday.
In his mind, at least.
As he continues his arduous journey back from shoulder surgery last summer, all DeJean can do during these exhibition games is go over his pitch sequences.
“Mentally, I’m there,” DeJean said. “Mentally, I can go out on the mound and pitch exactly the way I want to. But physically, I’m just not strong enough.”
DeJean, 36, appeared in just two games last season before being sidelined by a right shoulder injury that required an operation to repair a frayed labrum and rotator cuff in June. The club declined his $1.5 million option in November and re-signed him to a minor league deal last month that calls for him to make a prorated portion of his $700,000 salary if and when he makes it all the way back to the bigs.
He hopes to begin pitching in the minors in three months.
DeJean starting throwing off a mound again on New Year’s Day only to realize he needed a cortisone shot in the A.C. joint for arthritis. Now, his shoulder finally feels sound and strong.
He arrived at camp Monday and played some catch, threw long toss on Tuesday and will throw his first 45-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday before taking in the Rockies’ first ball game from the bullpen.
Although he’s not out there on the mound himself, the way DeJean sees it, this spring is no different than any other.
He’s been proving to himself and everyone else that he belongs in the big leagues ever since the New York Yankees drafted him in 1992 and converted him from a strong-armed shortstop to a power pitcher.
“Derek Jeter was their No. 1 pick that year, so it was out of the question anyway,” said DeJean, who only started pitching his senior season at Livingston University.
“This is kind of a cool challenge. This will probably be the last arm rehab I’ll ever have to do before I’m done playing. My arm checks out with the doctors, my strength is real good. So, I’m going to hit it hard until I get back.”
DeJean isn’t worried that he won’t be the pitcher he once was when he routinely blew 95 mph fastballs past hitters to set them up for his breaking stuff.
“If I come back throwing 88 mph, I think it will make me a better pitcher anyway. Because my sinker’s always been better when it was around 88, 89,” he said.
And besides, speed isn’t everything.
“Anymore, I don’t even think about velocity because it’s so relative when you think about how the hitters are these days,” DeJean said. “All they have to do is see one fastball and see your arm come out of that slot one time and they’ve got you tabbed. So, then it comes to your offspeed stuff, can you throw it for strikes, can you throw it behind in the count, can you put them away with it? The least thing I’m concerned about is my velocity. If I can throw my pitches without any pain, then I’m going to get guys out.”
With DeJean sidelined last summer, Jose Mesa made a career-high 79 appearances, then signed with Detroit over the winter when the Rockies declined to exercise their 2007 option on the same day they freed up DeJean and Ray King, who signed a minor league deal with Washington.
DeJean’s hopes of finding another big-league job with a guaranteed contract were raised when the Braves and right-hander Tanyon Sturtze signed a one-year contract worth up to $1.5 million, hoping he will be able to come back from rotator cuff surgery.
“Seeing other guys my age sign big league contracts and then not even getting any offers from anybody, that’s probably been the hardest thing” about rehab, DeJean said. “But you know what? I’ve had to prove it every year anyway. I’m still a four-year shortstop out of college, I’m not really supposed to be here anyway.”
Like his buddy Todd Helton, who thought for a moment this winter that he was heading to Boston, DeJean said he’s actually glad that phone call never came.
“This is a good place to be for me, I know the front office, I know the coaching staff, the training staff has worked on me for a long time,” DeJean said. “My quickest way to get back healthy is to be with these guys, where I want to be anyway.”
