TUCSON, Ariz.—Rockies left-hander Jeff Francis is hoping his second spring start goes better than his first.
Francis missed last season following shoulder surgery and was hit hard in his first spring start against San Francisco on Friday. He is scheduled to face the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.
“I’m on course, I’d say. I’m doing the things I need to in the bullpen,” said Francis. “It’s just a matter of taking those into a game. A lot of times you get into a game and competition just amps you up a little bit and you—me at least—try to get a little too much. I think not having been on the mound in a while those things are a little exaggerated, so I think the more I get in a game, I’ll be able to take what I do in the bullpen into the game.”
Francis says he has made progress during his bullpen sessions and may have been a little too excited when he faced the Giants.
Francis went 17-9 in 2007, helping the Rockies reach the World Series. He slumped to 4-10 in 24 starts in 2008 when he was plagued by shoulder problems.
He underwent arthroscopic surgery to have his torn left labrum repaired last year.
Because of his long layoff, Francis is pitching with the normal four days of rest early in spring training when the other Rockies starters are working with three days’ rest.
The 29-year-old is 6-foot-5 and has a tendency to take too long of a stride during his delivery. That was a problem against the Giants.
“The body drops and the ball flattens out,” Francis said. “So the ball doesn’t have a lot of good action on it. Guys can put better swings on pitches like that. If I can shorten that (stride) up and get over my front leg a little better, I’ll be more throwing up and down rather than side to side.”
Pitching coach Bob Apodaca said Francis has “tremendous freedom in that shoulder” and regaining form is more a matter of controlling his energy in games.
“There’s been a lot of repetition, just not in games,” Francis said. “From the day I got here to now, in the bullpen I’m just doing things way better. So now I need to take those things into games.”
Francis, who ranks fourth in franchise history with 51 wins—which is first among left-handers—has one comforting realization.
“My arm doesn’t hurt,” Francis said. “At this point, that’s a pretty big thing. Obviously, as we go along, I’m not worried about that anymore. I’m worried about my effectiveness on the mound.”
NOTES: Closer Huston Street will throw live batting practice Friday after coming through a 20-pitch bullpen session Tuesday without any problems. He developed right shoulder inflammation after throwing batting practice for the first time this spring on Feb. 26. Street threw 15 pitches in the bullpen at 80 percent Sunday and said Tuesday he threw with the “same intensity, same effort, same mentality” he would have warming up for an appearance during the season. … Reliever Rafael Betancourt, who pitches the eighth inning ahead of Street and also is recovering from right inflammation, played catch at about 75 feet and would increase the distance Wednesday, perhaps to 120 feet. “I’m very happy the way that I feel,” Betancourt said. “That’s what I was waiting for—to feel that way. And now, hopefully, everything’s going to be fine.”
