Should Peavy Pitch In April?
On July 6 of last year Jake Peavy suffered a detached latissimus muscle in a game against the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim. He was placed in the disabled list and underwent surgery to repair the injury eight days later.
This week Peavy said he's completed the throwing program that was set up by the medical staff and has his eyes set on being ready to go on opening day. He says he's 60-70% right now, but the Chicago White Sox should exercise some caution in getting him game ready.
"It's uncharted territory for a player to come back from something so drastic as surgery like this," Joe Cowley, of the Chicago Sun-Times, said on the Mully and Hanley Show.
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Peavy will play an important role for the White Sox over the next few seasons, and he's already feeling self-inflicted pressure to pitch better. Peavy, an intense competitor, wants to live up to the contract and expectations he had when he came to the White Sox.
"He really feels like he continues to disappoint since he came over here," Cowley said. "And that eats at him."
So you can be sure that Peavy is committed to showing the White Sox organization and fans just how good he can be.
The White Sox were able to turn around their season and compete for the division crown without Peavy last season. But if they have the potential to have him healthy for a full season, a good White Sox team becomes a contedner.
"I think when he gets [to spring training], they're going to asses the medical part of every thing," Cowley said, "make sure that everything is fine and then kind of come up with a plan that's smart and works for both sides."
It might not be a bad idea for the White Sox to come up with a more conservative plan, rather than rush Peavy back. Because with the addition of Adam Dunn, the White Sox have to believe that they're going to be playing meaningful games in October.
Relying on Peavy to ease himself back in could potentially be a negative for both him and the White Sox.
"He's a guy who could become his own worst enemy in this," Cowley said. "They really have to be careful...and maybe you just sit him for April. Especially with the weather being cold and a lot of places where they're playing aren't exactly domes and warm spots...But that's going to be tough to do with Jake Peavy."
