It’s downpouring and windy, but luckily I was the only reporter with the foresight to bring an umbrella. The reporters watched from a small awning as Brad Bergesen threw to Matt Wieters amid backup catcher Chad Moeller announcing, “Ladies and gentleman, Brad Bergesen.”
Bergesen looked comfortable in his first mound session since injuring his shoulder. He tossed a normal length session under the watchful eye of pitching coach Rick Kranitz.
“It was like he didn’t miss a beat,” Kranitz said.”If you told me he hadn’t thrown in five months, I would have said, ‘You’re a liar.’ He was good.”
Bergersen threw 28 pitches, mostly fastballs, although Kranitz said he was pushing to throw more. The 24-year-old Bergesen estimated he was throwing at about 75 percent and was pleasantly surprised with his location and sink.
“I was a little surprised about it, didn’t know what to expect,” Bergesen said of his first mound toss since the fateful commercial in December. “I was just getting up there and getting the cobwebs out of there, but I was able to get the ball down and throw my two seamer.”
Added Wieters: “He had his sink back already, he was able to locate the fastball which is the biggest thing coming back [and] getting back on the mound.”
Manager Dave Trembley said Bergesen’s session made a “gray day sunny” for him, and for now the plan is for Bergesen to throw two more side sessions before a live batting practice.
“I think we all just wanted to get through this phase,” Trembley said, following Saturday’s session. “I was confident he was going to be OK, but the questions weren’t going to be answered fully until he got up on the mound.”
Given Bergesen’s impressive first go-around, Wieters said he “definitely” thought the right-hander would be ready for the beginning of the season.
“He’s going to get his work in for sure,” Wieters said.”Bergy’s a guy who has his command and he will be ready to go Day 1 [of the season].”
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