Philadelphia Phillies’ reliever David Robertson is getting closer to returning to the mound from undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, and is aiming for a return sometime in September, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber.
Robertson has been working out for the past month as the Phillies’ Spring Training facility in Clearwater, Florida.
“I think if I could get comfortable I could pitch at the big-league level in three weeks. But that’s not a hard date,” Robertson said.
However, Robertson feels that if not for COVID-19 forcing a shutdown, he would be “very, very close” to returning if not back on the mound already.
“I was feeling really good at the time of the shutdown,” Robertson said (h/t NBC Sports).
“Everything was just going right for me. I think I would be very, very close, if not ready. I’m coming up on a year since I’ve had surgery and I honestly think I probably would have been ready by now. That’s the way things go. Everybody has had to deal with a lot of difficult things and I’m no different.
“I was supposed to throw off the mound for the first time the day that we got shut down in Florida. It was pretty heartbreaking. We were quarantined in Florida until we got our negative results. That was probably eight days maybe. Then we drove to Alabama and spent almost three weeks there and then came back. I know I missed almost a month of time. Then they opened up a bubble for me down there to keep my rehab going at Carpenter Complex.”
While Robertson feels a September return is possible, he isn’t setting a firm date.
“I don’t have a definitive timeline,” Robertson said. “I’m getting comfortable throwing all my pitches again and my arm strength is feeling really good. I haven’t thrown to any live hitters or anything. I’ve thrown some bullpens. I just started to get that crisp feeling out of a lot of pitches that I have. I hate to put a timeline on it because the last time I put a timeline on it, I feel like I just rushed myself and cost myself to have a mini-setback mentally.
“I’m thinking, at best, maybe three weeks. But that’s not a hard date. I think if I could get comfortable I could pitch at the big league level in three weeks.”
“I am ready to be back on the mound. Watching guys play, watching this team, it’s heartbreaking not to be on it,” Robertson said.
“I want to get back and help us make that push to get to the playoffs. I want to play more baseball. I want a chance at winning a ring. I know it’s a different format and a different season and everything, but I want to go out there and compete and I think everybody in the clubhouse wants to compete and win. We’re not just doing it just to play. We’re doing it to win.”
