BOSTON — Physically, there was never any guarantee Steven Wright would get back to this point this quickly, and it wasn’t exactly quick.
Shoulder and knee injuries for a pitcher in his mid-30s, knuckleballer or otherwise, can be debilitating. Cartilage from a cadaver was put into his left knee in an operation last May.
“It is such a long rehab, especially from the shoulder to knee surgery, you’re always in there hoping that you can get back but it is such a long surgery,” said Wright, who underwent a procedure similar to Dustin Pedroia. “But with that type of [knee] surgery, it’s unique to baseball. But that’s the confidence I had not only in myself, but in the training staff. They worked tirelessly and did everything they could.”
The difference for Wright now is that because he is a knuckleballer, re-establishing himself as a viable starter could mean many, many more years in the major leagues. It’s still early yet, but from his bullpen work earlier this season and now, in a starting role, Wright has provided a glimpse of his 2016 All-Star form.
Seven innings of two-hit ball against the Tigers in a 6-0 Sox win Wednesday night showed Wright at peak form, commanding not only his knuckleball — thrown harder and with more drastic movement than, say, Tim Wakefield’s — but his mid-80s fastball as well. Wright has now thrown 16 consecutive scoreless innings, a career-best streak.
The last scoreless start of Wright’s career was Aug. 5, 2016, a complete-game shutout that happened to be the last start for Wright before this run of injuries began. In that same series against the Dodgers, he was asked to pinch run and was hurt doing so.
Early on, Wright’s command was off, which is bound to happen with such an erratic pitch. But the setting Tuesday did get to Wright as well.
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"I knew that I was overthrowing, I knew there was a lot of emotions going in, good emotions,” Wright said. “But it’s something I’ve got to keep in check and...It’s been since August of ’16 I’ve gone out there healthy [as a starter]. So as the game went on, I knew that’s part of the knuckleball, walks, but usually, when it’s moving really good, as the game went on, I was able to slow everything down.”
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Namely, the Tigers offense.
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