Dallas Braden took the mound yesterday for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in May, throwing 25 pitches and then telling his Twitter followers that his “arm feels great” and “I wept with joy.”
Braden made headlines for his perfect game in 2010 and squabble with Alex Rodriguez over mound ownership in Oakland, but made just three starts last season before being shut down.
Braden told CSNBayArea.com that he’s ahead of schedule with his rehab and hopes to rejoin the A’s rotation early in the season, and perhaps even by Opening Day. Oakland avoided arbitration with Braden by agreeing to a one-year, $3.35 million contract in mid-December and there’s certainly plenty of room for him in the rebuilt/blown up rotation.
