FORT WAYNE, Ind. —After being sidelined by a blister on his throwing hand for almost a month now, MacKenzie Gore has ramped up activity this week, throwing a two-inning simulated game on Wednesday.
“It went well,” shared Fort Wayne Manager Anthony Contreras.” “Obviously, his health right now is our number one concern…just making sure that finger and that blister are where they need to be. He is progressing well. After that two-inning session that he had, the finger is responding well and seems to be on track.
“I thought the ball came out good, but he has high expectations for himself and probably wasn’t locating the way that he wanted to locate. But from our standpoint, that is the least of our worries. Being the competitor and player that he is, he’ll be able to dial back into that once he’s back in the fire.”
The team will continue to be cautious with the 19-year-old southpaw, but the successful throwing session has enabled them to clarify his timeline for a possible return.
“As of right now,” Contreras elaborated, “he’s scheduled to throw on Tuesday in that second game with Quad Cities. So as long as his throwing program and his progression go well before then, we’ll see him out there.”
While many are anxious to see Gore take the mound again, I would anticipate the start on Tuesday to be a brief outing for him in an effort to mitigate the chances of any aggravation. Blisters, though generally not a major roadblock, can linger without adequate rest, hindering young prospects from finding consistency.
In his sole start this season, the Padres’ number two prospect struck out three, walked one, and allowed two runs over three innings of play. Granted, it seemed as the though the frigid weather and blister thwarted his fastball command throughout the night.
