Taiwanese pitcher Wang Chien-ming of the Washington Nationals threw two shutout innings in an instructional league game on Tuesday, his second consecutive scoreless outing after missing the entire season.
Wang needed only 17 pitches to retire all six batters he faced, four on ground-outs and two on fly-balls. His velocity hit 143kph, his best since taking to the mound in a game situation during his rehab stint.
The Washington Nationals trainer monitoring Wang’s progress told Central News Agency that Wang’s shoulder, which was operated on during last season and kept him out of action for this season, was recovering quickly.
PHOTO: CNA
The trainer also said he was satisfied with the 30-year-old Tainan-born pitcher’s progress, as Wang’s velocity had improved from 113kph when he started throwing to about 145kph recently.
In his first instructional league outing on the previous Wednesday, Wang hit 140kph on the radar gun in one inning of work.
Wang’s outings in the instructional league — used by teams primarily to help minor league prospects improve their skills — are likely to determine his future.
After Wang was plagued by injury in 2008 and last year, when he was with the New York Yankees, the Yankees decided not to offer him a deal for this season and he ended up signing a one-year, US$2 million contract with the Nationals.
The Nationals are waiting to see how Wang progresses before they decide whether to offer him a new contract. If they do not, Wang will become a free agent.
Wang starred for the New York Yankees from 2005 to 2008, posting a 54-20 record, before suffering a foot injury in June 2008 that kept him out the rest of the year.
He returned last year, but performed poorly and suffered a torn right shoulder capsule that required surgery in July.
He was expected to return to the mound for the Nationals midway through this season, but his recovery was slower than anticipated.
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