Last spring, Tommy Kahnle was experiencing discomfort. However, the Yankees’ reliever now claims to be free of pain, despite the unlikelihood of being ready for Opening Day for the second consecutive year.
Kahnle completed his sixth bullpen session of the spring on Wednesday and stated that he felt well. Nevertheless, the Yankees are gradually increasing his workload as he had a delayed start to his throwing program due to shoulder inflammation that prematurely ended his season last year.
The experienced player hesitated to completely rule out the possibility of not being prepared to commence the season on schedule but conceded, “It’s leaning in that direction.”
He aims to start pitching in games around the initial week of the season, although it might occur during extended spring training or minor league matches.
Kahnle was sidelined at the beginning of the previous season due to biceps tendinitis, which developed after his first live batting practice.
However, he noted that this spring is distinct because he is not injured, merely lagging behind.
The 34-year-old mentioned that he typically initiates his offseason throwing regimen around Thanksgiving. However, he had to postpone it until mid-December because the inflammation persisted until then.
“After completing a 20-pitch bullpen session, Kahnle remarked, ‘It just took longer than I expected for the pain to go away.’ He added, ‘It feels good now. No pain, no nothing. Just been trucking.’
Kahnle anticipates participating in a few more bullpen sessions before progressing to live batting practice. Following that, he’ll need to complete a few live batting practice sessions before transitioning to game action.
The Yankees are employing a cautious approach with Kahnle in hopes of maintaining his health throughout the season, rather than encountering issues later on. Kahnle stated, ‘Obviously, we knew there was inflammation in there. It just didn’t clear up as quickly as we thought. But it wasn’t anything serious, no structural or anything.'”
