Lakeland, Fla. — The best news Monday for the Kansas City Royals was not a 10-4 rout of the Detorit Tigers or Jermaine Dye's mammoth home run, estimated conservatively at 465 feet, but the health of pitcher Mac Suzuki.
One day after throwing two perfect innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, Suzuki pronounced his arm fit.
The Royals were concerned how Suzuki's arm would feel the day after his spring training debut in which he threw 28 pitches.
"There's no soreness, just tightness like always," Suzuki said Monday.
Suzuki had arthroscopic shoulder surgery last October. He pitched in pain last September, when he went 0-3 with a 6.59 earned run average in five starts.
"I was happy with my performance and the way my shoulder is feeling," Suzuki said. "I still had a little control problems, but I've always had control problems."
The Royals were pleasantly surprised with his velocity, 91 to 93 miles per hour, for his first time out after surgery.
"My velocity is coming along good," Suzuki said. "Still I'm not 100 percent."
Suzuki said he should pitch in five or six more games before spring training ends.
"So I'm not worried about velocity right now, but just throwing strikes and getting back the feeling," Suzuki said. "That's all I care about right now."
Suzuki was 8-10 with a 4.34 earned run average in 32 games, 29 of them starts, last year. He anticipates he will be ready when the season starts Sept. 2.
"I thought so before spring training," Suzuki said. "I was thinking I was going to be ready Opening Day."
Whether he will build up his arm enough to be a starter in the next three weeks is another question.
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