August 29, 2022
Right-handed pitcher Jackson Rees is back on the mound after a long recovery from Tommy John surgery.
“It feels great,” Rees said about pitching again. “It was a very long process that included countless repetitions of arm care and strengthening to get back to where I was before surgery.”
“When I first got surgery, it felt like this would never come,” Rees added. “And even when I got close it still felt really far. Not until I stepped onto the mound in the bullpen to warmup for my first game did I feel back.”
And back he is as Rees is putting up great numbers just like he did in 2019. Pitching 10 innings since his return; Rees has 17 K’s, a WHIP of 1.10, and he’s holding opposing hitters to a .216 average against him.
With a bigger look at hitters in Triple-A this season, Rees has noticed a difference with them compared to hitters at the lower levels.
“They definitely like hitting the fastball,” explained Rees. “My first outing back I made the mistake of throwing a majority of fastballs and it did not go so well for me. Made some adjustments and my second outing was much better.”
“I would say the biggest difference is the discipline,” Rees added about the Triple-A hitters. “A lot of hitters in lower levels are trying to figure themselves out or maybe just trying too much. The hitters in Triple-A are focused on hitting pitches they know they can do some damage to.”
Primarily using a 4-seam fastball, a 2-seam fastball, and a slider; Rees hasn’t subtracted any pitches since Tommy John.
“I haven’t subtracted any pitches as I think even as a reliever having many pitches can be useful although it can also be harmful when you think you need to throw every pitch every at-bat,” stated Rees. “I’ve added a changeup that I think is going to be very useful but needs some tweaks before it’s a dominant pitch.”
Welcome back Jackson Rees!