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VIERA, Fla. - Chien-Ming Wang and Tom Gorzelanny got their first live action of the spring this morning, throwing a simulated game on the back fields of the Nationals' spring training complex. Neither one was throwing harder than the mid-80s, but pitching coach Steve McCatty was happy with how both pitchers looked.
Wang threw 16 pitches, 10 of them strikes, and topped out at 83 mph with his sinker. He was scheduled to go two innings, but McCatty cut the outing short after Wang, who hasn't pitched in a game in almost two years because of shoulder surgery, said his arm felt stiff at the end of his first inning.
"He looked OK," McCatty said. "It was real windy. We were going to go one, possibly two, depending on how he felt. But he was a little bit stiff, so it was one. That's fine with me. It's an ongoing process."
Wang showed a good breaking ball at times, and wasn't helped by rookie shortstop Rick Hague, who made two errors in the simulated game.
Gorzelanny has been set back this spring because of a sinus infection and some arm stiffness. He threw 26 pitches, 15 of them for strikes. He topped out at 85 mph, and mostly sat between 83 and 84 mph. He's historically thrown in the low 90s, and the Nationals expect him to get to that point as the spring goes on.
"I felt strong," Gorzelanny said. "You get out there and pitch, you're going to be a little sore, but nothing past the norm."
It's possible Gorzelanny's next outing could be in a major league game, while it seems likely the Nationals will keep Wang working on the minor league side a little longer.
