Halladay Looks To Stay Off Disabled List
Posted February 15, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
There’s never been any doubt about Roy Halladay’s talent, but his health has been precarious at best. This year, Toronto ‘s ace pitcher hopes to stay off the disabled list by altering his training routine.
The 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner found himself on the 15-day D.L. twice because of problems with his right shoulder in ’04. He sat out half of the 2005 season after breaking a bone in his left leg, and last season he battled a strained right forearm.
There has been some speculation that Halladay’s rigorous training routine could be partly responsible for the wear and tear.
“It’s such a constant trying to find out what’s right — what do I need to do more of, what do I need to do less of. I think the older you get, there is such a thing as too much, too much at the wrong time,” he admits.
“I really started throwing the first, second week of December,” Halladay adds, concerning preparation for the upcoming season. “But the big thing was to really do a lot of long tossing, building up arm strength that way.
“It’s kind of our goal to cut down on our bullpens before spring training. It’s something that I hope will make me stronger in the year. That’s the plan, anyways.”
He also believes the team’s latest acquisitions will help him stay healthy.
The Jays added veteran pitchers Tomo Ohka, John Thompson and Victor Zambrano during the off-season.
“I think it helps,” Halladay said. “Especially last year, we had a lot of younger guys that helped us quite a bit,” he said.
“I think the toughest part for us is keeping the starters healthy. Finding the right mix of guys who can go out and eat innings for us.”
His comments come as the Jays report to spring training this week in Dunedin. It’s a sure sign that winter won’t last forever.
