Ricky Nolasco On the Right Track

[Jewb]

The toughest part last season was sitting in the dugout between innings and feeling his elbow tighten, like someone was inflating a blood pressure cuff around it.

Ricky Nolasco already had been on the disabled list once. He returned May 1 and within two weeks knew he was headed back.

Nolasco did not pitch in the majors again.

Wednesday night he took another step toward re-establishing himself in the Marlins' rotation, tossing three shutout innings in a 5-4 loss to the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.

Officially, Nolasco is vying for the fifth starter's job, but he might return to the rotation by default. Right-hander Sergio Mitre already has missed a week with a strained forearm, and Wednesday the Marlins scratched Scott Olsen from today's scheduled start because of left shoulder tendinitis.

Olsen will rest two or three days before resuming a throwing program. Mitre is due to start throwing again today.

"I've been through it," Nolasco said.

Once Nolasco was deemed ready last August the Marlins optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque, where he made four forgettable starts. He got the loss in two of them as opponents tagged him for 26 runs (24 earned) on 29 hits in 15 1/3 innings. He did strike out 11 more batters (15) than he walked, but Nolasco also served up six homers.

"There were a lot of things that weren't right," Isotopes pitching coach Rich Gale said. "I'm sure he was disappointed he wasn't recalled in September. We talked about that some. … I'm sure there was some apprehension there. Even though he said it wasn't hurting, I've been there and you say that because you want to hear yourself say it and you think other people want to hear you say it."

Added Nolasco: "I battled all last year to just try and get out there and do something. It ultimately led them to believe I was healthy, but I wasn't because I wasn't myself at any point."

Not until a subsequent stint in the Arizona Fall League did Nolasco start feeling and looking like the 11-game winner as a rookie in 2006. He had the added benefit of Gale being his pitching coach there.

A point of emphasis was making sure Nolasco kept his head and front side in line longer. He was pulling off early and the result was an inconsistent arm slot. The turning point for Nolasco came in his second start, when the big curveball mirrored the one he threw before the injury.

"You could just see it almost in his face," Gale said. "Bang, that's it. Then he got a little happy with it, but he froze some people and buckled some knees."

Nolasco took the year's final six weeks off before resuming a throwing program. Once he did, the arm felt exponentially better than it did in Arizona.

With a new pitching coach in Mark Wiley and a manager yet to see him at his best, Nolasco said he is approaching this spring the same way he did prior to his rookie season.

"I was back to not thinking about anything," Nolasco said. "The life came back and everything was back to normal like it was in '06. … What I had in my mind was to come in and be healthy, and if I was effective I'd find my way on to this team."

As for immediate concerns about Olsen, manager Fredi Gonzalez said: "I don't think there's anything major. Any time you get a starter with a little arm tenderness you get concerned. But it's still early."

I don't know how many know, but I'm a HUGE Nolasco supporter. I want this guy to have all sorts of success in the majors and I'm hoping this year he finally breaks out. That curve be nasty!

[St. Jimmy]

+1 for the Ricky Nolasco Booster Club

[Jewb]

Thanks for 'newsing' this.