The last time Triston McKenzie warmed up to make a start at Goodyear Ballpark was on March, 27, 2023. However, he was removed from that start which was just the beginning of an injury filled season where he only made four appearances.
Sticks admitted this was on his mind as he prepared to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in his second spring training appearance in 2024. Thankfully, his latest start for the Cleveland Guardians pitcher went much better then last year as McKenzie eyes a strong comeback season.
McKenzie pitched 3.0 innings against the Dodgers and only allowed one hit while striking out four batters. His fastball velocity looked like it was at midseason form which a tremendous point to be halfway though spring training.
Numbers are just one piece of the puzzle. How his body feels is just as important considering the injuries McKenzie is coming off of.
Sticks said after the start that, "I'm very excited I was able to go out there and throw three innings ... Just being able to go out there and get into a rythmn was really nice."
Just looking at the calender ahead, Sticks probably has two, maybe three more starts before opening day. McKenzie still feels he's working on fine tuning a few things ahead of the regular season.
"Spring Training is all about building volume and being able to get ready for the season," said McKenzie. "As well as fine tune a lot stuff. I felt a little iffy getting to what I consider my ideal game speed to be. I felt a little bit slow, but I was still able to go out there and still use my stuff to the best of my ability which is what you have to do in season."
It's important to remember here that McKenzie has only made a handful of starts with the pitchclock in it's inaugural season. It makes sense he may still be trying to find his groove with that factor.
It may take some time for him to get comfortable but it shouldn't be a major factor in his overall production.
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