198 to 68.2 to 190 to 70.2. Those are the innings that Myers has pitched over the course of the last four seasons. In his career, he's gone on the DL three times - once for hip surgery, once for a shoulder strain (2007), and in September of last year for a right shoulder strain that Myers says was aggravated by trying to come back from the hip surgery too fast.
But Ed Wade isn't worried about asking a guy who pitched 70.2IP last season to try to hit 200+ this season:
“I think it's less of an issue with someone who's done it before than taking a guy who's coming off an injury and hasn't been there for a while or taking some guy and transitioning him from a relief role to a starting role."
That may very well be the case. Myers started out shaky in last night's game against the Blue Jays, allowing three earned runs - including a two-run homer to Aaron Hill - in the first inning, and then cruising to logging a quality start, giving up nada the rest of the way out, and throwing 58 of his 82 pitches for strikes.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
