BOSTON — The first pitch that Andrew Bailey fired in his minor league rehab assignment was a fastball right down the middle. Needless to say, it resulted in a hit against the Red Sox pitcher.
Ever since, Bailey has been on cruise control with his rehabilitation from thumb surgery. Making a pit stop in Boston before an appearance on Sunday — for Portland — Bailey was eager to return to the Red Sox.
"I feel like I'm throwing good," Bailey said. "It's nice to be on a mound and not have to worry about health issues. That's the key. Now it's back to baseball, getting back here and helping the team win. One step at a time."
"I'm sure they want to get me through some schedule stuff with back-to-back, that kind of stuff. That's what we'll map out over the next couple of days, but getting through those two appearances with no problems whatsoever, I knew that was going to happen."
While he's itching to making his season debut, Bailey reiterated that he wasn't concerned about his role moving forward. In fact, the 28-year-old said he'd have no qualms with inheriting his closer's role next season.
In the meantime, he's working on redeveloping his rhythm with individual pitches. After gaining confidence with his fastball, Bailey has dabbled with his cutter and curveball and expressed satisfaction with the strides.
"It's just going to get better," Bailey said. "I'm confident with everything. Being able to throw everything with conviction is important, especially for a second time out. I can only see it getting better. I'm looking forward to my rehab assignment in the minors and I'll be back here shortly."
It may be only for one month, but it could be a crucial stretch for Boston.
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