EL notes: Webb out to regain form in return
Logan Webb's season couldn't have started out much better. Back at Richmond where he finished last season, the No. 5 Giants prospect went 1-2 with a 2.00 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 27 innings in five April starts.Then he was hit with an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a
Then he was hit with an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug. On May 1, he released a statement simultaneously asserting confusion (over how he could have tested positive) and respect and acceptance of Major League Baseball's decision.
Three months later, the humble right-hander has returned to Richmond, determined to get back to that April form, and beyond.
"I'm just trying to finish up strong," said the native of Rocklin, California. "I had a good start and I'm trying to get back to what I was doing at the beginning of the year."
The road back to Richmond was a bit quiet, starting in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he worked at the Giants facilities with coordinators and coaches, trying to keep that in-game feel as much as possible with live BPs and simulated games.
This allowed Webb to keep his pitching mentality intact, despite the lack of real game atmosphere he had become accustomed to every five days.
"You try to keep the same kind of adrenaline during those games, just to make sure when I came back it wasn't too much of an adjustment," he explained. "Overall, it's not too different. Obviously, there's no fans or anything, so you have to get the adrenaline on your own. It wasn't too big of an adjustment."
The time away provided Webb an opportunity to continue to work on mechanics and, most importantly, find more comfort in an off-speed offering that he continues to fine tune.
"I only threw it in certain situations before," he said of his changeup. "Now, I feel like I can throw in any situation. Obviously, I'm still working on it, still refining it. It's not a finished product or anything like that. I definitely feel a lot more comfortable with it now."
Webb finally got back to live-game action in mid-July, looking strong in five innings in the Rookie-level Arizona League before two more solid five inning outings at Class A Augusta.
He has since made two starts for the Flying Squirrels but was unable to make it five innings in either outing, allowing 12 hits and 5 walks along the way.
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Despite those results, Webb is determined to use the last month of the season to make up for lost time.
"We're still working on some stuff," he said. "I definitely think the stuff we're working on is going to be better over the next month. I'm just excited to keep throwing, honestly."
In brief
Bats of stone: After hitting just .208 in his first 41 games after being called up from Class A Advanced Salem, fourth-ranked Red Sox Jarren Duran has been on a tear. Over his past 14 games, the Portland Sea Dogs outfielder has a .417 batting average and has hit safely in all but one of those contests. During this stretch, Duran has nine multi-hit games, including his second four-hit effort since reaching Double-A. He has four doubles, six RBIs and 10 runs scored.
Straight to the point: In 20 of his 25 relief appearances for Altoona this season,
Crooked bundles: Erie's
Craig Forde is a contributor to MiLB.com.