Chapman making return from scary head injury

[caption id=”attachment_5216" align=”alignnone” width=”580"]

Aroldis Chapman returned to Louisville for the first time since 2011 to make a ML rehab appearance on Tuesday night. (Pat Pfister)[/caption]

Pitcher safety has been an issue around all levels of baseball for a number of years. In today’s era, there is often a threat of physical harm considering how fast pitchers throw and how strong hitters have become.

The two aspects of the game can make for a dangerous combination. Unfortunately, we saw that danger rear its ugly head when Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez at Surprise Stadium on March 19.

The physical treatment is one thing, but the mental rehabilitation is a completely different monster.

Think back to when you were learning to ride a bike. You know the thought in the back of your mind after you had already fallen off? Well, multiply that by about 100 and you’d likely have a similar feeling of what it was like for Champan to get back on the mound.

But here he is; right back on the doorstep of making his return to Cincinnati and the big leagues only a month and a half after such a scary incident.

After watching Chapman throw at Louisville Slugger Field on Tuesday night, it was evident by the number of pitches clocked between 98 and 101 miles per hour that the physical tools are still there.

However, he appeared to be a little rattled after Steve Lombardozzi, the second batter in the Norfolk Tides lineup, hit a soft line drive past his head and into center field. Could you really expect anything else?

Still, despite Chapman’s slightly apparent uneasiness and inefficient stat line (2/3 IP, 5ER, 4H, 1BB, 1HBP, 1K), the hard-throwing left-hander will be back.

Need proof? He threw two near-perfect innings for the Class-A Dayton Dragons last week when he made a pair of appearances and did not allow a run, much less a hit, to go along with a walk and three strikeouts.

Although he’s made it clear he feels back to normal and is ready to make his return, it may take some time for the “Cuban Missile” to get back to his consistently productive ways. But, at only 26 years old, time shouldn’t be a concern.