Return to mound is ‘going to be emotional’ for Mariners starter Kendall Graveman
When Kendall Graveman takes the mound Monday evening at Minute Maid Park, he will surely appreciate the moment.
He last pitched in a regular season Major League Baseball game on May 11, 2018. It was inside Yankee Stadium, while Graveman, a two-time Opening Day starter, was still with the A’s.
Graveman pitched six quality innings and earned a win. He didn’t know then his next big league start would come more than two years later. About two months after that win over New York, Graveman underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery.
He became a free agent that winter, signed with the Cubs and made two three-inning minor league starts late in the summer, but but he never showed up on Chicago’s roster. Graveman became a free agent again in November, and the Mariners jumped in, signing him to a one-year deal, believing he could reboot his career.
Graveman spoke this spring about how the time away helped him appreciate the game more. He’s looked like one of the better pitchers in Seattle’s six-man rotation in both spring and summer camps.
Finally, more than 800 days after that start in New York, Graveman will be back on the mound in a meaningful game.
“It’s going to be emotional for sure,” Graveman said after his final intrasquad start last week at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
He paused.
“Shoot,” he continued. “(This was) the last little tune up. Hay’s in the barn and even now thinking about it, it is special for me to step on a big league mound once again. Heck, I even teared up when I made my first AZL league (start last year). That was almost a year ago to date.
“It’s just fun being out there, being able to compete. I’m blessed. I’m privileged to be able to get out there and do it again. Not everybody has that opportunity coming off Tommy John surgery to get back healthy and feel right.
“Man, just blessed to be able to be out there. It’s going to be very fun to compete with guys that are behind me. I tell the guys before we go out, ‘I’m going to give you everything that I have, I just ask that you do the same in return.’ And I’ll do no different on Monday.”
Graveman, now 29 years old, had success during the four seasons he pitched in Oakland, though he opened that 2018 season 0-5 with a 8.89 ERA in his first five starts. He was up-and-down from Triple-A Nashville before the elbow injury.
But, the Mariners still viewed Graveman as a strong candidate for a career revival, and he hasn’t disappointed. He was sharp before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down spring training, added a four-seam fastball to complement his sinker during the shutdown, and stood out in summer camp, tying for the team lead in strikeouts (13 in two intrasquad start) with young lefty Justus Sheffield. His fastball has consistently touched 95-96 mph.
“Certainly it’s been a long time since he pitched in a major league game,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said last week. “Going through rehab and everything he’s gone through, couldn’t be happier for him.
“Really love his demeanor on the mound. He’s very in control, attacking, he’s controlling the game, and I think it sets a great example for our younger pitchers to take a look at. He does it his way.”
Graveman said it is hard to put into words, but there’s been a “big change” in the pitcher and person he has become during his two years away from the majors.
How he has matured away from the field — he and his wife also welcomed a daughter during the time he missed — has also contributed to growth on the field, he said.
“It’s little things like that off the field that help, I think, steer the direction on the field,” he said. “It’s helped in my case. For me, the passion of the game never really left. But, I have a rejuvenated desire to play the game, so it’s fun for me right now.”
The game has also slowed down, he said, and he’s been able to recognize if he is focused on his preparation, and puts in the work to succeed, he should not be afraid of the possibility of failure.
“Now I would be able to clear the mind, know this is not the end of the world if you fail, not be afraid of failure,” he said. “I can say there were times in the past that where that wasn’t the case.”
Entering Monday’s start, he’s calm, confident, and ready to get back on the mound after such a long time away.
“I just want to love on these guys that play behind me, and continue to compete the best I can,” he said. “If I can do that, then I can walk away and walk home with a smile on my face every time.”
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
