TEMPE, Ariz. — Considering how long it had been since Griffin Caning pitched in a game, he was surprised at how uneventful this particular milestone felt.
“Honestly, not as bad as I was expecting,” the Angels’ right-hander said after pitching two scoreless innings in an exhibition game against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday. “I think I’m finally just confident in how my body is going to feel each day, so kind of just carry that over to the game.”
It had been 606 days since Canning pitched in a competitive setting, with another team and umpires and fans.
His last major league outing was July 2, 2021, and then he pitched a week later at Triple-A. At that point, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back, a condition that sidelined him for the next 20 months.
“It was just nice to see him out there,” manager Phil Nevin said after the game. “I’m really happy for him. It’s been a long, long road back.”
The lengthy rehab, which included discussion of surgery, knocked Canning down the Angels’ depth chart. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Canning had a 3.99 ERA and won a Gold Glove. He was was one of the Angels’ top starters heading into 2021, but he has not been the same since.
Canning struggled early in 2021 and was sent to Triple-A.
Since then he had gone through months-long stretches in which he didn’t even touch a ball. He also had to find other ways to strengthen his back. He began doing Pilates and working with physical therapists.
“I’ve just got to stay on top of it,” Canning said. “Pretty much stay disciplined with knowing what I’ve got to do.”
While surgery was considered an option last year, Canning decided to take a more conservative route. He said he had similar back issues while he was at UCLA, and they were resolved by taking a few months off in the summer.
“I think my body has shown it’s going to heal,” Canning said. “Once you have surgery, it’s there forever.”
Related Articles
Angels blank Guardians on five hits in Cactus League victory
Angels hard-throwing prospect Ben Joyce continues to impress in first spring training
Patrick Sandoval strikes out 6 in final Angels outing before WBC
Angels prospect Zach Neto gets long look in first big-league camp
Angels’ bats are quiet in 2-0 loss to Cubs
Canning now says that he feels like he’s back to normal, and he passed a key test in Monday’s game.
Canning threw 31 pitches in two innings, striking out two. He gave up an infield hit and a bloop single.
“I felt good,” Canning said. “Not as sharp as I want to be with some pitches, but it’s just about getting out there and getting comfortable.”
The Angels will now continue to give Canning opportunities to see if he can win the No. 6 spot in the rotation. Left-hander Tucker Davidson, who is out of options, and right-hander Chase Silseth are the other two leading candidates for the job. The Angels also could use someone like right-hander Jaime Barría, who swings between the bullpen and the rotation. Chris Rodriguez was initially thought to be a part of the No. 6 starter competition, but Rodriguez, who had shoulder surgery, is now at least a couple weeks behind the other pitchers.
Canning certainly helped to establish himself as a serious contender for the job with Monday’s game.
“The stuff look really good,” Nevin said. “We heard he was at 95 (mph), a lot of 94s. I thought the breaking balls were pretty crisp. He threw some good changeups. Really good work today. Looking forward to seeing how he feels tomorrow and then again in five days getting back out there.”