Justin Wilson treats his long-awaited return like just another game
As Cincinnati Reds reliever Justin Wilson jogged out of the bullpen and entered the game on Saturday, Reds reliever Tejay Antone gave him a high five and didn’t think much about the moment.Wilson was so calm as he took the field that Antone had forgotten that Wilson hadn’t pitched in a big league game since April of 2022.
‘I didn’t even think about it,” Antone said. “Then I was like, ‘Wait, he hasn’t been in a big league game in a while.’”
Wilson pitched a scoreless inning on Saturday against the Washington Nationals. Even after the game, he didn’t make a big deal about it.
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“It was a regular game,” Wilson said. “I think about pitching in the game. That’s what I have to do. People knew that it was a long road of recovery. But you’re trying to win a game.”Before Saturday, Wilson hadn’t pitched in a big league game since he was the top setup reliever on the 3-22 Reds. Wilson was one of the only bright spots on the Reds during that stretch, but he injured his elbow in April and later had Tommy John surgery.
Wilson was set to return in July of 2023 as a reliever on the Milwaukee Brewers. As he warmed up in the bullpen, Wilson pulled his lat and suffered a season-ending injury.
On Saturday, Wilson said that he couldn’t think about his experience the last time he warmed up in a big league bullpen. Antone said that Wilson’s emotions looked like those of a pitcher who was entering a random game in the middle of the season.
“It’s better that way,” Antone said. “If you hype it up too much, your emotions skyrocket. It’s harder to control yourself. It also depends on how much energy you have. Some guys are more 9s or 10s on that scale. Justin is a mellow guy. He wanted to treat it normally.”
Wilson opens the 2024 season as a trusted left-handed reliever in the Reds’ bullpen. Reliever Brent Suter gives the Reds a versatile left-handed reliever who can pitch multiple innings. Wilson can be the left-hander in the bullpen who specializes in left-on-left matchups.
“He looks great, and he’s pitching with a lot of confidence,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He has really good stuff, too. It’s a pleasure to have him on this team.”
He tweaked his slider with the Reds in April of 2022, and now he’s getting the opportunity to show how effective that pitch can be. Wilson had also added a splitter.
"I’m just happy to be able to compete," Wilson said. "I feel healthy. I just want to keep that going and be aggressive on the mound."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds reliever Justin Wilson returns to MLB after two years of injuries
