Madson's journey back culminates in scoreless inning in Royals' opener
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Every time Ryan Madson talked about his last major league appearance, the response came quick and became familiar.
"It really didn't feel like that long," Madson would politely say about his last outing three and a half years ago.
The question became a much more frequent one for the Royals' right-hander in the last two days since making Kansas City's Opening Day 25-man roster. And finally, on Monday, Madson returned to a major league hill for the first time in 1,277 days. His last appearance came for the Phillies in Game 5 of the 2011 National League Division Series.
After pitching a perfect ninth inning in Philadelphia's loss to St. Louis, Madson's career went dark. Until Monday.
In the ninth inning of the Royals' 10-1 win over the White Sox, Madson jogged in from the bullpen, toed the rubber and uncorked a 90-mph fastball for a called strike. The pitch capped an improbable journey back from lingering arm issues so severe that Madson faced only three minor league hitters after 2011.
"I really didn't have a doubt, but obviously, I'm the guy that's trying to do it," Madson said.
He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012, attempted a return with the Angels in 2013 and signed as a free agent with the Royals in January. Along the road back, there hasn't been much time for reflection for Madson. Instead, he was focused on each day, marking it off and moving to the next one, consistent with the classic mentality of a reliever.
But when he got a call Saturday morning informing him that he had made the team, he could ponder just how far he had come and what he had been through. Jim Fregosi Jr., a Royals special assistant to the general manager who had scouted Madson out of high school and reached out to him in January, then called Madson on Sunday to congratulate him.
"When I finally got the call I was going to be here, that was a little moment where I could reflect a little bit and feel in disbelief that I actually accomplished something that was not that attainable for many," Madson said. "Those moments are good, and those are the moments where I can take it in. Other than that, it's just back to work."
Madson was not with the team in Houston over the weekend, which could have featured an appearance in a big-league ballpark, albeit in a game that didn't matter. He was home in Winchester, Calif., getting baptized during an Easter Vigil mass on Saturday.
Two days later, the bullpen phone rang and Madson knew it was time to knock off some rust. He gave up a single and a walk but coaxed a double play and a pop-up to close the game. Madson, 34, said he felt his location and mechanics slightly off.
"Once I get my body fired up, it likes to throw every day or every other day," Madson said. "It's like a high-performance motor. You can't let it sit for very long or else it's not good."
So Madson stood at his locker on Monday afternoon without ice on his arm, the first hurdle cleared and unsure when the next inning will call his name. But it won't feel that far away.
You can follow Matthew DeFranks on Twitter at @MDeFranks or email him at matthew.defranks@gmail.com.
