He’s baaaaack!!! Jered Weaver returns to the mound for Angels on Sunday

Jered Weaver has not been in a major league game for the Angels since June 20th, 2015 when he gave up 4 runs in 5.2 innings taking his eighth loss of the season against the Oakland A’s.  The next day the Angels placed Weaver on the disabled list due to hip inflammation for what was hoped to be at most three to four weeks until after the July 13th-16th All-Star break.  However, a mid-July return was not in the cards for the 10-year veteran as Weaver needed a bit more time to mend.

Flash-forward to July 30th when Weaver took the mound for the first time in 5 weeks, but it was not the mound he was expecting in Angel Stadium, instead he was on the hill for the Inland Empire 66’ers and he wasn’t facing the Houston Astros, his opponent was the Bakersfield Blaze.  Weaver pitches 63 pitches that night over 3.2 innings and his long road back seemed to be nearing an end as he had hoped to be back with the team facing the Cleveland Indians last Tuesday at the Big “A”.

After consulting with the Angels team medical staff and manager Mike Scioscia it was decided that Weaver needed one final tune-up before returning to Anaheim.  So Weaver again drove out to San Bernardino and was on the mound for the 66’ers last Tuesday against the Lake Elsinore Storm.  Weaver stretched things out a little more throwing 84 pitches this time in 5.2 innings and again he felt he was ready to return to the Angels.  This time Scioscia and the medical staff agreed with Weaver and so he will return to the Angel Stadium mound on Sunday where he will be facing a tough hitting team in the Baltimore Orioles.

Weaver has now been thrust back into a pennant race in hopes of giving the Angels some stability in the rotation since C.J. Wilson recently was lost for the season due to an elbow injury.  The veteran right-hander wants to do whatever he can to help the team, which is why he first decided to go on the DL as Weaver felt he was hurting the team because he was not able the pitch the way he needed to be effective.

“As was frustrating as it was (to go on the DL), I knew it was right thing to do,” Weaver said of his decision to go on the DL said. “I’ve had hip issues for two or three years now, I was able to work it out between starts to get it to where it needed for that 5th day, but the next day it would tighten back up.  I was fighting against myself trying to get back to where I know I could be while I was pitching with it (the hip injury). I’m one of the guys who likes to go out and throw the ball no matter what my body is feeling like, if I can get the ball across the plate I want to be out there.

As for the whole process Weaver has been through to get back to the Angels Weaver said. “I’m glad I did it  and I feel I’m ready to go now. Its been a long process and it’ll be good to get back out there,” Weaver said. “I’m just trying to get out there and do what I’ve done throughout my whole career and hopefully I’ll have a little better ending than I did to start the season.”

Angel fans everywhere will be curious to see how Weaver pitches in his return.  Halo Hangout will again provide live updates from the game and there will be a post-game story with comments from Weaver and Scioscia after the game.  Look for live updates on Twitter @halohangout  and @calfladave22.