Daniel Norris underwent an MRI on his left pitching arm, but the tests came back clean and the Toronto Blue Jays left-hander says he’s already feeling better. He said after Sunday’s start that he was going through a ‘dead arm phase,’ which prompted the Blue Jays to take a closer look.
“We just went through some tests to make sure no arteries were getting clogged up or anything like that, making sure my pulse was fine,” Norris said. “Nothing was alarming. It’s just a little bit of fatigue. I’ve been doing everything I can off of the field whether it’s treatment or going in and getting acupuncture and stuff — I did that today. Honestly today in my throwing program I feel a lot better. I’m encouraged right now, just throwing through it, fighting through it.”
Norris experienced the same thing in 2014, so he’s confident the life will return to his pitches. He lightened his throwing program a little leading up to his start against the Atlanta Braves to ease up after a spring spent batting for a spot in Toronto’s rotation.
“My workload in spring training was — I was working really hard, trying to make this team and maybe that’s catching up to me a little bit right now, but I think I’m on the tail end of it. I’m feeling better,” Norris said.
Manager John Gibbons said the Blue Jays checked out Norris as a precaution, but aren’t concerned because the test results came back clean.
“It generally happens coming out of spring training,” Gibbons said. “Especially with young guys. You get some veterans in spring training, they’re just going out there working on stuff. But you get them youngsters, man. They’re gearing up, they’re trying to make the team—it’s all out. I think historically in baseball everybody hits that little lull sometime soon after spring training. But he’s fine. He checks out fine.”
Norris lasted 2.2 innings against Atlanta Sunday, allowing four earned runs while striking out one. In his two previous starts, the top prospect lasted at least five innings without allowing more than three earned runs.
Norris is slated to start against the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday.
