Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CINCINNATI — My how time doesn’t fly.
When Brandon Finnegan went on the disabled list back on April 16, he thought it would be ac couple of weeks and then back to work.
It is now the end of May and Finnegan is still quite a few days from returning to the Cincinnati Reds’ starting rotation.
“I thought it was going to be a little quick 10-day thing and start throwing again and be back in a couple of weeks, but it definitely took a lot longer than I expected,” said Finnegan.
His return begins with baby steps as Finnegan is scheduled to throw 20 pitches on Tuesday and then return on Saturday to throw 35 more.
That’s it. A total of 55 pitches over a five-day period.
“They’re just being smart. You can’t be made at them for that. I feel good, though. That’s all that matters,” said Finnegan.
“I hope it’ll go by pretty quick, especially once I start getting off the mound instead of playing catch every day. I think it will start going pretty quick starting tomorrow, so I’m pumped.”
Finnegan was throwing well when he suffered what was diagnosed as a strained teres major muscle near his left shoulder, or his pitching shoulder.
His placement on the disabled list meant the Reds had three pitchers in their starting rotation sidelined. Anthony DeSclafani — who originally was scheduled to start on Opening Day — and oft-injured Homer Bailey began the season on the DL.
DeSclafani suffered from a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow while Bailey is hampered by bone chips in his right elbow. Both pitchers are right-handers.
DeSclafani is not expected back until after the All-Star break but Finnegan and Bailey could return to help bring a transfusion to an anemic starting corps.
Reds’ manager Bryan Price has his fingers crossed they’ll both return in June.
“If everything goes well, we’ll be able to continue on with his rehab, throwing and getting closer to getting him into games and getting back here sometime in June, hopefully back in our rotation,” said Price.
“(Finnegan and Bailey) are very, very close. Then again, take it with a grain of salt. (Finnegan could be back) somewhere between June) 19 and 24. That would be terrific. He might be a little later than that just because he’s just getting off the mound.”