When Greg Holland was shut down in September 2015 with a torn UCL, it was a devastating loss for a Kansas City Royals bullpen that had relied on him as one of the most dominant closers in MLB.
He was an instrumental part of the 2014 World Series championship team, when he posted a 1.44 ERA in 62 innings pitched, racking up strikeouts at an impressive rate of 13 batters per nine innings. Holland would struggle (by his standards) with a 3.83 ERA in 2015 before being sidelined by his injury.
Now looking to return to dominance with the Rockies bullpen, Holland said Saturday that he will be ready to go on the first day of Spring Training.
“I feel really healthy, healthier than I’ve felt in a long time,” he said.
Over 15 months after his surgery, Holland says he is treating his offseason prep this year like he would any other year, and has yet to hit any significant setbacks.
“Right now my throwing program is very similar to what it would be in a normal offseason,” Holland said. “Having surgery is not the most optimal thing, but the timing of it worked out really well.”
Holland hasn’t thrown off the mound since starting his offseason program, but expects to begin that phase of his recovery soon.
“When you first start throwing, there’s always anticipation of getting back off the mound,” Holland said. “But once you start throwing, start progressing, it’s nice knowing that there’s nothing there.”
Holland’s pre-injury resume is impressive, with a career ERA of 1.86 from 2011 – 2014 and a devastating strikeout rate of 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings. He racked up 93 saves in 2013-2014, both years where he posted an ERA below 2.0 and was named an All-Star.
In those two years, Holland’s fastball velocity sat at around 96 MPH. There was a noticeable dip in 2015, as his fastball velocity dropped to around 93 MPH. It was later revealed that Holland had been pitching injured since August of the previous year, including through the Royals’ postseason run.
Whether he regains that velocity is a valid question. In a showcase back in November, Holland threw in the upper 80s, roughly five MPH under his 2014 numbers.
Still, recovery rates from Tommy John surgery are around 70 – 80 percent. And even while injured in 2015, Holland still managed to post a respectable 3.83 ERA in 44 games pitched, logging 32 saves, even as his walk rate spiked to 5.2 percent and his strikeout rate dropped.
If Holland cannot regain the dominance he previously held as the Royals’ closer, he still stands to be a reliable and consistent addition to the Rockies’ pen. So far, it’s an encouraging sign he hasn’t hit any setbacks, describing the recovery process as “seamless.” His contract guarantees $7 million in his first year, with a $15 million option if he reaches 50 games and 30 games finished in 2017. His incentives over two years could reach $35 million. As Drew Creasman writes, that sets up a huge incentive to perform.
But as far as another All-Star season? Holland says it’s not his priority. His focus is only on performing well for his new team.
“They signed me here to do a job and that’s what I anticipate myself doing, that’s what I expect out of myself,” Holland said. “I just want to go out there, get people out, and that’s what I expect out of myself.”
