Now healthy, Adam Wilk slides into 51s rotation
March 31, 2017 - 9:54 am
Updated March 31, 2017 - 6:50 pm
Adam Wilk’s season last year ended with surgery.
Wilk didn’t throw a pitch in a game after June 24, requiring surgery to repair his right hip labrum.
But now, with the surgery in the rear-view mirror, Wilk is completely healthy, ready to begin his first season in the New York Mets’ organization, for whom he’ll be a starter for the 51s.
The 51s open their season Thursday at the El Paso Chihuahuas, the 35th season of the minor league franchise in Las Vegas.
“They’ve done a really good job here of working with me and getting back in baseball shape because I missed the last month and a half of the season last year, so I just had to get myself back and ready to play,” Wilk said.
Wilk came into major league camp as a nonroster invitee with a chance to make the Mets out of the bullpen.
The Mets ultimately went in a different direction, taking Jerry Blevins, Josh Smoker and Josh Edgin as the three left-handers out of the bullpen.
But Wilk put up good numbers in major league camp, giving up two runs in 9 1/3 innings, good for a 1.93 ERA during spring training before being reassigned.
“Results aren’t always necessarily the way that you can judge, but I think in terms of the pitches I’ve made and the spots I’ve come in the game, I think I’ve done a good job,” Wilk said. “I think for the most part, I’ve pitched pretty well. That’s what you’ve got to do. I think I’ve made a good impression.”
And, most important, he felt good doing it.
“I think my hip has gotten better actually in terms of strength and the work that they do, the range of motion has all gotten better this spring, so I think my hip is ready and good to go,” Wilk said. “Arm feels great, body feels great.”
Wilk, an 11th round pick in 2009 by the Detroit Tigers, has bounced around the past few years.
After his time with Detroit, he went to play in Korea in 2013. He found his way back into affiliated ball the next year as a starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Triple-A team.
In 2015, he started for the Salt Lake Bees, and in 2016, the Durham Bulls, the Angels and Rays’ Triple-A teams, so the role he inherits in Las Vegas is one he’s familiar with.
“He’s just a guy who has been around for a long time who has to hit his spots to be most effective,” 51s pitching coach Frank Viola said.
Viola compared Wilk to two recent 51s starters, including one — Sean Gilmartin — who will be back in 2017.
“He’s a lefty, similar stuff-wise to Duane Below in that he’s not overpowering with his fastball,” Viola said. “He has a two-seam fastball, four-seam fastball, he’s got a breaking ball, he’s got a changeup. He’s crafty. He needs to hit his spots, similar to what we’ve seen in Sean Gilmartin, too, somewhat.”
Wilk has limited major league time, going 0-3 with a 6.49 ERA in nine games for the Tigers and Angels.
But when the Mets call Las Vegas, he’s hoping he’s made a good enough impression to get another crack at the big leagues.
“I think that I can help at some point, maybe in the bullpen or in the rotation for some starts,” Wilk said. “Just a chance to win, that’s all I care about.”
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Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.