Rumors of Hiroyasu Osaragi’s accelerated recovery from Tommy John surgery appear to be well-founded, as the 25-year-old hurled and the Yellow Springs Nine have agreed on a three-season contract extension that will pay the right-hander $13 million over three years (though Osaragi has an opt-out clause for the third season).
Originally expected back in shape to begin baseball activities in late August, the team says they expect Osaragi will be assigned to Indianapolis for a rehab stint within the next week or two, and that if things go well the timetable for his return to the Nine’s rotation could be as early as the All-Star break.
“We’re excited about it,” said manger Bill Inkster. “But to be honest, we’re focused on how to handle Calgary (the team’s next opponent) right now. I don’t think we’re a team who can afford to be thinking that far ahead.”
Fans, however, are a different beast, able to think as far out as they want. Most are indulging their fantasies to a good extent, seeing how Carlos Valle seems to have caught fire recently, and how Luis Colon seems not far behind, and that Jose Chavez has been flashing peak Dogface form, and that the club added Elwood Blues, well, you can see how far those fantasies could go for the average blue-collar Yellow Springs Nine fan.
“I love winning, man” one of them recently said while wearing a big, cheesy grin. “You hear what I’m saying? It’s like … better than losing?”