Ward may have to alter delivery, Brzykcy has forearm strain

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Thaddeus Ward will remember his Nationals spring training debut for the scoreless inning he posted, for the changeup he misfired to the backstop and for the news he got afterward: He might need to change his delivery, because his current one might qualify as a balk.

Ward, the top pick in December’s Rule 5 draft, pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth against the Cardinals, though it included a walk and a wild pitch that came nowhere close to the plate. But the most notable development of his appearance might have been the news he got after he returned to the dugout about his delivery.

When pitching from the stretch, Ward brings his hands together at the waist for a split-second, then does it again before coming to a complete stop. It was no problem for him last year in the minor leagues with the Red Sox, but Major League Baseball is cracking down on those kinds of moves this year.

“They came up to me after the inning ended and told me about it, that the umpires were discussing it,” the right-hander said.

Ward said he began incorporating that double move when he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. It helped remind him to use his legs more, pushing off the rubber. It’s become a subconscious part of his mechanics.

The pertinent question is: Does Ward come to a complete stop, then reset his hands before coming to another stop pre-pitch? That would be a balk. He and the Nationals think he never truly comes to a full stop on the first set, so the club called the league after the game to inquire.

“They don’t think, because he never comes to a complete stop when he does it, they don’t think it’s a balk,” manager Davey Martinez said. “But they want to make sure they see it, and then they’ll get back to us. If there’s nothing wrong that he’s doing, we don’t want him to change. But we definitely have to tell him, just in case he has to get rid of it.”

Ward insists it’s not a big deal if he has to make the change.

“If I don’t ever stop when I go down into that squat, then I’m not coming set twice,” he said. “However, that’s not something I want to deal with. I don’t want there to even be a chance to get called for a balk on it, ’cause that’s just a dumb balk. It’s probably going to be something I have to get rid of. It’s not that big an adjustment. I’m not going to be losing sleep over it.”

* Zach Brzykcy has been shut down 2-4 weeks with a forearm strain, bringing at least a temporary halt to the reliever’s first big league camp.

Brzykcy was throwing to live hitters earlier this week when he felt discomfort, according to Martinez. He went to get an MRI, which revealed the forearm strain, which required the shutdown.

Martinez said there’s no concern about Brzykcy’s elbow at this point, saying the injury is confined to the forearm.

The 23-year-old right-hander, an undrafted 2020 signee from Virginia Tech, had a 1.76 ERA and 14 saves between Single-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg last season, earning his first invitation to big league camp. He’s not a serious candidate to make the Opening Day roster, but he is among the young pitchers the organization was curious to watch this spring.

“Like I told him: ‘We know what you can do, so let’s get your strength back, get you back tossing and we’ll get you on the mound as soon as we can,’” Martinez said. “‘But if you keep throwing strikes, your future’s bright here. Believe me, you didn’t have to impress me here. I’ve seen what you can do. You’re coming off a really good year, so let’s get you healthy and get you back.’”