Baker happy to hear of Arroyo's progress in possible return to majors

Veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo made his second rehab start with the rookie-level Gulf Coast Nationals today and it was a solid improvement over his first game back.

Arroyo is rehabbing from inflamed tendons in his right shoulder. The 39-year-old signed with the Nationals as a minor league free agent on January 26.

He last pitched in the majors in 2014 with Arizona. Arroyo underwent Tommy John surgery July 15, 2014.

On June 26, Arroyo pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on 10 hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

Today, Arroyo rebounded with five shutout innings, allowing three hits with two walks and three strikeouts earning the win in the GCL Nats' 17-0 shellacking of the GCL Cardinals.

Manager Dusty Baker, who worked with Arroyo from 2008 through 2013 when he managed him with the Reds, was thrilled to see Arroyo have a solid rehab outing.

"It's great because he's one of the guys that did a lot for us in Cincinnati," Baker said. "Not only for me but to the rest of the pitching staff, this guy brings a knowledge and wisdom to pitching as well as on how to work hard.

"This guy is a hard, hard worker. He texted me the other day and he just said thanks for asking me to stick with it because he feels great. Who knows, maybe at some point in time he'll be able to help us this year."

Arroyo brings a wealth of that knowledge to the table. He has appeared in 405 games (369 starts) from 2000 to 2014 with the Pirates, Red Sox, Reds and Diamondbacks. He has accrued 145 wins and has 1,526 strikeouts. He has 16 complete games, six shutouts and one save.

Eight times he had 10 or more wins in a season, was a 2006 All-Star and earned a Gold Glove in 2010. He pitched in seven playoff series, including the ALCS and a World Series.

Arroyo has also had a positive effect on reliever Aaron Barrett, who worked out with Arroyo at the Nationals training facility in Vera, Fla., as he recovers from right elbow UCL surgery.

"I talked to (Aaron) Barrett when he came up to see the doctor," Baker said. "Barrett had told me what a motivator Bronson was to him to get his head straight and also work hard, emulate and copy Bronson."

But at 39 years of age, was Arroyo close to shutting it down? Despite the recent Tommy John, Baker still saw that fire burning in Arroyo to pitch again.

"You can just sort of tell," Baker said. "We all know the signs when you see the distant look sometimes. I don't know if we all know it. Those of us that have been there at some point in time we can sort of see it.

"But I know he still had the desire to still pitch and he loved pitching. And if you have that desire to pitch and love pitching then you got to exhaust every avenue and then and only then can you go the rest of your life and say OK I'm satisfied with what I've done in my career."