Washington Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez is scheduled to make a rehabilitation start for the Class-A Advanced Potomac Nationals at Pfitzner Stadium on Friday, June 6th as the P-Nats host the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Kansas City Royals) at 7:05pm.
Gonzalez, 28, is on the mend from left shoulder inflammation that forced him to the 15-day disabled list on May 18th.
Gonzalez will be on a 65-pitch leash in his first-ever appearance in a Potomac Nationals uniform after throwing around 50 pitches in his last bullpen session.
A product of Hialeah, Florida, Gonzalez is one of the most durable pitchers in Major League Baseball. The southpaw had never previously been placed on the DL in his seven seasons in the Big Leagues.
Gonzalez was originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the compensation round of the 2004 MLB Draft with the 38th overall pick. The lefty hurler was acquired by the washington nationals in a 2011 trade that sent a quartet of former Potomac Nationals in RHP A.J. Cole, RHP Brad Peacock, C Derek Norris, and LHP Tommy Milone to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Gonzalez.
Gonzalez was ushered into the 2014 campaign with a career MLB record of (70-48) and a lifetime earned run average of 3.59. In 930.1 innings, Gonzalez fanned 910 batters while walking 416 hitters. The all-time batting average against mark versus Gonzalez sat at .232 coming into 2014.
Gonzalez is a two-time Major League All-Star garnering honors in the American League for Oakland (2011) and again in the National League with Washington (2012) who was named the recipient of the ’12 Warren Spahn Award given to MLB’s top left-handed pitcher.
Entering the 2014 season, Gonzalez owned the highest percentage of starts to render individual wins (minimum 20 games started) for the washington nationals in their franchise history. Gonzalez had 32 wins in 64 career starts for Washington to yield a 50% true winning percentage.
Gonzalez becomes the fifth Washington National to rehab with the Potomac Nationals in 2014 after RHP Doug Fister,RHP Ross Ohlendorf, 1B Adam LaRoche, and 3B Ryan Zimmerman all made rehab stops with the Carolina League Nationals this season.
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Chris Graham
