Anthony Gruppuso- USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Mariners have announced that veteran right-hander Jeremy Bonderman will make his first start of the spring on Monday against the Los Angeles Angels. Bonderman was signed in the off-season to a minor league deal that included a spring training invite.
At 30, Bonderman has spent the first eight seasons of his MLB career with the Detroit Tigers and is a native Kennewick, WA. He has a career record of 67-77 with a remotely high ERA of 4.89. The last time Bonderman pitched in the MLB was in 2010, when he went 8-10 with a 5.53 ERA for the Tigers. Bonderman was also a member of the 2006 Detroit team that went to the World Series.
Injuries have been a major concern for Bonderman as he is currently trying to recover from Tommy John surgery that he had in April of 2012. Bonderman also had problems with blood clot in his throwing shoulder during his tenure in Detroit.
“I just thought it would be a good idea to give it one last shot,” Bonderman said about his comeback to the MLB.
Bonderman has dedicated himself to getting in better shape for the upcoming season, as he has lost 30 pounds. “I’ve changed a lot of the things we keep in the house,” he said. “No pop. No chips. I try to eat before it gets too late in the day. Just taking better care of myself.”
When Bonderman signed with the Mariners he was told that he would be in competition for a spot in the starting rotation. Bonderman is battling against Erasmo Ramirez and Blake Beavan for the fifth spot in the rotation.
I think Bonderman has the veteran experience that this Mariners rotation could really use. He will have a chance to make a good first impression, when he takes the hill against the division rival Angels on Monday.
Max Gross can be followed on Twitter @maxgross55
