FORT MYERS, Fla. — Two years ago Wyatt Mills was one of the standout performers of Red Sox camp. The right-handed reliever struck out 10 batters through five innings in his first four appearances of the spring, and it looked as if he might have a shot at cracking the Opening Day roster.
Then, just like that, it was over.
“There wasn’t one single moment but I knew at some point two thirds of the way through camp, when I was playing catch it felt a little wrong,” Mills said. “It felt like it was pulling or tugging in the elbow.”
That setback proved to be the start of a long, painful journey that would ultimately cost Mills two years of his career.
Mills initially tried to rest and rehab his right elbow, but when that didn’t work he wound up undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2023. Following that season he was non-tendered but returned to Boston on a two-year minor league deal, and he spent the entire 2024 campaign rehabbing in Fort Myers.
Now, after all this time, Mills is back in big league camp trying to pick up where he left off.
“It feels really good, two years goes by and the feeling of being in the game and all that comes with that, it’s hard to recreate anywhere else,” Mills said. “I’ve been happy with how my arm’s been feeling, not even really thinking about it, and that’s exactly what you want.”
A lonely road
In hindsight, waiting nearly four months to undergo reconstructive elbow surgery might seem like a questionable choice. Had Mills underwent Tommy John right away, he could have returned to action by the second half of last season.
But given the nature of his injury, Mills said it wasn’t that simple.
“The first MRI I got didn’t look that bad, because it wasn’t like it was torn off the bone obvious,” Mills said. “It was just little frays.”
After he was shut down, Mills and the team decided to start with a conservative approach.
“It was take a couple days off and see how it feels. Didn’t feel super good. Take two weeks off and see how it feels. Still didn’t feel good. You don’t want to jump into surgery right when something happens so we tried to rehab it conservatively,” Mills said. “I think ultimately you’ve got to try.”
Eventually Mills underwent a weighted MRI, and it became clear the problem wasn’t going to resolve on its own.
“That showed it while it was in a stress mode, and it kind of revealed a little more underneath,” Mills said. “So it really wouldn’t have mattered either way.”
Since the surgery Mills has spent the majority of his time in Fort Myers, mostly during points when the complex is relatively empty. Mills put in hours of work rehabbing his elbow, all while watching his friends and teammates play out their careers thousands of miles away.
That being said, there were some highlights as well. Michael Fulmer, a former big league All-Star who also underwent elbow surgery in 2023, was in Fort Myers rehabbing as well, as were others who bonded into a close-knit group.
Mills also became a father, as he and his wife welcomed a baby girl this past July.
“It’s time to be together, and it’s also nice to take my mind off of being hurt and not playing,” Mills said. “Being away from the routine, instead we have a family and I feel like I have things at home that feels so much more like at home.”
Honing his game
A third-round pick out of Gonzaga in the 2017 MLB Draft, Mills pitched in 38 MLB games between 2021-22 with the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals, posting a 6.21 career ERA in 42 innings. He was acquired by the Red Sox following the 2022 season in exchange for Double-A pitcher and former Methuen High School star Jacob Wallace, and the hope was Mills could provide some additional back-end bullpen depth, which at the time was lacking.
Though hardly a fireballer, Mills has previously found success thanks to his unique sidearm delivery.
“I might not be lighting up the radar gun by any means, but especially for my arm slot, like executing, attacking, getting ahead with the funk and deception that I have,” Mills said. “If I can get ahead and get to my four-seam up that gets over their bats, I feel like the less they have time to adjust to my uniqueness.”
Previously Mills relied upon his fastball and slider, but over the course of his long layoff he said he’s worked to fine tune his pitch mix and add a couple of new weapons. He now has a changeup, which he said he’d wanted to add for a long time but couldn’t because he was always trying to make a team or stay in the big leagues, and he’s also gotten to a point where his four-seam and two-seam fastballs are more distinct, giving him a much broader arsenal.
“We were really able to put our heads together and how can I make the sinker better, how can I add a changeup? I’ve been trying my whole career but never felt like I had enough time, I’m always trying to make a team or stay in the big leagues, you don’t want to just throw out new pitches, so that was nice,” he said.
Another area where Mills has improved is his command, something manager Alex Cora immediately noticed upon his return to action this spring.
“He’s throwing a lot of strikes, something he hasn’t done, right?” Cora said. “Obviously he’s been hurt but not as erratic as he used to be, and he’s around the plate, which is good.”
Back on track
So far this spring Mills has made a strong early impression. The now 30-year-old has allowed just one earned run through 4.2 innings in his first four appearances, holding opposing batters to a .125 average while allowing one walk against six strikeouts.
Beyond his performance on the mound, Mills also provides a much different look than most of the other arms in camp. He hopes his deceptiveness will help him stand out.
“I think I offer something a little bit different and at the end of the day if that can help get outs I know if I’m attacking over the plate and executing, I’m going to get a chance,” Mills said.
Still, as a non-roster invitee, Mills would have to be added to the 40-man roster in order to play for the big league club. With so many other arms available competing for a small handful of spots, Mills faces long odds to break camp in the MLB bullpen.
But that’s fine with Mills. At this point he’s no stranger to daunting challenges, and whether it’s in Boston or Triple-A, he’s mostly excited for the opportunity to pitch again.
“Not really worried about anything that happens or where I’m put, just keep going and take care of what I can take care of,” Mills said. “I know it’s been two years and I know that I need reps and innings and there are going to be ups and downs, so just going to put my head down.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com – All rights belong to the original publisher.
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