Chien-Ming Wang moved one step closer to a return on Monday. The Washington Nationals right-hander made a minor league rehab start in Florida. According to the Washington Post, Wang made a positive impression in his start.
Wang threw his entire assortment of pitches in two innings of work against a smattering of Washington minor league batters. Most encouraging of all is that Wang topped out a 91 mph.
He did allow four hits, but his fastball velocity and a smooth delivery were encouraging signs.
“He’s back,” said manager Davey Johnson. “I liked what I saw. He’s obviously stronger than last year – even in his warm-ups. He looks like the old Chien-Ming”
Wang could make his first spring training start, against big leaguers, on March 10. He is battling John Lannan for the team’s fifth starter position.
We'll have much more on Spring Training here at SB Nation DC in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out SB Nation's Nationals blog, Federal Baseball, for more news and notes. And don't forget to visit Baseball Nation, the MLB hub of SB Nation for information from around the league.