NEW YORK – When Justin Dunn walked off the mound at the end of his outing Monday at Citi Field, he returned to the dugout and hugged members of the training staff.
It had been 418 days since the last time he pitched in the Major Leagues, sidelined because of shoulder injuries, a long road that required a lot of patience and daily rehab work. And the first thing he felt walking off the mound was gratitude toward people who helped him return to the mound Monday.
"There were a lot of times through that process where I was wondering if I’d even be able to throw a ball again normal," Dunn said, "and a lot of doubt crept into my mind.