Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Thrust into the difficult position of missing the first two months of a season with a significant knee injury, some relief pitchers would prefer a reasonable break-in period before being placed in high-leverage situations.
Not Will Smith.
"I'm a little nuts. I like it that way," the Milwaukee Brewers reliever said with a laugh.
Baseball players might tell you left-handed specialists operate on a different wavelength to begin with, but Smith saw no reason to baby his right knee after recovering from a torn lateral collateral ligament. He was chagrined to have done it while carelessly removing a shoe late in spring training and saw no reason to ease back into his important bullpen role.