Henderson Alvarez toed the pitching mound in June at a high school baseball field in Miami with the hopes of keeping his dream alive. He had once thrown a no-hitter and pitched in All-Star Game. But this is what his career had come to.
His right arm, once filled with so much promise, had failed him. Alvarez, who will pitch for the Phillies on Sunday, had two shoulder surgeries in a span of 14 months and was sidelined for all of last season. Scouts from 15 major-league teams watched him on that high school mound and ultimately left unimpressed.