SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–Jeff Samardzija’s locker at Scottsdale Stadium is tucked into a corner in the home clubhouse, offering a small sense of privacy in a crowded space occupied by 70 other teammates.
Samardzija stood in front of it Wednesday with a smile on his face after throwing two scoreless innings in his Cactus League debut against the Royals. As he discussed a fastball that bumped up to 94 miles per hour and a splitter he likes as an out pitch, he looked back at an offseason spent rehabbing a shoulder injury in San Francisco.
Back in the home clubhouse at Oracle Park, Samardzija’s locker was the only one.