Brad Hand averaged 92.8 MPH with his fastball, got it up to 93.5 a few times, which the scoreboard in LA apparently rounded up to 94, and retired the Los Angeles Dodgers in order in the the top of the eighth inning on Sunday.
Hand threw a quick, 11-pitch, seven-strike, 1-2-3 frame in his 2021 debut after he landed on the COVID-IL before Opening Day.
Hand’s fastball velocity was up from an average of 91.4 MPH in 2020’s 60-game campaign, which was a focus for the left-hander this winter, and a good sign that the work paid off at least in his initial appearance, especially considering it came after a two-week layoff as he waited to get cleared to return to the club he signed a 1-year/$10.