CORAL GABLES — Karsten Whitson arrived at Florida as the crown jewel of Kevin O’Sullivan’s recruiting class four years ago. The 225-pound right-hander had the golden arm and the tree-trunk legs to match it. In basketball terms, he was a slam dunk.
But things have gone downhill since. Whitson’s labrum and rotator cuff started rubbing together, his father, Kent Whitson, said in an interview with Baseball America. The pain dated back to the latter part of his freshman season. After a thorough process, Whitson elected to have season-ending shoulder surgery in February 2013, which ended his junior campaign before it could start.
His draft stock reached its lowest — the Nationals selected Whitson in the 37th-round in June 2013 — and questions rose again as to how he could say no to a $2.1 million payday.
Whitson’s long road to recovery made its latest stop when he threw 54 pitches over three innings in his second start of this season on Sunday against No. 14 Miami.
“I think every time he goes out there, he’s going to learn something new,” O’Sullivan said. “To expect him to come out and throw seven shutout innings in his second start after missing two years is unrealistic.”
Whitson appeared hesitant at times, throwing his plus-slider that used to buckle hitters’ knees and make their bats obsolete. His fastball touched 92 mph but consistently remained at 87-88 mph.
“I’ve been working awfully hard just getting the right arm slot and getting the right grip on [the slider],” Whitson said. “Once I actually get a few going there, I think I’ll be, ‘Oh hey there it is.’ It’s all about getting comfortable and getting out there a little more.”
As the San Diego Padres’ first pick in the 2010 draft, Whitson was selected as a top-of-the-rotation guy — the kind MLB teams build their rotations around. Players selected in that same first round include All-Stars Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Matt Harvey and Chris Sale.
He chose to fulfill his other childhood dream to play for Florida — the same school both of his parents graduated from. A freshman All-American season gave way to an injury-plagued sophomore year where he pitched through arm issues.
Whitson admittedly felt more comfortable Sunday than his two-inning start against Maryland on Feb. 16, which ended in an 8-5 Florida win.
Thirty of his 54 pitches on Sunday were strikes. He went to four three-ball counts in the first inning and three two-ball counts in the second. It wasn’t his best, but it was a start.
“The real thing that factored in early in the game with [Whitson] is we had so much pitching left,” O’Sullivan said. “We just didn’t want to leave here without using our depth.”
Whitson has had an unexpected ride through four seasons at UF. It was a coup to have him sign. It would be an even bigger story to see him become the dominant power pitcher he was four years ago.
He took another step toward that Sunday. Miami junior left-hander Andrew Suarez, the opposing starter, underwent shoulder surgery in 2012. Suarez, the Toronto Blue Jays’ ninth-round pick out of high school, lost fastball velocity a year later in his first season following the procedure.
After allowing four first-inning runs on six hits to UF, Suarez scattered five hits over the next six innings. As Suarez showed, recovery takes time and pays off. Whitson may not be breaking the radar gun, but he’s working his way back.
“I feel good right now. Whatever [my velocity is] it is. I’m just going out there and [trying] to win a ballgame,” Whitson said.
“It’s nothing I’m worried about when I’m out there. I’m definitely fine with it.”
Follow Adam Pincus on Twitter @adamDpincus
Karsten Whitson pitches during UF’s 5-0 win against USF on Feb. 20, 2011.
