TRENTON- One of the Trenton Thunder's strengths all season is about to become even more indomitable, at the perfect time. The Thunder bullpen will welcome back J.R. Graham sometime in the next week, as Trenton looks to consolidate its spot in the Eastern League playoffs. With just 20 games to go, and the Thunder up by 6.5 games on third-placed...
TRENTON- One of the Trenton Thunder's strengths all season is about to become even more indomitable, at the perfect time.
The Thunder bullpen will welcome back J.R. Graham sometime in the next week, as Trenton looks to consolidate its spot in the Eastern League playoffs.
With just 20 games to go, and the Thunder up by 6.5 games on third-placed Hartford (which comes to town Friday for a unique series), the Thunder can use all arms on deck. Graham, with over a year of experience in with the Minnesota Twins big league club, will be a major boost to a pen that has seen some of its brightest lights head to Scranton Wilkes-Barre over the past few months.
"J.R. will come off sometime soon," Thunder manager Bobby Mitchell said. "And he is ready to go. It will be soon. Probably before Saturday."
Graham has been on the Disabled List since July 7, and was sent to Staten Island on August 12 to begin a rehab assignment. He allowed no runners, and struck out three, in two appearances there, to lower his ERA in his last 10 appearances to 1.76.
"It feels great," Graham said.
It has been the sitting around that has been the toughest thing for the flame-thrower.
"It is never fun when you have to sit down," Graham said. "It doesn't matter if things are going good or bad. I just never liked missing time. But it felt good to get back out there, and get a couple of rehab outings down in Staten Island, and get that feel for the mound. I am excited to be back."
"I go crazy (that first week after the injury when he is shut down,)" Graham said. "I am one that likes to do a lot of things. I am more of an ADD kind of guy. I just don't like sitting around, especially just sitting there in the dugout knowing that you are not going to do anything. It just drives me crazy."
"Even on days you get off, you are sitting down there, and there is always that opportunity that you can throw," Graham said. "You are more locked in. When you are just sitting there, you kind of go crazy for about two weeks."
While it was tough to miss time, Graham is returning just as the Thunder are primed to make a run at their first Eastern League title since 2013.
"It is exciting," Graham said."I have been part of a playoff team before, but not of this calibre. I was in Lynchburg, and we won the first half. I have been on a run like that, and it is always exciting."
"I got to experience a little bit of a playoff push last year (with the Twins,)" Graham said. "It kind of came down to that last week. It is a big moment, and a big time. You just don't want people to kind of look and count down to the end. We have to finish strong, and keep our eyes on the goal."
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Mitchell switched up the lineup Wednesday night, as the Thunder tried to shake off a mini-slump that saw them lose four of five. With the Rubber Ducks in town for the second of a three-game series, Miguel Andujar and Dustin Fowler flip-flopped in the order. Andujar went to the two-hole, while Fowler took the third spot on the card.
"We moved Andujar to second, and moved Fowler to third," Mitchell said. "Just to get Andujar more out of a pressure part of the lineup and get some more fastballs."
For Fowler, who leads the EL in triples with 12 and has his average up to .288 coming into Wednesday, it is something that will not faze him.
"It is not much different," Fowler said. "Just treat it the same as I would the two-hole. I will do as much as I can, get a good pitch to hit, and hopefully drive in two guys."
"We have to focus more when we get the guys in scoring position, and get those guys in," Fowler said. "Here lately we have been struggling to get those runs in, but hopefully, we will come around."
Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean