LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) -Tigers pitcher Joel Zumaya had a successful start on his road back to the major leagues, throwing two pitches of at least 100 miles per hour during a two-inning outing for Single-A Lakeland on Tuesday night.
Zumaya threw 24 pitches, 18 for strikes, against the Sarasota Reds. He allowed a leadoff double, then retired the next three batters, one on a strikeout. His final warmup pitch registered 100 miles per hour on the scoreboard, and he was in the high 90s throughout his stint. In the second inning, he hit three digits on the radar again.
He was expected to pitch only one inning, but went out for a second. After walking the leadoff batter, Zumaya got a strikeout and induced a double play.
Zumaya was expected to be a key part of the Detroit bullpen in 2008, but underwent shoulder surgery after a freak accident during the offseason.
With wildfires threatening his home in Chula Vista, Calif., Zumaya was hurriedly removing treasured items from the attic. Unaware he was holding two boxes above his head at once, the top one slid off and slammed into his pitching shoulder.
Before that, Zumaya missed much of the 2007 season after having surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his right middle finger last May.
Last season, Zumaya went 2-3 in 28 games before the finger injury. In 2006, he pitched in 62 games and three more in the World Series. Tigers manager Jim Leyland has said that he expects Zumaya to make at least two more appearances in Lakeland before he is ready to return to the majors.
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