Sports

Jeurys Familia already looks like a whole new pitcher

PORT ST. LUCIE — It didn’t take long for new pitching coach Dave Eiland to notice something was off about Jeurys Familia in 2017.

“He wasn’t real balanced over the rubber and his arm wasn’t catching up consistently,’’ Eiland said. “His timing on the rubber wasn’t real good. … He was doing stuff I’d never seen him do before.”

The issue, according to Eiland, was with Familia’s legs and they’re working this spring at altering his delivery.

When it was noted scouts had seen a “rocking motion” in Familia’s delivery this spring, Eiland said that element had already been removed.

Whatever they’re doing, it’s been successful so far.

Familia tossed another scoreless inning in Monday’s 4-2 win over the Tigers at First Data Field and has tossed four shutout innings this spring.





A year ago, he served a 15-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence protocol and later had surgery to remove a blood clot from his right shoulder.

He’s healthy now and hopes his reshaped delivery gets him back to where he was in 2016.

“It’s been good,” Familia said. “I just want to be more consistent and repeat my delivery better. It’s not about throwing harder. It’s about my command.”

Familia figures to be a key part of the bullpen, regardless of whether he’s the regular closer. Eiland said he just wants to get Familia’s stuff back to where it was when he helped get the Mets to the postseason in 2015 and was named an All-Star the following season.





“I don’t know what happened,” Eiland said. “I know what I saw last year was different than what I saw in ’15 or ’16. Now we’re getting back to that level. He understands what he needs to do.”

And in his four spring-training appearances, in which he has allowed two hits, two walks and a hit by pitch, he has managed to impress Mickey Callaway.

“It looks like it’s hard to pick up,” Callaway said of Familia’s pitches. “He’s got a big body, arms and legs going everywhere.”

They just have to make sure they’re all going in the right direction.





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