TEMPE, Ariz. — Considering how long it had been since Griffin Caning pitched in a game, he was surprised at how uneventful this particular milestone felt.
“Honestly, not as bad as I was expecting,” the Angels’ right-hander said after pitching two scoreless innings in an exhibition game against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday. “I think I’m finally just confident in how my body is going to feel each day, so kind of just carry that over to the game.”
It had been 606 days since Canning pitched in a competitive setting, with another team and umpires and fans.
His last major league outing was July 2, 2021, and then he pitched a week later at Triple-A. At that point, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back, a condition that sidelined him for the next 20 months.
“It was just nice to see him out there,” manager Phil Nevin said after the game. “I’m really happy for him. It’s been a long, long road back.”
The lengthy rehab, which included discussion of surgery, knocked Canning down the Angels’ depth chart. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Canning had a 3.99 ERA and won a Gold Glove. He was was one of the Angels’ top starters heading into 2021, but he has not been the same since.
Canning struggled early in 2021 and was sent to Triple-A.
Since then he had gone through months-long stretches in which he didn’t even touch a ball. He also had to find other ways to strengthen his back. He began doing Pilates and working with physical therapists.
“I’ve just got to stay on top of it,” Canning said. “Pretty much stay disciplined with knowing what I’ve got to do.”
While surgery was considered an option last year, Canning decided to take a more conservative route. He said he had similar back issues while he was at UCLA, and they were resolved by taking a few months off in the summer.
“I think my body has shown it’s going to heal,” Canning said. “Once you have surgery, it’s there forever.”
Canning now says…
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