Roy Halladay Starts Throwing Long Toss

Roy Halladay is throwing long toss but remains a long way away from returning to the mound for the Phillies. (Image Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports)

Questions surrounded Roy Halladay’s future when the veteran right-hander underwent surgery on his right shoulder in May. Some wondered if he’d be the same pitcher upon returning. Others questioned whether he’d even be a shell of his former self. Most simply focused on the when and what – as in, when would he return to the Phillies’ rotation and what kind of impact will he have?

Halladay is expected to be out of action at least until late August. There’s still a chance that his season is done, but the Phillies are optimistic that he’ll return this year. If you were to ask pitching coach Rich Dubee, Halladay’s right on schedule:

"It looks very, very good. The arm action, he’s able to get his arm back up very easily. No effort at all. Whereas before, because of the stuff that he had going on in his shoulder, he couldn’t get it up on a consistent basis. But now his arm slot is fantastic and he’s doing very, very well so far. He’s a long ways from pitching, but everything so far is going according to plan."

While questions still remain regarding his return to the mound, there’s at least some positive news coming out of Philadelphia. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki is reporting that Halladay has started throwing long toss and has been doing so for the past few days. Perhaps most importantly, Halladay says he’s “feeling good”. His next appointment with team doctors is scheduled for Thursday but it is not known when he’ll transition from simply throwing to actually pitching off a mound.

Halladay had made 7 starts before undergoing surgery, posting dreadful results – a record of 2-4 and an ERA of 8.65 in 34.1 IP. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end, as the vesting option in his contract will certainly not hold up given the volume of innings that he’d of needed to throw this season. If he can come back before season’s end and prove his health, there’s a chance someone will still be willing to give the 36 year old a multi year deal.