2 days Ago By Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Tony Vitello expected AJ Russell wouldn’t make a second appearance for Tennessee baseball until April as the Vols exercised caution in the pitcher’s return.April hit and the Vols coach immediately gave the ball to Russell, who is back — again.“This was the restart of everything,” Vitello said.
Russell made his second start this season Tuesday, returning after a five-week break between starts. He threw a scoreless inning with a pair of strikeouts in No. 1 Tennessee’s 7-1 win against Tennessee Tech at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The junior had not pitched since Feb. 25. He struck out the side in an inning for the Vols (27-2, 8-1 SEC) against North Alabama in his first appearance since having Tommy John surgery in June.
“We kind of took a timeout and said let’s build up pitch count and get closer to the date that was target date,” Vitello said.Russell said he felt great against Tennessee Tech (19-11). He threw 12 pitches with 11 strikes.
He got both strikeouts looking with 94 mph fastballs. His offspeed pitches did not feel as sharp so he threw a brief bullpen after exiting the game. The 6-foot-6 pitcher hopes to throw two innings in his next outing, which could come next week.
Vitello planned to discuss the next steps with Russell on Wednesday as the Vols ready to play Texas A&M (14-14, 1-8 SEC) in a series starting Friday (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU).
Vitello suggested that Russell’s timeline now will be to get a routine with a “preparation bullpen and then a competitive day.” Most likely, that means Russell gets on the mound against Alabama State next Tuesday.Russell expects to continue to add to his pitch count as he goes toward his season goal of 40 or 50 innings.
“I want to help this team win as much as humanly possible,” Russell said. “It is also you’ve got to be smart about it and not rush back and do anything that hurts you in the long run, too.”Russell initially returned ahead of the expected timeline, which originally slotted him for a mid-April debut.
He was eight months out from surgery when he made his one-inning start against North Alabama. Vitello credited Russell for his work ethic and being an "abnormal kid" in returning quickly. The Franklin, Tennessee, native spent time throwing bullpens and live at-bats to Tennessee hitters in the past month.
He made sure everything felt good and that led to Tuesday’s start, which should serve as the on ramp to the rest of his season.RUSSELL: Inside AJ Russell's return to Tennessee baseball against North Alabama“Pitch as much as possible this year,” Russell said of his goal. “It’s not saving myself for anything or anything like that.
The dream is to go to the next level and everything like that. I am here now and I want to pitch here. It is kind of the biggest thing for me.
”Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.
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If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: AJ Russell: Tennessee baseball, Tony Vitello plans for Vols pitch.
