Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
SCOTTSDALE — Tyler Beede arrived in Arizona to continue his training and discovered it would have to be delayed for reasons more serious than a stumbling block in his Tommy John rehab.
He and his wife, upon reporting to the Giants facilities Jan. 6, tested positive for the coronavirus. His wife, Allie DeBerry, lost her sense of smell and taste, “which was pretty gnarly,” Beede reported, while the pitcher dealt with common cold symptoms that pushed his workload back about three weeks.
He didn’t know where or how they contracted the virus, but he quarantined and his whole family is feeling OK. From a baseball perspective, it made his recent placement on the 60-day injured list fairly sensible.
All along, Beede had been targeting early May for a big-league return from March surgery. With the weeks that the COVID-19 experience sidelined him, a June comeback is now the target. Last week, as the Giants claimed Jordan Humphreys off waivers, they placed Beede on the IL to make his earliest debut May 31.
Beede said Thursday he “wasn’t surprised or disappointed” by the move because it aligns right with his timeline — as does the recent development that the Triple-A season will be pushed back to early May. He can continue his rehab either in Arizona or in Sacramento, presuming that is again the home of the Giants’ alternate site, and then make May starts with Sacramento to build his arm up.
And that is the plan: to build his arm up. Beede said he hasn’t discussed his role with the club, but he’s being developed as rotation help.
“I will be building up to be a full-go starter, so being on the 60-day IL gives me a period of time to really hone in on some things and build up my pitch count,” the 27-year-old said over Zoom. “So I’m not sure how it’ll be at the end of rehab, but I will be available in my mind at least to be ready to go 75-100 pitches and build up my innings throughout the season. For me, it’s about setting a good foundation this season of innings to build on for 2022.”
Beede threw his sixth bullpen session Wednesday and his last at 50 percent intent (though “more realistically 75 percent intent,” he said). His next session he’ll be free to unleash a bit more and then can begin adding changeups into the bullpens.
For a player who spent 2020 at home watching the club on TV, at least he has company. Reliever John Brebbia, also rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, is peppering him with questions because Brebbia’s rehab is at an earlier stage. Beede said he’s getting help himself from teammates who’ve had the procedure, including the recently added Humphreys. The through-line message has been to listen to his body because everyone’s rehab is different.
“I’m feeling good, man,” Beede said before the Giants played the White Sox at Scottsdale Stadium. “I’m really happy with the way the ball is coming out.”