Baseball players -- they’re just like us. Well, at least right now, while the sports world is on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A’s young lefty pitchers A.J. Puk and Jesús Luzardo are both doing the same thing most of us are while participating in social distancing. Luzardo is streaming a ton of shows on Netflix (yep -- even “Tiger King”), while Puk is catching up on some sleep.
The two are also staying in shape as best they can, as they told The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser recently on the A’s Plus podcast.
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Puk is able to throw off the mound at his facility in Iowa and is able to use the bullpens at the local colleges if need be. That also means he’s making progress coming off of a minor setback to a shoulder strain prior to the spring training cancelations.
“Everything’s feeling fine,” Puk told Slusser. “Probably the best my shoulder’s felt in a while, actually you know, since coming back from Tommy John.”
Puk said he heard that there could be a portion following the surgery where the shoulder could flare-up.
“You just kind of have to work through it, I think maybe I was just at that stage of it,” Puk said. “I’m feeling great right now -- just real happy where I’m at right now.”
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Puk underwent Tommy John surgery in April of 2018, and said there could be a silver lining with the regular-season delay.
“Maybe some extra time to get my stuff feeling good,” Puk said.
He’s getting sick of the “little injuries,” and wants to make sure he’s fully ready to go when, and if, the season begins this year.
Puk only was able to throw three Cactus League innings, but struck out two in the process.
Luzardo, meanwhile, is lucky in that he has teammate and fellow starting pitcher Mike Fiers just minutes up the road from him. The two have been working out, while maintaining social distancing, of course.
Luzardo and Fiers are using free weights in the middle of an open field down in Florida and training with a mutual friend.
Luzardo knows he and Puk have a huge spotlight on them, with so much potential heading into their rookie seasons. But Luzardo is aware this hiatus is more than just a pushback to his first full year as a big leaguer.
“In my shoes, my position is kind of irrelevant to the bigger picture. I’m not too caught up in how I’m affected by it rather than how other people are being affected by it.”
There’s a bigger picture there.
Luzardo came out of the bullpen last season and was sensational, boasting a 1.50 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 12 innings.
[RELATED: Buddy Reed hopes to reunite to Puk in majors]
MLB reportedly recently discussed a plan that could move the sport to the Phoenix, Ariz. area as soon as May. All 30 teams would be playing in the area, and would have to be quarantined to their hotels.
They both had different thoughts on that.
And another silver lining? Luzardo believes the absence of the sport of baseball now could make the heart grow fonder.