Farrell trying to enjoy every day after comeback

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Luke Farrell has a copy of the gruesome video -- well, his girlfriend has it on her cell phone -- but he doesn’t watch it.

“I’ve seen it once or twice, that’s enough,” Farrell said.

The game was not on television so there is no video to be found on the internet of Giants infielder Jalen Miller hitting the line drive that fractured Farrell’s jaw last spring.

His sister-in-law took the video from the stands.

“She just happened to be shooting right at that pitch,” Farrell said

The incident is in his past. So are the golf-ball sized tumors he had removed from the base of his skull while at Northwestern.

When the 28-year-old right-hander takes the mound on Saturday for the Rangers, it is like he has been reborn as a Major League pitcher.

“Yeah, that might be a good way to put it,” Farrell said. “Learned from a lot of those experiences, gained a new perspective. I think I enjoy it this time around. I enjoy more the experience of being here, being with my teammates and competing at this level.”

Last season was not enjoyable for Farrell. Far from it. But it ended well.

Farrell suffered a non-displaced fracture in his jaw when he was hit by Miller’s line drive on March 2 in Scottsdale. Eventually Farrell would need five surgeries to repair the damage. But that wasn’t the worst part of it.

“The jaw was obviously painful,” Farrell said. “The thing that kept me out was the concussion. I think it was a little over two months before a day went by without a migraine. Pretty much all the classic symptoms you hear about, light and noise sensitivity. It presented a whole new list of challenges that I had never been exposed to.”

Farrell didn’t pitch in a game until his rehab assignment began on July 23 with the Rookie-level Arizona League Rangers. He pitched four games there and five with Double-A Frisco, where he allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and four walks while striking out 12 in 8 2/3 innings. Farrell was brought to the big leagues on Aug. 23.

“This kid has been through a lot in his life,” manager Chris Woodward said. “The way he handled it all, you never know some of the things he was feeling because he is like, ‘I am just going to grin and bear it. I’m going to get through it.’ He was dealing with headaches even when he came back.”

Farrell pitched his way back into the Rangers’ plans by going 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and a 0.67 WHIP in nine games. He is competing for a spot as a middle reliever and not looking back at what has happened in the past.

“Things can change pretty quickly as I saw,” Farrell said. “So just take advantage of every day and enjoy it. You work so hard to get there, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to not enjoy it while you are there. I think the biggest thing is not feeling down or feeling sorry for yourself.

“The things that come, you can handle; no challenge is too big for you. Moping or pitying myself isn’t really going to help, so learn from it and become a better man for it. That doesn’t mean there aren’t dark times. Some of those days were difficult. But there are so many blessings in my life, when I focus on those, I feel gratitude.”