Gray's BP session a promising step in return to action

JUPITER, Fla. -- Pitching off a mound for the first time since he strained his right hamstring seven days ago in a Spring Training game, Cardinals ace Sonny Gray said the best feeling he experienced on Monday was, well, nothing.

“I guess the best answer that I can give you is that it felt normal,” Gray said following a 20-pitch bullpen session that was closely monitored by president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, manager Oliver Marmol and director of medical operations Adam Olsen prior to the Cardinals’ 11-4 loss to the Nationals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Gray, the 34-year-old right-hander upon whom St. Louis has pinned its hopes to improve its pitching in 2024, successfully cleared the first hurdle that might allow him to serve as the squad’s Opening Day starter. Last year’s American League Cy Young runner-up said he will throw another bullpen session on Wednesday or Thursday -- likely one that features even more vigor, aggression and double the pitches -- and by then he should know whether pitching on March 28 against the Dodgers is a realistic possibility.

“That [bullpen session] will tell us a lot more of where we’re at and everything, and it will be fine -- I fully, fully expect that,” Gray said. “Once we get through that [next bullpen session], I think realistically we could have an idea of what to expect.

“All in all, it’s been a good week, and that’s all I can look at right now.”

Gray, who signed a three-year, $75 million free-agent contract with the Cards in November, felt his right hamstring “grab at him” on March 4 in the second inning of a 1-0 loss to the Nats. Unlike in 2022, when he suffered two hamstring injuries and tried to push through the pain, Gray immediately stopped and motioned for catcher Willson Contreras to come to the mound. Looking back, he now thinks that action helped save him from a more severe hamstring injury that might have cost him several weeks of action.

Marmol nearly brought Gray to tears two weeks ago when he informed the right-hander that he was the Cardinals' choice to be their Opening Day starter at Dodger Stadium. The manager was encouraged that that could still happen when Gray rode a stationary bicycle two days after suffering the strain and then put himself through the paces of playing catch from 60 and 120 feet on consecutive days. Marmol said he is already eager to hear on Tuesday how Gray recovers from his Monday mound session.

“This is the next step, and we’ll see how he recovers from it and then we’ll figure out what the next step from there is,” said Marmol, who has repeatedly raved about how Gray’s vocal nature and his strong leadership capabilities have been infectious among the Cardinals' pitching staff. “He’s been moving around great. He was able to play catch from 120 to 150 feet and do long toss [on Sunday], so his body is responding well so far.”

Because he relies so much on generating power and torque from his back (right) leg, Gray admitted there was something of a mental hurdle he had to get over on Monday before throwing with full force off the mound.

“I guess the best way I can put it is maybe you’re a kid and you’re riding your bike, and you fall off the bike,” Gray said. “You’ve got to get back on the bike. That’s the thing where mentally, I’ve just got to get back on the bike. That’s kind of [the equivalent] of getting back on the mound.”

Gray said his final pitch of Monday’s 20-pitch test was at 92 mph -- right in the range of 89 to 93 mph where he likes to be during bullpen sessions. He said his next bullpen session could include twice as many pitches thanks in part to the fact that he didn't miss much time and his arm was already built up to handle multiple innings. If his hamstring continues to pass the tests ahead, Gray is confident he will have the arm strength to be ready for bigger challenges, such as facing the stacked Dodgers on Opening Day.

“I haven’t stopped throwing, so physically everything feels good,” said Gray, who took advantage of the team barber being in the clubhouse on Monday and got a haircut after his mound session. “Now it’s just about getting back on the mound again [later this week]. But I’m not starting from zero, which is a good thing.”