Rainey focusing on positives during lengthy rehab process

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As Tanner Rainey sat at his locker in the Nationals clubhouse last weekend, he would have preferred if it was just another afternoon getting ready for an early-season game. Instead, he was preparing to return to the Nats training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., to continue his rehab from Tommy John surgery after joining the team in Washington, D.C., for Opening Day.

“It sucks to be rehabbing; I would give anything to be back on the field again,” Rainey said. “Whatever I can do to help be back here, I would love to do. But at the same time, I know I’ve got to keep my goals short-term and make sure I’m making those strides. Showing up to the field in a bad mood is not helping me do that.”

With words of encouragement from left-hander Sean Doolittle, who also is recovering from an elbow injury, Rainey has approached his rehab through an optimistic perspective. It’s one that he has shared with his teammates in a similar situation, including fellow righty Cade Cavalli.

“I’m not in a corner by myself,” Rainey said. “We have other guys doing it.”

The Nationals closer has been sidelined since last July because of a right UCL sprain. He underwent Tommy John surgery on Aug. 3, with his goal to return at 12 months. Before going back to Florida last weekend, Rainey had thrown at a distance of 90 feet. Next steps include working up to three sets (25 throws apiece) at 105 feet and 120 feet before mound progression.

Rainey, 30, doesn’t want “a complete overhaul of anything,” but there are facets of his mechanics he has been interested in exploring. In the past, the turnaround from the season into winter throwing didn’t allow for too much revamping.

“When you don’t have an entire rework like I, unfortunately -- but at the same time, fortunately -- have now, it’s hard to change those things,” he said. “So when I pick up the intensity to get to the mound, there are some things I’m going to look at, even if I don’t change them completely to where I want to be, but they’re better than where they were.”

One area Rainey has wanted to explore is the syncing between his throwing arm and legs -- when the time is right.

“I think my arm’s late, but I don’t know if my arm is late getting up or if my legs are working too fast,” he said. “[I noticed that] where I land, my arm’s in more of a compromising position. Obviously, every overhand thrower is in a compromising position to start with. I make it a little worse the way I land. But I don’t know if I want to try to speed my arm up [or] slow my lower half down. It’s a timing thing.

“Depending on what feels right, that’s the way I’ll go. But I’m not too worried about that now. I’ve got to get the arm strength back, make sure everything feels good and continue with that routine.”

At the ballpark, Rainey has been boosted by the advice of his teammate Doolittle. Off the field, he has a support system to cheer him on for the rest of his recovery.

“I was never in a terrible mood. I tried to take the positive out of it,” Rainey said. “The good thing for me was this offseason, I had my little girl. I have a 15-month-old little boy, too. So even though I was still rehabbing at the end of last season, I had more time to be around [my family]. Now I’ll be rehabbing in Florida and they’re coming out …

“Like I said, unfortunately, I’m not with the team. I’d much rather be there than rehabbing. But at the same time, I wouldn’t have got the six, eight months with my newborn little girl and 15-month-old boy. There’s been some things that have helped make it a little easier.”