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Cubs' Adbert Alzolay Identifies Primary Goal for 2023

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Ryan Sikes | Last updated 2/22/23

Health is at the forefront for the 27-year-old right-hander.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Adbert Alzolay has identified one main goal for the 2023 campaign.

"My only goal this year is to stay healthy," he said via the Cubs Weekly Podcast.

The 27-year-old missed most of the 2022 campaign with the same injury that plagued his 2018 season, a strained right lat suffered in Spring Training.

He returned at the end of the season, making six appearances, all out of the bullpen, spinning a 3.38 ERA in 13.1 innings of work while fanning 19 batters.

Heading into 2023, Alzolay feels his best role for the Cubs and staying healthy is in the bullpen. Shortly after the regular season ended, he told manager David Ross he wanted to transition to a full-time reliever.

"I really wanted to be in the bullpen," he said.

"I feel really comfortable, just bringing the best I have right away. My whole offseason was based on that.

"After the season ended last year, we had some talks about it. I told him that 'I want to either be late in the game or I can always take the ball in the seventh (inning) if you need me to finish the game.'"

Alzolay's numbers certainly favor his longevity as a bullpen arm. As a starter, the Venezuelan righty owns a 5.19 ERA in 27 career starts, compared to a 2.32 ERA in 18 career appearances coming on in relief.

For some players, whether injuries play a factor, a permanent move to the bullpen works out in their favor.

The young pitcher changed his routine during the offseason, knowing that as a reliever, he requires less strenuous preparation than he would in a starting role.

"The less throws you make, the fresher you are. It's better because you're going to be pitching a lot during six months," he said.

As far as preventing another injury from derailing his season, Alzolay added approximately 10 pounds of muscle to his frame. The thought process was to strengthen the muscles around where his previous lat injuries have occurred to throw with confidence.

"My body feels way better now that I have less effort to throw the ball, and it allows you to have more success right when you come in," he said.

A Shared Experience

Coming into camp, Alzolay, who has leaned on veterans in the past as seen earlier in his career jotting down everything in a notebook at the top of the dugout, spoke with newly-signed reliever Michael Fulmer.

The former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher moved from the rotation to the bullpen after an injury forced him to reconsider his long-term future in Major League Baseball. Added, the move has been a successful one, as Fulmer has a 2.98 ERA in relief compared to a 4.12 ERA from the rotation.

"He made the transition from being a starter to the bullpen, so I think we were pretty similar in that stuff, so we had a really cool chat about it," Alzolay said.

What exactly was said?

"Finding the perfect routine, you need to be ready quick, so I feel like that's the biggest change there, just finding a routine where you know you're going to be ready right away."