Message #2223609

[welch]

https://districtondeck.com/2021/08/05/nationals-cole-henry-wont-let-his-injury-deter-him/?utm_source=google-newsstand&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=google-newsstand

Standing at 6’4 and 215 pounds, Henry is viewed by Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo as a firm part of the team’s future rotation. With Max Scherzer no longer in D.C., the seeds have been sown for top pitching prospects Josiah Gray, Cade Cavalli, Jackson Rutledge, and Henry to anchor the rotation for years to come.

While he may lack the overwhelming power that some of the other Nat’s top pitching prospects possess, Henry’s pitch location and movement have allowed him to flourish on the mound. He uses a four-pitch mix led by his two-seam and four-seam fastballs that sit around 94 mph. His curveball has impressive depth and has the potential to be an elite secondary offering. Rounding out his pitching arsenal is his changeup that fades well.

When on the mound, Henry has been able to showcase why he entered this season as the National’s number three prospect. But the problem for him has been staying on the mound.  Injuries have plagued Henry early on in his career, dating back to his freshman year at LSU when he suffered a stress reaction in his upper arm, while also battling an elbow issue. Currently, he is sidelined with elbow inflammation, but he already has his eyes set on returning to the mound.

“I have been on my throwing program and everything has been feeling great,” he said. “Everything has been looking great as far as video. I’m feeling like myself again. I just had a blip with my elbow, nothing major. Just a little bit of inflammation and they are being really cautious about it, which is a good thing.”

His injury partly stemmed from his 2020 season being a wash. His COVID diagnosis hindered his ability to start conditioning his body to where it needs to be to handle the rigors of a 120-game season.

Henry, who is back in Jupiter Florida didn’t throw the first four weeks after he arrived. Instead, he was on a shoulder and arm strengthening program and recently has been hammering full-body workouts. The goal has been packing on muscle and making sure another injury setback won’t occur moving forward.

Part of what makes Henry so tough on the mound is his mindset. He is well aware of the strain pitching puts on his body and knows he needs to continue pushing forward.

“It is a part of being a pitcher”, Henry said. Everybody goes through these things, especially as a pitcher. Pitching isn’t really something your body’s made to do, so it’s something that’s really tough on your arm and body. Just trying to get out there every fifth day is tough work, it’s a grind.”

Henry hasn’t allowed the multiple injury setbacks over the last few seasons to affect his performance on the field. In five starts this season, Henry is 1-3, with a 3.00 ERA, and 35 strikeouts, while opponents are hitting a measly .171 against him.

With the Minor League Season slowly winding down, Henry has his eyes set on making his return to the mound in the next few weeks. Last week he was able to throw a bullpen and is set to pitch to live batters come Monday.

“Hopefully, we will be ready to rock in a few weeks, probably close to a month”, Henry said. “I’m ready to get back out there and I’m just excited to see what the rest of the season holds. And once I get back on the mound, just finding that consistency that I had at the beginning of the season. Every game I felt like I was the same pitcher every time. Everything felt in sync and ready to rock.”

With rehab going smoothly, fans should be ecstatic to see Henry back on the hill soon to finish the season.