PHOENIX — Has it really been three years since right-hander Taylor Williams first opened eyes in the Milwaukee Brewers’ spring camp?
A lot has happened since Williams, then 23 years old, debuted in Brewers camp, and little of it good.
Before he reported to the minor-league side at Maryvale Baseball Park that year, his elbow began barking, perhaps from ramping up too quickly to show the big bosses what he could do.
The Brewers and Williams tried to avoid Tommy John surgery for as long as they could with other possible remedies but nothing worked, and he had the elbow reconstructed in August of that year.
Williams, a Camas High grad, also would miss all of 2016 before returning to the mound last season with Double-A Biloxi.
Williams pitched well enough (3.09 ERA in 22 outings, 57 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings) with the Shuckers to warrant a September call-up to Milwaukee, which also served as a reward for his hard work and determination during the two years on the shelf.
“Last year, I was back 100 percent physically,” said Williams, a fourth-round draft pick in 2013. “It was more a process of learning my body again and how I was going to recover from outing to outing. That was the biggest thing.
“Physically, I felt fine. It was just getting back in a routine and going through the process. That’s why some people say it’s really a two-year thing.”
This spring, Williams is back in Brewers camp with no restrictions.
Now considered a reliever after previously working as a starter, he is drawing the attention of decision makers again.
In five exhibition outings covering five innings, he has allowed two hits and one run (1.80 ERA) with no walks and eight strikeouts, limiting opponents to a .118 batting average.
“He’s certainly a guy we’ve taken note of,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He has made an impression here, for sure.”
Whether there’s room for Williams in the Brewers’ bullpen remains to be seen. There are only two spots up for grabs, and Counsell and his staff aren’t sure yet how often Williams could be used in relief.
“There are questions with Taylor because he hasn’t pitched a lot as a professional,” Counsell said. “Those questions are there. But he’s pitching in a way that makes us ask, can we finish that at the big-level? He’s forcing those questions.”
Williams certainly has the fastball to succeed at the major-league level. He throws regularly in the mid to high 90 mph range but has been given the task of sharpening his slider this spring.
“That was something I needed to improve upon after being up there last September,” Williams said. “Something I struggled with last year was finding the feel with my slider. There were times when I had to rely more on the fastball than I did in the past.
“You can have a good fastball and pitch at the big-league level but you have to have something to complement it. You want to keep hitters off balance. I’ve been working on that and I feel really confident in it. It’s just about improving every day, and knowing what I need to work on.
“I’ve thrown a couple of change-ups. I’m still working on my curveball. Those pitches can be effective against the right hitters. But the emphasis right now is to be really good at doing two things — having fastball command and throwing it where I want it, and throwing my slider off that.”
Just being in the same daily routine as other pitchers in camp is a significant victory for Williams, and a comfort as well. He was able to have a normal winter of workouts, get prepared physically and concentrate on becoming a better pitcher.
“I feel 100 percent. I definitely have a better understanding of myself and what I need to do between outings to prepare to pitch again,” he said. “(The elbow injury) is something I don’t think about anymore. I feel like I have a new arm. I’m ready to go. My focus is on pitching for this team and helping any way I can.
“I spent most of my off-season down here in Phoenix. One of our strength coaches, Jason Meredith, was here. I was able to work with him every day. (Catcher) Jett Bandy was here, so I was able to work out with him quite a bit. Josh Hader also came down here for a little bit, so I threw with him.”
No one knows if Williams would have transitioned from starter to reliever without the two-year recovery after Tommy John surgery. Rather than fret about that change in roles, Williams has embraced it and now realizes it is his most direct path to the majors, where a long career awaits if he stays healthy and continues to progress as he has over the past several months.
“After missing two years, it’s unrealistic to come back with the workload I had before surgery,” Williams said. “That’s just the fact of the matter. I understand that. My future can be bright pitching out of the bullpen. At this point, I just want to pitch at the big-league level and be successful doing that.”
As for the jump start he got from appearing in the majors last September, Williams said: “It did wonders. It was a huge confidence boost. I had previous experience being with the big-league club in two spring trainings and that helped. But being up here when the team was playing for something was big.
“Every game was meaningful. It gave me another level of focus and preparation. That was something that was special for me. It was a great atmosphere to be in. This is a great group of players, and there’s a lot of guys fighting to be a part of that. There’s a reason for that.”
