Coming off one of the worst starts of his young season, Derek Holland is confident that he’ll be back in fine form when the Blue Jays open up a three-game set with the Rangers in Arlington on Friday.
Last time out, against the Astros in Houston, Holland surrendered five runs over five innings while striking out six and walking two--a performance for which “Dutch” was tagged with the loss, bringing his record to 3-3 on the year. It was also Holland’s shortest start of the season.
In his attempts to bounce back, Holland has spent the past week working in the bullpen, making minor mechanical adjustments that he hopes will help him keep the ball down and away from the heart of the plate.
"I'm looking forward to bouncing back," Holland said, per the team's official website. "I've been working in the bullpen on keeping the ball down. There were some mechanical adjustments, I was looking down rather than looking at my target. I'm looking forward to this start, I'm well-prepared for it and ready."