Liriano's mantra: No need to rush

FORT MYERS, FLA. — Francisco Liriano was moments from beginning one of his early bullpen sessions when Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson approached him, put a hand on each of his shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes.

Anderson could only be more serious if he yelled. He explained to Liriano that, while he's close to returning to action for the first time since September of 2006, he can't ruin months of dedicated rehabilitation by pushing too hard now.

"The thing is that spring training for him is the same with anyone else,'' Anderson said. "It's a progression. You don't start on top. You start with everyone else and be patient and progress.

"The key is getting to the end. Don't push and try to do too much now. It's all about progression.''

The moment symbolized how the Twins will steer their former All-Star through the final stages of his comeback from elbow ligament replacement surgery -- better known as Tommy John surgery --in November 2006.

They expect that Liriano will need help clearing mental hurdles, they will tweak his delivery, and they plan to limit his pitches once the regular season begins.

Liriano couldn't hide his excitement about being on the mound again, but he's also on board with how careful the Twins want to be with him.

"I feel good,'' Liriano said. "Nothing is wrong with my arm.

"But I want to take it easy and take my time.''

Some Tommy John club members have faced batters 11 months after surgery. Twins prospects Philip Humber, a righthander, who had his surgery in July of 2005, and Brian Duensing, a lefthander who had his surgery in March of 2004, are two examples.

Here's how the Twins already have been extra careful with Liriano: When he faced hitters in the Dominican Republic last month, it was his first time doing so in 15 months.

"We told him up front, 'You are not going to pitch in 2007,''' Twins General Manager Bill Smith said. "There's no benefit in trying to rush it.''

The mental hurdle

Liriano tossed 12/3 innings of shutout ball Friday in his spring training debut but offered a telling comment afterward.

"I'm working on my slider,'' he said. "I'm a little bit scared to throw it right now but it will get better.''

That sounded familiar to Humber, the third overall pick in 2004 by the Mets who was traded to the Twins as part of the Johan Santana deal, and Duensing, the Twins' third-round pick in 2005.

Both had the same suggestion for Liriano.

Just let it go and don't hold back.

"Once I got into a game I was kind of excited,'' said Duensing, who returned to the mound in February of 2005. "I knew I had to get after 'em, but in the back of your head it was like, 'It could go at any time.' As soon as you feel something you're like, 'Crap, what did I do to it?'''

"It took me a long time [a few weeks] to get over the fact that my arm is healed and I was able to throw.''

Duensing said he was nearing completion of his degree and finally told himself during the season to let it go and, if he reinjured himself, he would become a teacher. He threw the most innings of his college career that season, going 8-0 with a 3.00 ERA.

Duensing remembers having poor control of his breaking pitches for a few weeks after returning to action, something Liriano is experiencing now with his once-devastating slider.

Anderson anticipates some apprehension and is ready to step in with encouragement, but he hopes Liriano's confidence will grow with each pitch.

"The biggest thing for Francisco is just getting over the mental aspect of just letting it go, throwing the slider and being loose,'' Anderson said. "Once he gets over that he will be fine.''

Humber found out that being comfortable to throw his pitches the same way before surgery was just one challenge.

"It's just that feel you have of the mental side of attacking hitters,'' Humber said. "Something you miss that because you've been away for so long you kind of forget what it was like.''

Protecting his future

Before the surgery, Liriano's delivery was so violent that he'd recoil and sling his left leg around toward third base. Not good, but he went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA that way in 2006 before experiencing elbow pain in Detroit in August, then getting shut down for good after a start a month later against Oakland.

"It's not normal when a pitcher's butt is to home plate after he throws the ball," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "You know what I'm saying? We like him to kind of be facing home."

During bullpen work and batting practice sessions, Liriano has been told to remain under more control and land with his front foot toward home plate.

"It's getting better,'' Liriano said. "I'm not used to it. It feels weird, but I'm getting used to it.''

Liriano's fastball was clocked around 90-91 miles an hour Friday, but it looked effortless. His changeup altered swings. His slider ... needs work.

He maintains that he's throwing at only about 80 percent at this stage.

"If you can keep smooth and loose it minimizes the chance for injury,'' Anderson said of Liriano's new approach.

And the Twins have decided that, whenever Liriano joins the rotation during the season, his innings and pitches will be limited. There's little chance he'll get close to 200 innings, maybe not even 180.

"I was laughing with some people, saying that Gardy is probably going to get booed a few times,'' Anderson said, "because he might have a shutout after seven innings and we're going to take him out.''

The club sees no reason why Liriano can't return to dominant outings like that if he sticks to their plan and makes some minor adjustments to his style of pitching during the final few weeks of spring training.

"Obviously, if he can get back and throw the ball for us, it gives us a powerful lefthanded starter," Gardenhire said. "And that's huge in your rotation.''