Roy Halladay took a huge leap forward in his progression following shoulder surgery three months ago to the day. In Clearwater, with the Gulf Coast League Phillies, Halladay tossed six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out four, throwing 87 pitches.
There has been no word on what kind of velocity was behind his fastball, although I’m sure we’ll know that information in the coming hours. According to Chris Branch of the Wilmington News Journal, some onlookers tweeted he was mostly in the mid-80’s.
If Halladay and the Phillies are happy with the start, the next move could be to Lehigh Valley as they will be home when his turn in the rotation takes place Tuesday. The Phillies have said Halladay could need as few as two starts before returning to the major leagues. That said, if he’s only in the 80’s with his fastball against teenagers in the GCL, maybe a few more starts to get his endurance back to normal levels wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Pat GallenPat joined Phillies Nation in July 2009, coming over from Examiner.com. As a previous employee of both Comcast SportsNet and the National Basketball Association, Pat prides himself on being a well-rounded individual when it comes to sports. However, the Phillies are first on the list. You’ll usually find Pat chiming in on the Phillies Nation Facebook or Twitter account, weekdays on 97.3 ESPN radio or hosting Phillies Nation TV. He’s also a Senior Writer for the site, and in his free time is a music enthusiast and Will Ferrell movie-follower. His favorite beer: Philly’s own Yards. In 2015, Pat moved on from Phillies Nation as a sports anchor and reporter for CBS-3 in Philadelphia.
