Mark Rogers will begin this baseball season where he began the last — as a starting pitcher for the Nashville Sounds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.
The Milwaukee Brewers sent Rogers, hampered all of last season by carpal tunnel syndrome, to the Sounds on Sunday after he spent the first two weeks of spring training in the major league camp.
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But Rogers, a hard-throwing right-hander from Orrs Island, will have to wait at least until April 13 before pitching in a regular-season game for Nashville.
Rogers still has eight games left on a 25-game suspension levied against him last August by Major League Baseball after testing positive for the use of a banned stimulant for the second time.
Nashville will open its season April 5 with an eight-game trip that starts in New Orleans. Rogers will be eligible to pitch in a game for the first time at the start of the Sounds’ first homestand of the season.
Rogers’ assignment to Triple- A followed a relatively busy week for him with the Brewers. While in the major league camp, he threw a total of five innings in games against the Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels over an eight-day period.
“Where he was slotted was what our staff thought was best for him,” said Reid Nichols, director of player development for the Brewers. “It turned out it was great for him. Right now he’s ready to go.”
According to Nichols, Rogers has made a full recovery after undergoing carpal syndrome release surgery in both wrists last August.
“He’s done great, really good,” said Nichols, a former Boston Red Sox outfielder.
“His arm feels good. He’s healthy. He’s got a great outlook about things.”
Rogers, 26, has had several medical setbacks since he was drafted by Milwaukee as the fifth overall pick of the 2004 draft out of Mt. Ararat High in Topsham.
In July 2006, Rogers injured his right shoulder and underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum. In June 2007, he had scar tissue removed as a result of the first surgery, and rehabbed for the entire 2008 season.
During a September 2010 call-up to the Brewers, Rogers pitched 10 innings in four appearances, including four starts. He allowed two hits and two earned runs and struck out 11.
Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:
pbetit@pressherald.com
Twitter: PaulBetitPPH
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