Phillies' Mark Appel: Fully recovered from surgery

Appel said he is able to get more extension when throwing now that he is pitching without bone spurs in his elbow, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports. "I think a big thing for me, and really pitchers in general, is the amount of extension you get when you're throwing the ball," Appel said. "I think it helps with velocity, it helps with control, it helps just with the stress that goes through your elbow. When I had bone spurs, it really limited that range."

Analysis:

Appel had surgery last June to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. He also missed time with shoulder problems last season, and pitched just 38.1 innings at Triple-A Lehigh Valley before being shut down for the season. He's healthy now and is expected to open the year in the rotation back at Lehigh Valley. If he continues to struggle as a starter, the Phillies could decide to put him in the 'pen to see if he can deliver as a reliever instead.