Bill Plunkett

The last two years, they opened the season early over in Korea and Japan.

So spring was very different.

It was almost a sprint to get ready for those.

This year, they are relaxed.

They know they have six weeks to get ready.

Max Muncy didn't play in a game until today in the Cactus League.

Mookie Betts hasn't seen the field yet.

They're aware that last year their position player group had the highest average age in the majors.

Guys like Freddie Freeman is 37.

Max Muncy is, what, 35 or 6?

Mookie's 33 or 4, somewhere in that range.

So they're taking it easy on those guys.

And spring training is at a much slower pace than what we saw the last couple of years.

Well, the initial thing is shoulders and elbows are very different.

Tommy John Rehab, and that's what Brian had, is very established and regimented, and it's this step after this step after this step.

It's very predictable, as surgery can be predictable in the recovery.

So you know what you're going to get.

Stone had a massive shoulder reconstruction.

Shoulders are much trickier.

The recovery is not this.