Lookout Landing

On the heels of learning that Adrian Beltre played several innings with a severely contused testicle, we get this bit from Erik Bedard:

HOW LONG WERE YOU FEELING PAIN? " I was fine at the beginning of the season. When I went down the first time, from then on it was hurting."

After returning from the DL in early July, Bedard made four starts. His performance over those four starts:

339 pitches
62% strikes
12% swinging strikes
32.5% strikeouts
3.91 FIP
Normal average fastball (low-90s)

Bedard wasn't great, and he only once cracked five innings, but he still managed to post the fourth-lowest contact rate among 160 starters who threw at least 10 innings in July, slotting in between Jonathan Sanchez and Tim Lincecum. With a torn labrum. Pitching through arguably the worst injury* a pitcher can have, Erik Bedard missed more bats than almost any other starter in the league.

And to think there have been people who questioned Bedard's willingness to play through pain. If anything, Erik is tough to a fault.

* we've yet to have any pitchers attempt to return from disembowelment or decapitation