Could Kyle Harrison return from the injured list with a new wrinkle?

For most big-league players, rehab games are primarily about accumulating work hours. However, Kyle Harrison had a specific goal in mind when he made his solitary rehab start on July 31 in Grand Chute. He aimed to use the opportunity as a low-stakes environment to throw his changeup extensively. During spring training, Harrison had introduced the pitch with remarkable success, but since then, he has limited its usage to just 10% of his pitches, trailing his four-seamer (58%) and slurve (31%).

The changeup has been thrown a maximum of 17 times in a single game and at a rate of 16.8% on April 26, but since then, he has thrown it above 10% only three times. The pitch has not yielded positive results, as opponents have been batting .273 and slugging .485 against it, with two homers in 33 at-bats. Harrison has struggled to generate more than two whiffs on changeups in a game all year.

The changeup is a pitch that relies heavily on feel, and Harrison acknowledged that it didn't feel right coming out of his hand. The pitch requires a unique grip, with the top of the middle finger spiked on the ball, which can be challenging to maintain consistently under pressure. Harrison has had to adjust the grip throughout the year due to blisters on his middle finger and thumb. He still applies glue to the second blister to prevent it from reopening.

Confidence is crucial when throwing a pitch like the changeup, as hesitation can lead to detrimental results. Harrison expressed that now, after overcoming grip and pressure issues, he feels more comfortable trusting his arm slot and the work he has been doing during the week. He recently had the chance to utilize the changeup extensively in a rehab game against Class High-A Wisconsin, where he threw it predominantly to right-handed batters with positive results.

Harrison emphasized that the opportunity to get game reps with the pitch was invaluable, as it allowed him to sell it like a heater in various pitching stances.

When Harrison returns from the injured list for his first start in nearly a month on August 5 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, there will be opportunities to use the changeup, especially against right-handed batters who have historically struggled against it. It remains to be seen if the conviction he has built during rehab will translate to big-league hitters.