Brian34Cook

For now, simply pitching is enough
07/01/2008

Cardinals lefty reliever Mark Mulder doesn't know what's next after his first scoreless appearance in more than two years, but any inning now is a good inning compared to where he's been.

Back in the majors and new to the bullpen, Mulder pitched a breezy and scoreless ninth to close out the Cardinals' 7-1 victory against the New York Mets on Monday. It was his first major-league inning since Sept. 16 of last season, and the first time he's felt comfortable afterward in much longer.

Free of the past, healthy in the present, Mulder shrugged when asked where this leads in the future.

"This whole process has been up and down, so now what's the point?" Mulder said. "I'm out there. ... That's what matters. Of course, I want to be starting. But right now, I could care less. It's just a relief to be out there again."

"I was as excited as I've been in a long time," said manager Tony La Russa. "Guy's worked so hard. ... This guy is a great athlete. People in this town and in this league have only seen a little bit of it. In the American League, they know this guy is nails."

The lefty has been through too many failed rehab assignments and abbreviated comebacks to consider anything beyond the inning he just threw.

"You know what? I'm back pitching," Mulder said. "That's enough. If I do that for the rest of the year, then that's OK. If there's more, that's OK. ... It's enough to be back."

STLtoday - For now, simply pitching is enough