Prior to make first Cubs start Friday
Ace confident his stuff is at Major League level
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
CHICAGO -- You won't need to go to Des Moines or Lansing, Mich., to see Mark Prior pitch. He's coming home.
Prior, sidelined with a sore Achilles since March 1, will make his first start of the season Friday for the Chicago Cubs against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.
"I think all things considered, it's the right thing to do," Prior said Monday of the decision. "We'll do it the right way. I'm not going to go out there and throw a complete game on Friday. There will be limitations and restrictions but given the situation, it's the right time."
The Cubs right-hander, who went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA last year, tuned up with an outing Sunday for Triple-A Iowa in which he gave up three hits and struck out 10 over 5 1/3 innings.
"I dont think I'm rushing," Prior said. "After my second start in (Class A) Lansing, I was a little nervous. I didn't think my stuff was up to the level it should be. After (Sunday), I felt I was pretty much my normal self. I was hitting spots, down in the zone, good curveball. After (Sunday), I felt like my stuff was ready to get people out at this level.
"As far as the way the team has been playing, it's a similar situation to when I came up my rookie year when they'd lost 10 of 12," he said. "I know what my job is, it's to give them quality innings and pitch my game. My job isn't to do anything over the top.
"There's no sense of panic on this team at all," he said. "We went through this last year. We'll come out of it. We'll get things going in the right direction here."
Prior made his Major League debut against the Pirates on May 22, 2002, with a 7-4 victory, striking out 10. At that time, the Cubs were struggling, similar to this year. Chicago opened a 10-game homestand Monday against Central Division foes Houston, St. Louis and Pittsburgh after losing five of its last six games.
Is it a psychological boost to get Prior back?
"Not only psychologically but physically, too," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "Every time we get one of these guys back it's like making a trade. You're getting quality guys back.
The Cubs currently have nine players on the disabled list, including Prior and pitcher Kerry Wood. Chicago entered Monday's game 2 1/2 games behind Cincinnati in the Central Division.
"Having Mark back is huge," Baker said. "I'd like to get one back every two or three days, to tell you the truth."
The two months off could help Prior in the long run. He came back strong after missing time last year because of a shoulder injury.
"Maybe, maybe not," Prior said. "We won't know until after the season is over. Nobody wants to miss two months of the season. Definitely, I didn't want to miss two months of the season. All I know is what I have in front of me and what I can control. I'll give it everything I can the next four months. We'll see what happens and where we are (at the) end of September and October."
So, is he relieved to be back?
"I wouldn't say it's a relief," Prior said. "I worked hard to get back and get healthy and get here as soon as I could. It's nice to know my next start will be here at home."
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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