Halladay gets win, talks about future

Roy Halladay has started off the season with two terrible outings.
Credit: Getty Images

Roy Halladay made a surprise return to the Phillies’ rotation. He’s back and he’s not half bad.

Halladay, who has spent the past four months rehabbing from shoulder surgery, allowed just two runs on four hits in six innings during a 9-5 win over Arizona. More importantly, his fastball topped out at around 89 mph. Halladay is a free agent after the season.

“The movement is back to where it used to be,” Halladay said. “I can be more consistent with the location. Just from talking to the doctors, the velocity is the last thing to come.”

The right-hander said he didn’t find out he was pitching until GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. called him close to midnight following the Phillies’ 18-inning loss Saturday night. He had been scheduled to make another rehab start in Reading.

Obviously, that didn’t happen. Halladay threw 94 total pitches (55 for strikes).

“You can’t ever look back,” he said. “I’m not trying to replicate anything I’ve done in the past. I’m trying to help us win and hopefully get a chance at some point to win a World Series.”