Going into the 2005 season, Hinckley, 27, was the Nationals' top pitching prospect. By the time Spring Training started in '08, he wasn't on the team's radar screen. There was a good possibility he would become a Minor League free agent after this year.
It turned out that shoulder problems were the reason Hinckley had a tough time in the Minor Leagues. Once he was healthy, the team decided to put him in the bullpen and changed his delivery. It worked wonders. Hinckley's fastball is back in the low 90s and he was getting hitters out by the time he went to Triple-A Columbus.
http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/new ... p&c_id=was"Since I've been here, Mike Hinckley has never performed," general manager Jim Bowden said. "Prior to me being here, he was the one guy I couldn't trade. All of sudden, I got a call three weeks ago that said he is now throwing 90 to 93 miles per hour.
"We sent four guys to see him at different times. All four came back with the same [statements]. This guy can be a lefty out of the bullpen. He has a good curveball and his stuff has come back."
