Clemens right on course for MLB return

September, 7, 2012

9/07/12

10:05

PM ET

By Jim Bowden | ESPN.com

Roger Clemens made his second outing for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League on Friday night, and he shut out the Long Island Ducks for 4 2/3 innings. In the process, he showed me enough to think he could successfully pitch a few innings for the Houston Astros -- who have expressed some interest in signing him -- later this month.

His fastball tonight was mostly 86-88 mph with command on both sides of the plate. He was able to get good downward plane and was able to elevate his fastball, throw it at the knees and hit his spots on the black and up and down. He didn’t throw his fastball in as much as he used to, but with the drop in velocity that should have been expected.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Jim Bowden

Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.