C.J. Wilson Comments on Changes to Delivery Due to Shoulder Injury

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher C.J. Wilson is preparing for the 2016 season with some new mechanics after running into injury issues last year.

On Saturday, Wilson spoke with Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register about the changes in his motion on the mound.

"I looked at the video and said, ‘This isn’t right,’" he said. "I have to scuttle the whole thing and start over again. [I] recreated a new delivery that is different, with a different arm slot and everything. So I throw completely different now than I did last year. I won’t even look like the same pitcher."

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said the changes are minor, but they will help Wilson stay comfortable on the mound.

Wilson decided to cut his 2015 season short in August because of an elbow injury that plagued him for most of the year. His decision was met with skepticism by his teammates, who believed that Wilson should have pitched through the injury, per MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.

Not only did the injury require surgery, but Wilson also told Fletcher that he hurt his shoulder while pitching through it. The shoulder pain flared up in spring training and forced the change in mechanics, as it would have affected his velocity.

"Once I got to the point where I was throwing max effort, then it started breaking down again, so I had to go back to the drawing board and start throwing differently," he said.

When healthy, Wilson could be a serviceable starter in Los Angeles. He won 17 games in 2013 before winning just 13 and eight in the following two seasons.

If his new mechanics help him regain that kind of success, though, he can be a solid option alongside Garrett Richards and Jered Weaver.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.