Well today the Mets received some excellent news as Jose Reyes proclaimed himself ready for Spring Training, saying that he feels as fast as ever.
Reyes has been recovering from surgery to repair his torn right hamstring tendon and at this point, "He's 100 percent," says physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist Rob Panariello.
Panariello, who runs the Professional Athletic Performance Center in Garden City, 10 minutes from Reyes’ house, has been working with Reyes to strengthen his legs in his attempt to come back stronger than ever.
He feels great and ex-teammate Paul LoDuca, who also trains there, says, "Jose looks great. His explosiveness is there. He’s healthy, positive, he looks ready to go."
Fourteen weeks ago, Reyes started his rehab on crutches and has now gotten to working five days a week. The other day he ran 90 feet on the track in 3.53 seconds, the average time to first for a lefty is 4.2 seconds.
His running mechanics have changed for the better too. Now he is flexing his right leg more, with his heel inching closer to his backside, making his stride faster and cleaner.
Panariello and his staff at the Performance Center know what they are doing over there too.
They taught me proper running mechanics, which improved my 40-yard dash time from 5.46 to 5.09 in six months. So I can tell you from experience that Reyes is working with some of the best in the business and if anyone can get Reyes back to his normal self quickly, it is them.
Reyes begins each session at the Performance Center by warming up his lower body and legs on the stationary bike. Panariello then brings him back into the physical therapy room to stretch out his leg and hamstring.
After the stretching, Panariello puts him through a series of 90-foot sprints, a 10-yard tennis ball drill, and weight-lifting drills, including a high-tech beauty in a machine called the velocity cage and a low-tech exercise, where he pounds a truck tire with a 10-pound sledge-hammer from both sides of the plate.
After his rigorous workout session, Reyes walks next store to Frozen Ropes, where there are a series of batting cages that he takes swings in.
Reyes said he has not felt this good since last April. He’s at 198 pounds and he cannot wait to get back on the field and do what he does best. “I can do everything I did before on the field,” Reyes said. “I can’t wait to hit a triple.” Reyes seems ready, and for agonizing Mets fans, that is some of the best news they could have received.
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