While he was sidelined with a right hand injury, Jaime Del Valle ran virtually every day.
The catcher estimated he logged 70 miles during the past month.
It still didn’t prepare him for Thursday, a day that left him both exhausted and exhilarated.
Del Valle caught four innings and had four at-bats in a simulated game before taking part in batting practice.
RailCats manager Greg Tagert then surprised the 26-year-old Del Valle by activating him right before the series opener against Wichita. In his first appearance since the third game of the season May 21 at St. Paul, the Colombia native entered in the ninth inning of an 8-2 loss to the Wingnuts, catching the top half and walking in the bottom.
“It was exciting,” Del Valle said before Friday’s game at the Steel Yard. “It was like my first time out there. I felt weird the first couple pitches. But once I got that ball in my glove, everything went away. That was back to reality, being back behind the plate.”
It was a long time coming for Del Valle, who had been expected to form the foundation of the team in a catching tandem with Jose Gonzalez. But making his second start in the season’s third game against the Saints, Del Valle suffered a broken and displaced hamate bone on a swing.
“I heard it crack, I felt something move,” said Del Valle, who went 2-for-6 with a walk in his two games. “I knew something was wrong.”
X-rays the next morning came back negative. But an MRI a week later revealed the damage.
Del Valle underwent surgery to remove the bone, and the team doctor estimated a recovery time of 4-6 weeks. He returned in 3 1/2 weeks — and Tagert had to slow down Del Valle with his rehabilitation.
“He was chomping,” Tagert said.
Del Valle didn’t travel while injured. But he utilized the stadium’s facilities to rehab diligently. One of the team’s leaders wasn’t forgotten.
More Top Picks Best Magnifying Lamps For Seniors
“He made sure every time we got home, he was the first one here in the clubhouse,” Tagert said. “He did all his extra conditioning work, everything he could do non-baseball related. He was on the field every day in uniform and in that dugout with the ballclub.”
The RailCats acquired Del Valle from Evansville in the Frontier League on June 11 last season. He was one of the few bright spots as they went 45-55, providing a presence and hitting .251 with 22 RBIs in 58 games.
“Of all the additions we made last year, a lot of guys, to whatever limited success we had, Jaime was a big part of it,” Tagert said. “He gives us another dimension. He’s our best offensive catcher without losing a lot defensively.
“He’s embraced everything we love a player to be when he gets here, playing for the right reasons. He’s put so much time and energy into wanting to be a part of our ballclub. He really has taken a vested interest and some ownership, which is what we want players to do.”
Which made suffering the injury before the season had even progressed beyond the opening series especially disappointing for Del Valle.
But he was expected to continue to ease back into the lineup, including entering in Friday’s fourth inning. And he should draw his first post-injury start this weekend against Wichita or next week at Fargo-Moorhead.
“I can’t wait,” Del Valle said. “I just want to help the club, and it’s tough to do it when you’re not on the field. You can morally support your teammates, you can tell them between innings what you see, but it’s not the same as being on the field with them.”
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff
Up next: Wichita (Tim Brown 5-2) at RailCats (Richard Castillo 3-2), 6:10 p.m. Saturday, WEFM-FM 95.9.