The 225-pound right-hander says he is better conditioned this season.
Matt Albers' size does not seem to bother Bobby Valentine, the Red Sox manager who has made conditioning a point of emphasis this spring.
Valentine had positive words about Albers, who says he is in better shape this season than last.
Valentine made his comments to the Boston Herald about the 6-foot, 225-pound Albers.
“Don’t let his body fool you, because he’s a pretty good pitcher,” Valentine said.
Comforting words from the new man in charge, considering that Albers is a borderline major leaguer, as usual. Last year he made the team at the end of spring training, pitched surprisingly well for most of the year but gave up 29 hits in his last 22 innings.
Albers' trump card was the ability to pitch multiple innings per outing. Valentine has indicated his workload might have contributed to his problems later in the season.
The Red Sox could use Albers, who says he is in better shape this season. Their bullpen is unsettled in the middle-relief category, which is what he does best.
Albers was 4-4 with a 4.73 ERA in 2011. His numbers could stand some improvement, and he has shown the potential is there.
“I wanted to come in and be ready to go and be able to do my job for the entire season. My diet was a little better and I did more cardio — the stuff that anybody would do to lose weight. Eat better, work out more. But I’ve always been a big guy. I don’t think my weight has fluctuated much.”
His weight does not seem to faze his manager, so Albers seems off to a good start.