Marcus Walden's success is becoming less and less of a secret.
The methods behind the man? Those might take a while to catch up on.
In case you haven't been paying attention to this Red Sox bullpen of late, understand that Walden has emerged as one of the season's most notable stories. In his 24 2/3 innings, he has allowed just four earned runs while striking out 30 and walking just one. Within this run, he has pitched two or more innings eight times.
And all along the way, he hasn't skipped a beat. For that he can at least partially thank a somewhat unorthodox treatment regimen he stumbled upon three years ago. It's called dry needling.
"I did dry needling for my shoulder in ’16. I got hurt in August with the Twins, ended up getting an MRI on my shoulder and there were no really big issues," Walden explained. "So I ended up going down to Florida and the trainer there did dry needling. Two weeks I was back throwing again. Now I get it done on my forearm because I’ve had nerve issues in my forearm since I came to the Red Sox in ’17."
That said, this is not something which is embraced by all.
California, Utah, Idaho, New York and Hawaii are states which don't allow the practice, as Walden discovered while training at his offseason home on the West Coast.
"They told me in the offseason if I wanted to get it done I would have to go to Arizona," he said. "Guys ask if it hurts and it really doesn’t. It’s like a bee sting."
Other players have implemented the technique, joining Walden as using it as a complement to massage. But considering what it has done for the 29-year-old's career you aren't going to find a bigger proponent of the practice.
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