With help of physical therapy, Barnes nears Opening Day nod

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The weights were lighter, the movements were slower and the results have been strong.

Right-hander Matt Barnes is back on the mound after recovering from surgery to repair a hip impingement last July. After 10 years in the Major Leagues, the 33-year-old righty reliever is benefiting from adjustments made during the recovery process as he contends for a spot in the Nationals bullpen.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the work that I was doing back home,” Barnes, who signed a Minor League deal with Washington, said before the Nationals’ 10-1 win over the Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. “I got hooked up with a phenomenal [physical therapist] this offseason.”

Following the procedure that ended his 2023 season with the Marlins, Barnes began a physical therapy program, working three days a week for 4 1/2 months. He didn’t pitch off the mound until December, and even then, the first month was learning his new hip mechanics.

“Everything was intentional,” Barnes said. “Everything had a purpose and a reason. You start here, and you just continue to kind of build up as the rehab process moves along and as you kind of get more comfortable and continue to be healthy.”

The recovery regimen was a new offseason routine for the veteran. Every prior winter, Barnes, who spent nine years with the Red Sox before his lone season in Miami, followed the training program mapped out by his team, “throw on my headphones and go to the gym and work out.” The biggest adjustment he made in physical therapy was the way he lifted weights.

“We got soft tissue and actual joint work,” Barnes said. “[We] had a very specific program for the rehab that I was doing where it wasn't so much, ‘Let's lift as much weight as we can and get super strong.’ It was a lot of functional lifting in baseball movements. It was a ton of end range, deceleration, acceleration out of that, single-leg work that is really specific to pitching in the movements that I would have to do.”

The disciplined work has translated to the mound. With a week left in Spring Training, Barnes is in the mix with fellow veteran right-handers Jacob Barnes and Derek Law and southpaw Richard Bleier for a limited number of spots in the ‘pen.

With a scoreless frame against the Astros, Barnes has pitched three scoreless innings in three relief appearances since making his spring debut on March 12, totaling three strikeouts to no walks and one hit.

Barnes views his success in camp beyond the box score. Every exercise, every adjustment, every motion methodically completed away from the field has brought him back to the mound.

“Any surgery is still surgery; it doesn't matter how big or small it is,” Barnes said. “[I am most proud of] the fact that I'm healthy, I can go out there and do everything -- from pitching in games to lifting like I normally do to PFPs [pitchers' fielding practice]. There's so many other aspects of this game that you have to do and get accustomed to other than just pitching in games. The body has responded really well, which I think is awesome.”