Is Jake Peavy back?

There was a question whether Jake Peavy would even return to baseball and how he would fare after undergoing surgery that no player was known to have. Peavy tore the right lat tendon completely off the bone in July 2010. He returned to pitch 111 2/3 innings last season and the numbers didn't tell the story of how well he pitched. Peavy posted a 4.92 ERA and 1.26 WHIP last season, but had a 7.66 K/9, 1.93 BB/9, and a 3.21 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP).

Peavy's velocity is the best it has been in years and he is mixing his pitches well and generating a good amount of swings and misses.  Peavy had a 53/11 K/BB ratio in 57 innings after the All-Star break last season. In four starts in 2012, Peavy is 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and a 26/4 K/BB ratio in 28 2/3 innings.

He dominated a weak offense in Oakland with a three-hit shutout on the road, but he did pitch well in Texas and at home in a hitter-friendly park against the Tigers and Orioles. Peavy's fly ball rate is 55 percent and  his career average is 39 percent.

 Peavy will be hurt by the home run ball at times, especially in Chicago, which is a hitter-friendly park. The biggest concern is health. The likelihood of him pitching 200 innings isn't high.

Peavy hasn’t pitched more than 111 2/3 innings since 2008 when he pitched 173 2/3 innings with San Diego. There are a lot of good signs and I believe he will help fantasy teams for as long as he is healthy. Peavy is legit.