By the time he reaches the mound to the throw a bullpen session at the Cardinals’ complex in Jupiter, Fla., Miles Mikolas has already had his temperature checked at least twice, answered a series of re-entry questions, kept a social distance from any one of the few people there, and remembered to bring a good, sweaty bottle of water with him.
That’s to keep him from licking his fingers.
“After a couple days I got used to it and that really wasn’t a thing,” Mikolas said Friday. “But you’re changing what’s almost part of your natural delivery — release, decelerate, hand comes around, and into the finger-licky thing.