Jered Weaver's fastball is barely cracking the highway speed limit
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MESA, AZ - MARCH 4: Jered Weaver #36 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitches during the game against the Chicago Cubs on March 4, 2016 at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Brown/Angels Baseball LP/Getty Images)
Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jered Weaver has lost a tick (or 10) off his fastball.
Weaver's heater topped out at just 81 mph in his second Cactus League start on Wednesday. In 2 2/3 innings, the 33-year-old allowed five earned runs on six hits -- three of which were homers.
"I wake up every day hoping this is the day it's going to click," Weaver told reporters afterward, according to The Associated Press. "It just hasn't happened yet."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last season, Weaver's fastball averaged 84.9 mph, according to FanGraphs.com. That was the lowest velocity of his major-league career.
In 26 starts in 2015, Weaver went 7-12 with a career-worst 4.64 ERA and a career-low 5.1 strikeouts per nine innings. By comparison, he led the majors with 233 strikeouts in 2010. That season, his fastball averaged 90.1 mph.