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Ian Thomsen

March 29, 1999

In 1996, while sliding into second with his first major league hit, pitcher Jamey Wright suffered an injury to his right knee. He would need three cartilage operations over the next two years. "This is the first time I had the whole off-season to get ready," says the righthander, 24, who's expecting big things from himself and fellow righthanded starter John Thomson, 25. Wright was a first-round pick in '93, and Thomson was drafted six rounds later. Last year, in their first full season in the majors, Wright was 9-14 and Thomson 8-11. "This is the year both of us need to step up and get 12 to 15 wins," Wright says. "I really think we're the key to our team's making the playoffs."