One of the better free-agent signings of the past offseason has been Dodgers starter Randy Wolf, who was briefly tied for the National League lead in wins this week but is earning a rather reasonable $7.5 million this year.

At 8-4, Wolf is on a 20-win pace this season, and has provided a psychological boost as a “stopper” who has posted 5 of those victories following a Dodgers loss.

The scary part is, Wolf’s numbers would be even better if he didn’t have a mini meltdown in the first inning of virtually every game he starts.

Wolf has been absolutely atrocious to open ballgames, yielding an OPS of over 1.000 on the first 15 pitches he throws in a game, and posting a first inning ERA of 7.07, compared to 3.44 the rest of the way, having given up 11 earned runs in the first inning of ball games, compared to only 26 runs in all other innings combined.

A typical Wolf game will see him let in 2 or 3 runs in the opening frame, followed by 6 innings of flawless, shutout ball.  This man doesn’t need a closer - he needs an opener. I say bring the Dodgers should bring in Jon Broxton to pitch the first inning of Wolf’s games, while Wolf throws an extra 15 warmup pitches in the bullpen.

With the pitches Wolf would have normally wasted just getting out of the first, he can be his own setup man and closer. Indeed, on pitches 91-106, Wolf is yielding opponents a miniscule .238 batting average and .273 on-base percentage.

Randy Wolf is back. Wolf is pitching today against the Florida Marlins. It is his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery a year ago. From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The very thought of testing his arm in a big-league game for the first time since he underwent Tommy John surgery on July 1, 2005, has the eight-year veteran feeling born again.

“I’m going to feel like it’s my first game all over again,” said Wolf. “When you get to the big leagues, you have to prove you belong. When you have this injury, you have to reprove yourself.”

The Phillies, a team with precious few opportunities to cheer these days, look forward to the proving.

“He says he’s feeling real good, and it looks like he’s ready to go,” manager Charlie Manuel said.

The Phillies have missed him, especially during their failed attempt at a wild-card berth last season, when they could have used a pitcher who was a 16-game winner and an all-star as recently as 2003.

Now, as he sets out to show he can be that mound presence again, the revitalized Wolf is looking far beyond today’s start.

“I ran into Schill right after I had surgery and he said, ‘Welcome to the second half of your career,’ ” Wolf said, referring to Curt Schilling, the former Phillies ace who had career-extending shoulder surgeries.

Tommy John surgery is a major procedure, no doubt about it. But it’s not impossible to bounce back from. Pitchers who have had the surgery and gone on to pitch for several more years include John Smoltz, Jose Mesa and Adam Eaton. Oh, and Tommy John.

Wolf’s timing is perfect. There won’t be much pressure on him to perform this season. The team has already given up on the playoffs, signified by the trades they pulled off this week, sending David Bell to the Brewers and Bobby Abreu to the Yankees. So Wolf can take his time regaining his old form.