ATHLETE OF THE WEEK : Kerber Now Crafty After Arm Injury

When he developed tendinitis in his right arm in December, Mike Kerber of Canoga Park thought he might not throw again this season. In retrospect, the condition made him a better pitcher.

With his fastball not at full speed, Kerber hasn’t been able to rear back and throw the ball past batters. Instead, he’s had to use more off-speed pitches and concentrate on hitting spots. The results have been amazing.

Kerber, who returned to the mound only three weeks ago, is 3-0 with a 0.82 earned-run average. In 17 innings, he has 23 strikeouts and only two walks. On Thursday, he struck out eight and led Canoga Park to a 3-2 win over Chatsworth, which averaged 12 runs per game in its previous seven outings.

“I’m surprised with the success I’ve had,� said Kerber, a junior who is 9-0 in two seasons. “I didn’t think I would come back this strong so quickly.�

Kerber (6-4) also plays first base and has raised his batting average 170 points from last season. He is batting .488 with 3 home runs and 13 runs batted in.