It’s been a little over four years since Artie Lange came on my New Jersey 101.5 show and announced that he was going into rehab. He returned a year later, sober for 10 months, looking and feeling fantastic.

Fans reacted when he announced he was two and a half years sober. How’s he doing now? For that, we go to “Beer League 2” writer and star Jimmy Palumbo.

Artie Lange and Jimmy Palumbo have been friends for a long time. It was Palumbo who played Johnny Trinno in the 2006 cult classic “Artie Lange’s Beer League.” Now Palumbo and Tom Baldinger of 624 Productions are producing a sequel called “Beer League 2,” which is a web series that will premiere on March 30 to coincide with baseball’s opening day.

Palumbo, a guest on my New Jersey 101.5 show, says Lange knows about the project but “is just not quite ready to do anything.”

Jimmy keeps in touch with Lange who’s been off the grid for almost a year and completed Drug Court in July.

I asked him for an Artie update.

“He’s doing OK. He’s sober. He’s just trying to put it all together right now. Get himself healthy and have a clear mind. And he’s just not really doing anything, any public appearances,” says Palumbo.

“But I do talk to him. I talked to his mother and his sister. And you know, he’s just kind of put it all together. So I’m hopeful that in the near future, you’re gonna see Artie Lange again. He’s still got a fastball left. I pray for him. I wish him well.”Then presumably speaking to Artie.

“And you got a lot of fans out there already. If you’re listening, I love you. And we’ll see y’all, who knows, maybe the “‘Beer League 2’ thing could be the love letter to Arthur Lange.”

Whatever it takes and however long it takes, when Artie Lange is ready to come back he will. To which Palumbo replied:

“Absolutely, absolutely. I look forward to that.”

As do we all. I pray every day for Artie Lange.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise only. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.