When the decision was made this week to proceed with surgery on Jesse Litsch's right elbow, Blue Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg was on the phone to his hard-luck 24-year-old starter.
Twenty years ago, Arnsberg suffered the same fate: reconstructive surgery on the elbow ligament, otherwise known as Tommy John surgery. There was sympathy and empathy for Litsch, but mostly a piece of sobering advice.
"It's an eye-opener, it's tough, but the thing he needs to do is turn the page and get hell bent on rehab," Arnsberg said here last night as the skies opened up on Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, dumping a deluge that forced the cancellation of the Jays-Rangers game.
The game will be made up Sept. 1 as part of a doubleheader when the Jays next travel to Arlington.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/649036