Post#13 » by rappa » Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:28 am
This is truly upsetting but it is definitely due to him coming to camp out of shape and odds are didn't throw much coming in to camp. I even have the experience to prove it:
Long story short, I was drafted out of HS, didn't sign and went on to play D1 Baseball. Was anointed closer after a great fall and I was consistent 92-94 out of the pen. Over the winter, I went home and worked out vigorously and but due to being in the northeast, it was very difficult for me to stay on the assigned throwing regimen. With about 2 and a half weeks left, I came down with a severe case of the flu and was in bed for over a week, lost about 10lbs and was unable to throw at all. Although I lost weight during that time frame, I wasn't able to do any physical exercises, especially the most important, throwing and getting my arm in shape.
When I got back to school, I didn't want to fall behind everyone else being a freshman and didn't want to lose my grasp on the closer role. I did the same exact throwing as everyone else, basically going straight into bullpens without having practically thrown any for 2months (You don't throw at the end of the fall in most college programs, you just workout).
Although I had no problems at first, over time my shoulder became increasingly sore. I ended up getting my first college win in our 3rd game versus then ranked #1 Rice and was on top of the world. The following day while doing some arm exercises with the therabands, I felt a very sharp like pull in my shoulder. I had never been hurt a day in my life so I just figured it was nothing.
Turns out, that was the last game I would pitch that season as I was diagnosed with a SLAP tear (partial labrum tear) and also tore my bicep tendon off of my labrum as well. After conferring with multiple doctors, we ultimately tied it back to trying to ramp it up to quickly coming back without any prior build up. To this day I still wonder what would have happened if I stayed at school that winter break and was able to do the throwing program.
As for this injury, it's not a rotator cuff where you lose the strength in your shoulder. You need to have them stabilize the labrum by re-attaching it and then letting it heal. From there, it's all about building up the range of motion. It's an agonizing road but at the same time I feel pretty confident if he's dedicated and with the Yankees rehab staff, he should come back, but then again everyone heals differently and you need a strong work ethic to come back from ANY type of surgery.
Thats my story and it seems quite eerily similiar to what we heard about Pineda coming into camp.
