We thought our son's baseball career could be over.
NTGson's first season at his school started very well...used as situational pitcher (lefty on lefty). He was effective enough that he was on his way to more than 25 appearances when his in-zone accuracy started to fade as did his velocity. Trainers ran him through therapy for shoulder tightness, then a dreaded 'shoulder impingement'. At 3/4 through the season he was no longer consistently effective and was not pitching. The therapy relieved pain and doctors cleared him to pitch (he passed all the rotational and strength tests administered) summer ball on the west coast.
The kid earned a place in the summer team's starting rotation against very good competition and continued to be effective, not overwhelming, but effective. We were able to listen to the ESPN streamed radio broadcasts of the games. We were happy for him when he won his first game and when he threw 94 pitches over 7 innings and was relieved up 6-2 (nobody on base and 2-outs but team lost the ball game 7-6. That's a different story). But two days later both his Mom and I screamed at the radio when he stupidly took the mound when asked to close a game in the 8th inning. We know our kid and that was, in our minds, insufficient rest. The next day he reported, unasked, to us that the stiffness and pain of the Spring was back. The trainers there shut him down; we flew him back to Virginia for examination and MRI. Diagnosis: slight labrum tear beneath the biceps tendon attachment point. Possible (could be highly probable) career-ending injury if serious damage is present, and an extensive rehab period of 8-9 months after 6-8 weeks of immobilization in a sling after surgery.
He, his Mom and I met with his coaches and the program's trainer to discuss the ramifications of the injury, the possibility of a medical redshirt, etc. and the preferred procedure for his surgery. Our experience with his coaches and the staff was not only reassuring but rewarding. We opted to follow their suggestions regarding the surgery: the orthopedic and the facility. All were affiliated with the school and close by and our research found them to be very highly-rated. The convenience to his trainers and not having to miss any more than a few classes made the decision easier.
Within 4 days from our meeting, his shoulder was scoped by an extremely experienced surgeon who reported that the tear was minor, there was no detachment from the bone and only a small flap of material was causing the stiffness and pain. That little flap was excised and the area smoothed. The prognosis is full and complete recovery, with 3 weeks of sling and 3-4 months of rehab.
The initial damage may well have happened during his high school career but was never so serious to prevent him from playing and pitching. He endured pain but was effective and his velocity ran up to 87 his senior year as it did early his first college year. All had thought that as a PO and under the program in place he'd pick up another 2-3 mph by the end of his first year. That didn't happen because of the impingement which is a precursor and warning of potential labrum difficulties.
The coaches and training staff have outlined his program for this winter in order to make him able to take the mound this Spring. If he is not at 100%, he will be redshirted.
We are thankful that God is good, the injury was minor, the surgeon skilled, his coaches and staff are overseeing his recovery. Those few days of not knowing what future was left for him in baseball were filled with anxiety, for him and for his Mom and me.
