| PITTSBURGH -- Jason Schmidt, the Pittsburgh Pirates' opening
day starter, won't need surgery on his aching right shoulder but
probably won't pitch again in the majors until August.
| |  | |
| Schmidt |
Schmidt was diagnosed with inflamed tissue in his right rotator
cuff during an examination Wednesday in Birmingham, Ala., by Dr.
James Andrews, who specializes in reconstructive surgery.
Rotator cuff injuries are among the worst a pitcher can have
and, if they require surgery, often require an extended
rehabilitation period.
"The tissue in there has to be quieted down," Pirates general
manager Cam Bonifay said. "But it is not a surgical case right
now. There was no tear, nothing like that."
Schmidt said he consulted with Andrews, who has operated on
numerous athletes, because, "I want to know once and for all
what's wrong in there."
Schmidt's injury is a setback to a Pirates starting staff that
hasn't pitched nearly as well as projected. Expected to be the
team's strength coming out of spring training, Pirates starters are
averaging less than six innings per start and are 15-22 with a 4.77
ERA.
Schmidt is 2-5 with a 5.40 ERA after going 13-11 last season.
With Schmidt hurting, the Pirates recalled right-handed rookie
Bronson Arroyo, who allowed five runs in five innings in his first
major league start, a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the Atlanta
Braves on Tuesday.
This is the 27-year-old Schmidt's second trip to the disabled
list this season. He spent two weeks on the DL in late April with
soreness in his shoulder, a condition that began during spring
training and has lingered since.
Bonifay said Schmidt won't be ready to pitch again for 4-6
weeks, or until after the All-Star break. Even when he is ready, he
will probably need several minor league rehabilitation starts
before he can rejoin the Pirates.
"The first two or three weeks, he won't be throwing," Bonifay
said. "He'll be building it up and letting the inflammation clear
out. Then he'll start a slow-throwing process to build himself up
and then he'll pitch off a mound. The total time is six to eight
weeks."
Schmidt will be on a strict pitch count once he returns.
Arroyo is expected to stay in the rotation, although Bonifay
said it is possible another move will be made now that the Pirates
know Schmidt will be out for an extended period. | |
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