Seattle Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan, who spent time on the disabled list with shoulder and back problems, still feels tightness behind his right shoulder and has been ordered not to throw a baseball so far in camp.
The team hopes that, like a pitcher brought along slowly, the shoulder work he does on and off the field will have him ready to play exhibition games and start the regular season healthy.
Still, it’s a concern Ryan was on the DL from Aug. 4-19 with a shoulder injury, then missed the final two weeks of 2011 with back spasms. A full off-season of physical therapy has improved the situation but not eliminated it.
If the season began today and Ryan wasn’t able to play, the options at shortstop would be rookies Munenori Kawasaki, Carlos Triunfel and Nick Franklin or veteran middle infielder Luis Rodriguez.
As if this news isn’t bad enough, I absolutely shuddered when I saw this photo and, for a second, thought it was Erik Bedard. Please Brendan, grow back that fu-man-whatever you had last year.
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Hopefully he can hold up until June, or more likely September, when Franklin should be ready for some time.
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Great, another player who waits until spring training for surgery.
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