The time has come. The anniversary of my professional career is upon us once again. Four short years ago I was signed as a member of the Atlanta Braves at an Applebees in Benton, IL. I am currently back in the same spot where it all started, the Gulf Coast League. I am on the other coast, but it is taking me back to my old stomping grounds.
The last time we talked I was contemplating what to do with my forearm/elbow pain that I was having. After considering the options and advice from the doctors I went ahead and had surgery on my arm. The official date of surgery was May 15, 2018. Another anniversary that I will have to remember going forward. Not the first guy to get it, certainly not the last, and with the resources in Florida I will be back in no time. Dr. Paletta and his team did a great job with the surgery, and my scar is looking good six weeks later. The protocol that is in place is thorough and takes me all the way up to being able to muck it up in Spring Training 2019.
In the long run this is the right move for me even if sitting out this year stinks. If my plan of being in baseball for a long time I will need a good arm going forward, and a healthy arm in general. According to the plan and rehab protocol I will be able to start throwing in September and able to participate in Spring Training 2019.
I have been back in Florida for a few weeks and in that time my rehab has been progressing well. My full range of elbow mobility is near complete, my fancy brace comes off in a few more weeks, and my legs are going to be strong. My days consist of morning treatment, lurking around with the GCL pitchers, lifting legs, and then more treatment. As far as I know this is the plan until I start throwing baseballs again, which is in September. There are a few other guys here doing the same rehab, but nobody with my exact timetable. It helps to have other guys to train with and we keep each other motivated.
In the time I have returned to Florida to rehab in train a lot has happened. The Palm Beach team clinched the first half, and that means playoff baseball. I am counting on the team to win it all so I can get a fancy ring. The draft came and went and a new crop of players have begun their pro careers. I met a lot of the new draftees before they shipped up to rookie ball. The GCL season has started and the the guys that just got drafted that stayed behind are learning how to be professionals.
This isn’t the worst place to be rehabilitated. The Palm Beach team is here so I see those guys and can follow along with their season, the GCL is here so I can interact with that group, and the head honchos are around following both teams. This keeps me in sight and in mind with the organization. The rehab staff has also been excellent and I can’t imagine trying to do this rehab on my own. Even if I did do it on my own I know that I wouldn’t be pushing myself as hard in the weight room as I would by myself.
Although rehab is a long endeavor, it gives me plenty of time to work on myself so when I am back next spring I will be even better than before. As well as reflecting on my last four years. In that time I have…
- Played in 16 states
- Played on 10 teams
- Four Organizations
- Roughly 200 unique teammates
- Lived in 6 states
- Received 4 cool duffel bags
- Received 3 baseball cards
Well there it is my four year career to this point summed up in seven bullet points.
In seriousness, it has been a great four years for me and now I get to add a new chapter to the book. The rehab chapter is going to be the latest installment in the book but now when I am older I will be more well equipped to help younger players deal with their rehab. I am looking forward to updating everyone on how my rehab progress is going, especially when I start playing catch again, and my eventual return to competitive baseball. I’m sure there are some other points of interest that will pop up throughout the summer that will be fun to report about.
Thank you everyone for the support going forward.
A Baseball Blog 
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