LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – It’s been just over a year since Braves reliever Shae Simmons had Tommy John elbow surgery, and the promising young right-hander is still probably three or four months from his projected return to the majors.
It’s not that Simmons has had any setbacks, but rather the Braves are trying to make sure he and others don’t.
After having a few prominent pitchers struggle coming back from Tommy John surgery, including two, Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, requiring a second surgery – Beachy had three elbow surgeries including two TJ operations in a 21-month span – the Braves are trying out a new, longer rehab program.
Instead of aiming to have Simmons back pitching on a rehab stint in about 12 months and back in the big leagues in 13-14 months, as they would have in the past, the Braves are aiming to have him back in the majors in May or June. That would be 15-16 months after his February 2015 surgery.
“I guess technically I’m healthy,” said Simmons, who has thrown a few times off the bullpen mound recently. “But they want to take me a little slower. They’re doing the new protocol that they’re going by, so we’re looking at about 14 months (before beginning a rehab assignment). I guess they just want to test it and see the success rates compared to the past.
“That’s why we’re projecting somewhere between May and June, I guess, is when I’ll be in playing form.”
In the past, some pitchers – former Braves reliever Peter Moylan, for example – were back pitching in rehab assignments or even in the big leagues in about 12 months, then had setbacks and returned to the disabled list. There are some medical experts who believed that pushing the envelope in rehab, trying to get back too quickly, likely contributed to subsequent setbacks.
The Braves want to see if slowing the process, and making the pitcher know from the outset what the rehab plan is and that it won’t benefit them to try to speed up that plan, will allow for a more thorough healing process and help avoid any setbacks late in the process or soon after returning.
“I understand,” said Simmons, 25. “I’d rather take my time and make sure I’m healthy than rush back and be in Triple-A or the big leagues trying to work on things that I could have worked on earlier and taken my time and really worked on finesse.
“I think it’s good for both sides. It gives them more opportunity to look at others perform those roles, and it just means I’ve got to work harder to get that spot back.”
He feels good physically and is confident about his comeback.
“I’m at that one-year mark, so technically I could be (throwing full-speed),” he said. “But I’ve been staying around 75-80 percent. Don’t really want to (air) it out yet. But every now and then I’ll test the waters — not on the mound but, like, when I’m playing catch. Throw a few hard, see if it’s feeling good.
“Nothing’s painful, it’s just a matter of building up your throwing program, going through normal fatigue.”
As a rookie in 2014, Simmons posted a 2.93 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings before going on the disabled list July 29 with a sore shoulder. The right-hander didn’t pitch again that season, and when he ramped up his offseason throwing program back home in Missouri just before 2015 spring training, it was his elbow that blew.
Before the injury, Simmons had been expected to compete for a setup role in 2015 spring training. He had been rated as the No. 16 prospect in the Braves organization by Baseball America. Now the Braves have many more prospects and offseason acquisitions being considered for just a few open spots in a once-again-revamped bullpen.
“So many guys,” said Simmons, impressed by both the quality and quantity of arms in the Braves’ jam-packed clubhouse. “But it’s good. That’s what they’re trying to do, so… Hopefully the organization can just build off that.”
He’s just glad to be back with the team, after spending most of the past year living near the Braves’ minor league/spring-training headquarters outside Orlando, going through the daily grind of the rehab process under the supervision of team doctors and physical therapists.
“It’s hard when you’re not playing. You feel so disconnected from the team,” Simmons said. “It’s just nice to be in this atmosphere in spring training.”
About the Author
