NewsDuchscherer on the road to recovery
All-Star hopes to be back with the A's by early June
By Mychael Urban / MLB.com
04/27/09 1:10 PM ET
OAKLAND -- The pain comes first, followed by inactivity, surgery, a floating post-op haze, physical therapy and, finally, rehab.A's right-hander Justin Duchscherer knows the drill all too well. He's been through it three times in less than two years.
The first two times involved his right hip, surgeries which ended prematurely both his final year as a member of Oakland's bullpen (2007) and his first year as the All-Star ace of Oakland's starting rotation (2008).
The latest involves his throwing elbow, a surgery which dashed the highest of Duchscherer's hopes for 2009.
"I just want to play one full year without getting hurt," Duchscherer told MLB.com by phone from Arizona. "I know I've been saying that for what seems like forever, but for whatever reason it's not happening for me. I feel like I do everything I can to stay healthy, but something always comes up."
The elbow pain surfaced early in Spring Training, and when Duchscherer had to stop throwing after aggravating the joint in a Minor League game -- he didn't pitch in a Cactus League game -- it essentially ensured that he'd start the season on the 15-day disabled list.
"Probably the most frustrated I've ever been," he said. "And I've been frustrated a lot."
The surgery was exploratory, arthroscopic. It didn't reveal any significant structural damage; the joint was, in Duchscherer's words, "cleaned out." That was actually good news.
"I'm kind of conditioned to expect the worst," he said.
Now he's being conditioned for a return to the mound, and he's hoping to be back on the active roster by early June.
Duchscherer, 31, was cleared last week for some plyometric work. While the A's were in New York on Wednesday, he was on a trampoline, tossing rubber balls. The previous day, he was watching the A's on television, wishing he were with them in Gotham to provide the type of veteran leadership expected of the senior member of the starting staff.
"I watch the games, but it drives me crazy," he said. "Not being able to contribute is the hardest part, not pitching, but there's times I see a situation where I might have been able to help even when I'm not pitching, and that [is tough], too.
"Whenever I see one of the guys struggling a little bit, like Dana [Eveland] did [Tuesday night], I think about how I might have been able to talk to him between innings or something, maybe help him get back on track."
To get back on track himself, Duchscherer will need to follow the same throwing program that he was on during the spring. Designed by bullpen coach Ron Romanick, it's proven successful time and again. Among others, second baseman Mark Ellis and third baseman Eric Chavez have reaped the benefits.
"It's awesome," Ellis said. "It's a big part of why I came back on time -- ahead of schedule, even."
Romanick, however, is with the A's, and Duchscherer, a two-time American League All-Star who'll be eligible for free agency after the season, won't be with his teammates until he's ready to return to the starting rotation.
Duchscherer will play catch for the first time since the surgery on Wednesday, starting with some light tossing and progressing daily to long-distance throwing, with built-in days off.
Once he's ready to throw off a mound, he'll likely work in a simulated game, then a few innings in extended Spring Training games at the club's Minor League facility in Phoenix. If that goes well, he'll head for a rehab stint, pitching for whatever farm clubs provide the most convenience.
And finally, back to the big leagues.
"Every time you have to sit out, you appreciate it more," Duchscherer said. "I can't stand not being able to compete."
Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
