Pitchers deal with cruel reality of arm injuries

By STEVE WILAJ

TheNewsOutlet.org

Steven Gruver accepts the facts.

When he injured his left-throwing shoulder last season while pitching for the Fort Myers Miracle — the Minnesota Twins Single-A affiliate — Gruver was obviously frustrated (as well as in pain).

But the 2008 Austintown Fitch graduate realizes it comes with the territory.

“It’s pitching — you’re putting your arm in a position it doesn’t want to be in every day,” said Gruver, a 2011 Twins seventh-round pick who will miss the entire 2015 season recovering from his injuries. “It’s part of the game. Everybody who plays knows that it can happen.”

It’s a cruel reality — and one another local pitcher is also facing.

Springfield Local High’s Todd Kibby began his pro career in 2011 when the Chicago White Sox made him a 37th-round draft pick. After being released following the 2013 season, the lefty joined the Lake Erie Crushers of the Independent Frontier League for 2014.

Kibby had a solid campaign (6-2 with a 2.12 ERA in 80 2/3 innings), but began having arm troubles in August. He eventually realized that he needed Tommy John surgery — which reconstructs the elbow — and underwent the procedure late in the month.

Recent studies by Will Carroll, a sportswriter who specializes in medical issues for the website Bleacher Report, showed that a third of pitchers on 2014 Major League Baseball opening day rosters underwent Tommy John surgery at some point in their careers (teams carry 10 to 12 pitchers at all times).

As for shoulder injuries like Gruver’s, they’re not as common. However, as a 2010 article by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported, they are still a major issue.

“If you look at the majors, a lot of the guys pitching have had some kind of arm surgery at some point,” Gruver said.

All Gruver’s injuries occurred on one pitch. Upon releasing the ball, he tore his left rotator cuff, as well as part of the labrum called the HAGL (humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament).

“I don’t know exactly how it happened,” he said. “You can speculate on what the reason was and where the pressure came from, but it’s baseball.

“[Doctors said the HAGL tear] was an extremely rare injury for anyone to get. So you add that on top of a rotator cuff injury that is typical — but a tough one to come back from — and my injury is just way out in left field compared to most.”

Gruver estimates his rehab and recovery time will take approximately one year. He believes that by November, he’ll be throwing near full health.

Meanwhile, Kibby began throwing again Jan. 6. He’s gone 1-2 with a 3.55 ERA this season for Lake Erie. He’s appeared in 10 games, starting five, and has struck out 23 in 25 1/3 innings.

As for Gruver, his goal is to rejoin the Twins organization for the 2016 season. In 2014, he went 4-6 with a 2.79 ERA in 87 innings for the Miracle before sustaining his injuries.

“I think about making it to an upper-level team,” Gruver said. “But first I have to just get back on the field right now. So one of my main goals is to put myself in the position to be healthy and get back on the mound.”

TheNewsOutlet.org is a collaborative effort among the Youngstown State University journalism program, The University of Akron and The University of Cincinnati, and professional media outlets including, WYSU-FM Radio and The Vindicator (Youngstown), The Beacon Journal and Rubber City Radio (Akron).