The chronicle of the shoulder injuries of Twins' RHP Samuel Deduno

[Thrylos]

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Last season, after his World Baseball Classic performance, which ended with a [URL="http://m.startribune.com/sports/?id=199709321"]pulled groin[/URL] that led him to miss a chunk of spring training and the first 44 games of the season, and his consistent performance in June and July that had him enter August with a 7-4 record and a 3.18 ERA in 12 starts, many people in the Twins Cities called [B]Samuel Deduno[/B] an "ace". This included several well-respected mainstream media. (For sample of relative stories, look [URL="http://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/07/29/twins-pitcher-deduno-as-ace"]here[/URL], [URL="http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/217259751.html"]here[/URL], [URL="http://www.tout.com/m/jp4mhd?ref=twjdvvqm"]here[/URL], [URL="http://fpbaseballoutsider.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-five-seasons-of-sam-deduno.html"]here [/URL]and [URL="http://www.rantsports.com/mlb/2013/09/07/samuel-deduno-minnesota-twins-ace-has-great-potential/"]here[/URL].)

Not sure whether calling Deduno an ace, which of course he never was, made him one. Being the only pitcher who gives a bad team a semi-consistent chance of staying close in a game, does not an "ace" make. Perhaps this mis-labeling caused a hubris-derived curse, but he was never the same afterward. He suffered injuries that led him to have double (labrum and rotator cuff) shoulder surgery this fall, making his trip north this spring with the Twins pretty unlikely.

When (then interim) General Manager [B]Terry Ryan[/B] returned to that role with the Twins after the 2011 ninety nine loss season he identified several areas that needed to change in order for the team to improve. In addition of the firing of [B]Jerry White[/B] and [B]Rick Stelmaszek[/B], the retirement of [B]Steve Liddle,[/B] the "no scholarships" approach with certain players like[B] Tsuyosi Nishioka[/B] and the reassignment of the other remaining coaches, Ryan fired the Twins' head athletic trainer [B]Rick McWane[/B], establishing medical treatment of the players as one of the areas for improvement and implicitly part of the cause of the Twins demise in 2011.

How well has that latter change worked in 2013? Let's look at a chronicle of Samuel Deduno's shoulder injury, diagnosis and treatment, beginning from last August, and let readers reach their own conclusions:

[B]August 7:[/B] Deduno allows four runs in 5.7 innings in a loss to the Royals, giving up twelve hits.

[B]August 13:[/B] He allows five runs in six innings in loss to Indians; five hits and three bases on balls.

[B]August 18:[/B] Allows five runs and eight hits in five innings against the White Sox. After the game Deduno [URL="http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_23889736/minnesota-twins-pitcher-samuel-deduno-having-shoulder-problems"]speaks to the press[/URL] indicating he has shoulder problems. He said "It started behind the [B]shoulder [/B]a couple weeks ago [[I]August 7[/I]] , but I could handle that". "Now it's in the front. I felt it a few days ago [I][August 13[/I]]. Today, I didn't feel good. In the bullpen and during the game, I didn't feel strong."

[[I]In other words, Deduno made three starts with shoulder issues. It is unclear whether he communicated those issues to the training staff[/I]]

The Twins' trainers prescribe and Deduno undergoes [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_muscle_stimulation"]Electronic Stimulation Therapy[/URL] (a muscle therapy).

[B]August 19:[/B] Consistent with the treatment prescribed, the Twins' training staff [URL="https://twitter.com/Brandon_Warne/status/369515859674288128"]diagnose the condition as [B]biceps tendinitis[/B][/URL].

[B]August 21[/B]: Deduno throws bullpen and [URL="https://twitter.com/RhettBollinger/status/370275096075595777"]says he feels fine[/URL].

[B]August 22:[/B] Starts against Cleveland. Allows one run in six innings in a win at Cleveland. Three hits, four bases on balls.

[B]August 29: [/B]Starts against the Royals. Allows three runs in three innings. Out with [URL="https://twitter.com/LaVelleNeal/status/373161735240183808"][B]shoulder [/B]soreness.[/URL]

[[I]In other words, Deduno made two additional starts with apparently unresolved shoulder issues[/I]]

[B]August 30:[/B] Deduno [URL="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9616368/minnesota-twins-place-samuel-deduno-wilkin-ramirez-dl"]placed on of the 15-day DL[/URL]

[B]September 8[/B]: Deduno transferred to the 60-day DL

[B]September 9: [/B]The Twins'[URL="http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/222909141.html"] GM talks to the press about Deduno[/URL]. Saying that he might need [B]shoulder[/B] surgery but is "not as bad as it sounds" and could rehab instead. Terry Ryan indicates Deduno is "battling [B]inflammation[/B]" and says he is "sure that it is [B]scar-tissue [/B]related"

[B]September 9 (later in the day)[/B]: The Twins [URL="http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_24100800/minnesota-twins-samuel-deduno-confident-heading-into-surgery"]announce [/URL]that Deduno has "[B]issues [/B]in his [B]labrum [/B]and [B]rotator cuff[/B]" and might need "just a[B] clean up[/B]"

[B]September 13[/B]: The Twins [URL="http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Notebook_Whos_hot_whos_not_so_far_in_September091313"]indicate [/URL]that Deduno has "[B]fraying [/B]in the [B]shoulder[/B]", recovery timetable is set at two months and should be ready for the onset of spring training.

[B]September 20:[/B] [URL="http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_24143696/minnesota-twins-samuel-dedunos-shoulder-surgery-successful-agent"]Announcement [/URL]that Deduno has successful arthroscopic s[B]houlder s[/B]urgery (by his agent), reparing "slight [B]fraying[/B]" and "slight [B]tear[/B]".

[B]December 9:[/B] [URL="https://twitter.com/MikeBerardino/status/410189031121895424"]Twins indicate[/URL] that Deduno has started to playing catch and his rehab progresses (in Fort Myers) as planned and he is still on schedule for spring training.

Meanwhile, Terry Ryan signed three free agent pitchers who, in addition to Correia, [URL="http://tenthinningstretch.blogspot.com/2013/12/by-numbers-body-count-of-twins-pitching.html"]are all penciled in ahead of Deduno for the 2014 rotation[/URL]. After the season Terry Ryan publicly said that "Deduno has pretty much earned a spot on the 2014 rotation", but his actions show he is not counting on Deduno. Whether he will be ready for spring training or not, it is now no clearer, since there has been pretty much silence on Deduno since September 20.

It has to be noted Deduno has been very fragile. Here is his lost days and injury history in his professional career:

Missed 30 days of 2013 with [B]Right Shoulder [/B]injury
Missed part of 2013 (ST and 44 days) with [B]Groin [/B]injury
Missed 45 days of 2012 with [B]Right Elbow[/B] injury
Missed 18 days of 2011 with [B]Groin [/B]injury
Missed 111 days of 2010 with[B] Right Elbow [/B]injury (inflammation)
Missed 22 days of 2009 with [B]Hip Flexor [/B]injury
Missed all of 2008 with [B]Tommy John Surgery[/B] recovery
Missed 45 days of 2005 with [B]Right Shoulder [/B]injury

The only healthy seasons in Deduno's career were 2006 and 2007. It looks like his right shoulder, groin, hip and right elbow (unfortunately even after Tommy John surgery) have been his problem areas. The elbow and shoulder issues are especially worrisome...

I hope Deduno is healthy, because he pitches in an intriguing way and could help the Twins, but if his history is any guide of his future, he is not to be counted on to take the ball every fifth day.

[I]Originally published at [URL="http://tenthinningstretch.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-chronicle-of-shoulder-injuries-of.html"]The Tenth Inning Stretch[/URL][/I]

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