By Paul Meyer,
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com
Thursday, July 03, 2008
CINCINNATI -- Pirates closer Matt Capps will be out for eight weeks because of a right shoulder problem that will not require surgery.Capps, who blew save chances Monday and Tuesday nights, told the Pirates after the game Tuesday that his shoulder was bothering him.
The Pirates placed Capps on the 15-day disabled list yesterday and brought up first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce from Class AAA Indianapolis.
Pearce likely will be with the Pirates just for the series in Milwaukee this weekend. The Pirates will need to make more roster moves next week when starting pitchers Phil Dumatrait (Monday) and Ian Snell (Tuesday) come off the disabled list.
Capps had felt something in his shoulder before but thought it was just a "tired shoulder."
Tuesday night, according to manager John Russell, Capps said his shoulder "felt a lot worse."
Capps flew back to Pittsburgh yesterday and underwent a Magnetic Resonance Angiogram at Allegheny General Hospital.
That revealed he has bursitis in his shoulder and also what general manager Neal Huntington called "internal rotation deficit."
That causes Capps' shoulder muscles to put pressure on his labrum and rotator cuff and prevents him from getting full extension with his arm.
"He tried to gut through it," Huntington said, "but, if he'd continued to pitch, it almost certainly would have required surgery."
Huntington said that when this condition is caught early, 90 to 95 percent of pitchers who have it are able to return and pitch effectively by simply rehabbing rather than having surgery.
Capps will spend the first four weeks of rehab getting the bursitis condition quieted and his shoulder realigned.
"His shoulder's in a position where it's kind of forward, and it should be back," Russell said, demonstrating.
Then Capps will have four more weeks of a throwing program.
"It's bittersweet," Capps said. "I'm very glad I don't have to have surgery, but it's frustrating. It's not a good feeling."
Capps said his shoulder began bothering him after he pitched three innings May 24 against the Chicago Cubs in what became a 5-4, 14-inning victory for the Pirates.
"The next day, I was extremely tight," Capps said. "It was the first time I'd pitched three innings in a long time, so I figured that was natural. But it progressively did not get any better, and I had a hard time getting it going."
Capps successfully converted his first 15 save opportunities this season, but his luck turned June 10. He blew a save against Washington that night and blew four more through Tuesday night. In his final 10 2/3 innings, he allowed 13 hits -- including four home runs -- and nine runs (seven earned).
"It's not fair to the team after they've battled to take a lead and then have me losing it for everybody because of a physical thing with me," Capps said.
Capps will rejoin the Pirates today in Milwaukee on their off-day. He'll spend the weekend with them, then head to Bradenton, Fla., early next week to begin rehabilitation.The mad Capper
Note: He has five blown saves since June 10
First published on July 3, 2008 at 12:00 am
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