Peavy shut down with shoulder discomfort

Share

Sunday, March 20, 2011Posted 2:16 p.m.Updated 7:41 p.m.

By Brett Ballantini
CSNChicago.com

GLENDALE, Ariz.Chicago White Sox rehabilitating ace Jake Peavy has been shut down for today with shoulder discomfort after his start yesterday at the Oakland As.

The update today is not as positive as it has been, Peavy said. I have some issues that have popped up here. Obviously the doctors are here, and well just kind of monitor it on a day-to-day basis. Well shut down today from throwing. We started some anti-inflammatories trying to nip some stuff, maybe some rotator cuff tendinitis or something.

WATCH: Ozzie takes responsibility for injury

Peavys next start, vs. the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, is in jeopardy.

But Im still staying positive, he said. At the same time, I have to make sure Im 100 percent healthy, and thats what is the main concern. Ive been up front and honest with everything Ive felt from Day 1. After seeing the doctors this morning, theyve decided were going to slow it down a little bit. Thats about where were at.

As a best case scenario, Peavy will be able to do some light tossing tomorrow and gets right back in line for his Thursday start.

I would think so, he said. Well come in tomorrow and kind of run through the same stuff, and hopefully play some catch. I doubt that Ill go out there and throw a bullpen tomorrow. But Thursday has not been ruled out throwing against the Cubs on my regular turn. Well see how it all plays out, but I certainly hope the anti-inflammatories get in the system and calm things down to where we can get out and stay on schedule.

Peavy, who is still fighting the flu that nearly scuttled his 83-pitch effort yesterday, did not have an MRI postgame or today, nor has he ever felt this shoulder sensation before.

He actually forecasted this development through eyes half-lidded from illness yesterday, speaking after his start vs. the As.

My shoulder was a little bit achy today. It oiled up. My whole body felt kind of sick and when you dont use somethingI know people think your shoulder should feel great because you havent thrownbut when you dont use something, your whole body is kind of achy. My shoulder was like that today. Well see how it feels tomorrow and the next few days. I want to pitch and be ready for that fifth start in Kansas City and well see if that plays out.

Ive always been extremely honest with you guys, and with Herm and those guys. Herm said, How do you feel? and I said my body is achy and my shoulder is a little bit achy. He said, Hey, what does that mean, and I said it just feels a little achy.

You get loose. I felt better in those last few innings throwing the ball than I did to start the game. I would be willing to say my velocity was a little bit better later than it was earlier.

Peavy, still fighting the flu, dismissed any thought that his aggressiveness toward breaking camp with the White Sox contributed to his current setback.

What Im experiencing has kind of been a culmination of start after start after start. Its kind of been coming since that first start vs. the Los Angeles Angels on March 4, Peavy said. You have soreness and different stuff pops up, but this is something that I kind of felt a tad after the Anaheim start and felt it a little more after throwing vs. San Fran. Its just been creeping up, and reared its head in the last week. Today, I didnt do so well in tests they wanted to put me throughIts been getting a little more uncomfortable as I keep going. We want to nip that in the bud and not let it mount into some bigger issue than it is.

But at the same time, Im thinking its just part of getting back into the routine. I threw for an awfully long time without any setbacks. Once you start going close to game speed like I have, things can pop up. Youre asking your body to do exactly what youre going to do in the regular season. It obviously has caused a little bit of discomfort. Its a small step back, and well re-evaluate the situation in the next couple of days to see where we go from there.

Ever optimistic, Peavy knows that any setbackwhich the White Sox have advised him all along is possibleshouldnt alter the fact that hes made enormous progress from an initial diagnosis that wouldnt have him back on the mound until July.

Im still holding out that we will nip this thing in the bud, kind of make some progress in the next couple of days, and get to run out there Thursday night, he said. I would love for that to happen and that certainly hasnt been ruled out, Ill tell you that. But if that doesnt happen and I dont make that start, I certainly wont be breaking camp with the teamYou have to have realistic expectations of what is going on, but Ive also been as positive and upbeat as I can be about getting out there as soon as possible.

The doctors said the first 48 hours will be a telling tale. Its a day-by-day kind of deal. Weve been going full-steam ahead since we started this thing, and we were told expect this. I wouldnt buy into it and I never expected it. Im not going to sit here and call it a setback because we dont know what it is yet. But certainly, things have slowed down.
Ozzie on Peavy: Unfiltered

Peavys injury dominated Guillens postgame chat with reporters. Notably, Guillen expressed regret over betraying his own team ruleone that finds him determining when a player returns from injury, not the player. (Guillen is well-known for making a player wait one more game after informing the manager hes ready to return.)

What follows is an edited transcript of his comments regarding Peavy after Sundays game:

Im still thinking about when he didnt feel that well Saturday and I let him pitch. I take full responsibility. He left the game fine, except for some tightness. When he comes back, hopefully he comes back for good without another setback. Id rather he be set back now than in July or August. We have to be aware of how he is all year long. His injury is not a common thing.
Ozzie Guillen is taking responsibility for Jake Peavy's injury and says he will no longer let Peavy convince him that he's fine to pitch if there is any doubt that he's not. (AP)
Believe me, as long as I am the manager of this ballclub that is the last time he convinces me, he said. I will make the call. I will have the power to let him go out or not. I know it sounds powerful, but the last two times he didnt convince me, he convinced everybody else he could go out there and perform and the next day, and we got bad news. I am the manager of the club and I was the guy who was against Peavy pitching, but he said he was fine and ready to pitch. I have the full responsibility of my players, and at the end of the day its on my shoulders if people get hurt or not.

Jake Peavy will pitch the day I tell him to pitch. Hes not going to convince me. When I get the go-ahead from our pitching coach and medical staff hell pitchIm not going to get the go-ahead from him. I cant. Sorry. I cant.

Kenny can easily come to me and say I knew Peavy was sore, and I dont have any ammunition to protect myself and my coaching staff. I always blame myself, and when he told me Skip, Im ready to pitch I should have given him another couple of days to recover. Thats the way we do stuff.

Its not anything against him, or Im mad at him, or sad or upset. Its just because its happened twice. When you tell your kid, Dont do this, the kid keeps doing it, and you dont do anything about it, you are not doing your job. My job is to protect him and the organization, to make sure when hes out there hes good.

I respect him, because he wants to be out there. I love when players want to be on the field. Thats the best thing that can happen for any manager. Hes a different doghe wants to be out there fighting. He doesnt want anything else. Hes the type of guy who has the temper and passion for the game. He wants to help. Sometimes when you want to help, youre not really helping.

Im fine, we talked. Next time, he has to convince a lot of people, and I dont think its going to be enough, just talking, to convince anyone. We want to protect him, because when we protect him, we protect ourselves. Im going to protect myself not because of my job but because thats the way it should be. Its not because of me, but because of the White Sox, the team. No. 1, we have to protect him. Thats most important: To protect the players.

Opening Day is too close to be a possibility the way he sounds, thats another thing. The way he sounds, we shouldnt be counting on him for Opening Day. Maybe he comes in tomorrow ready to pitch, and then its, Whats going on heredo you want some time off? I know for a fact he wants to be on the team. We have to make sure when hes on the team, hes on the team for good.

Brett Ballantini is CSNChicago.com's White Sox Insider. Follow him @CSNChi_Beatnik on Twitter for up-to-the-minute White Sox information.

Contact Us