Tankersley is Hurting

by craig on Mar 1, 2007 8:02 AM EST in News and Rumors

Bad news about a Marlins pitcher. As Maverick reported in the comments yesterday,
Tankersley has tendinitis but it is reported to be in his shoulder.

Tankersley, who hoped to make a bid for the closer's job, has been diagnosed with posterior capsulitis, or inflammation behind his left shoulder. The problem will keep him on no-throw orders for at least a week as he receives therapy to reduce the swelling.

"Right now Opening Day is realistic, but I wouldn't say probable," Tankersley said after the Marlins' 6-3 loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday in the Grapefruit League opener at Roger Dean Stadium.

Tankersley has undergone an MRI. The three doctors who have evaluated those films concur on the diagnosis.

Tank hasn't thrown a ball since the weekend and was shutdown when he finally got around to telling the coaches he was experiencing tenderness in his pitching shoulder. My guess is that he won't be ready to go by opening day.

Though Krantiz is optimistic.

Pitching coach Rick Krantiz was optimistic Tankersley could be ready to break camp with the team next month.

"His arm is a little cranky," he said. "Starters are different than relievers. The beautiful thing about that is that spring training is more for starters to build their pitches. Relievers don't need as much time. If everything responds the way we think it's going to respond, he has a real good chance of breaking camp with us."

The problem, the way I see it, is that this isn't a new injury but has happened before and a week of not pitching wasn't good enough then to rehab his shoulder. Now, of course, I have no medical training so I could be completely wrong.

Tankersley had the same problem two springs ago. Entering his first full season in pro ball after the Marlins made him their first-round draft pick, Tankersley missed the first two months of the season. He anticipates a quicker return.

If he can't go at the start of the season there is a chance, if able, he will be part of extended spring training in order to get ready to rejoin the club.

So far this is boding to be the season of injuries, but it has been said before: bad luck can't last forever.

To end this on a good note:

Left-hander Reynel Pinto left the team to be with his wife and their newborn baby in Arizona. Pinto, who should make the team as a reliever, will rejoin the Marlins on Friday.