Brandon Webb Visits Team Doctor To Check Ailing Shoulder

“It doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t feel great but it doesn’t hurt bad… I still feel like I can’t let it go. I can get through a throwing session, but I feel like I’m not ready to get on a mound.”

So said Brandon Webb after his visit to team physician Dr. Michael Lee, which also included a cortisone shot for his ailing shoulder. The diagnosis was that there was nothing structurally unsound with the arm, but that’s now four weeks since Webb’s last bullpen session, and there is now basically no chance of him appearing for the Diamondbacks in April. Manager AJ Hinch added:

“There are mental hurdles to clear. I think there are physical hurdles to clear in terms of the workload, and these dead periods show up from time to time in the recovery process. When to push him, when to lay back on him, when to accelerate his deals has been very hot and cold this spring. That’s the frustrating part for everybody involved. It’s been a little on again, off again.”

There’s more on Webb’s shoulder at AZ SnakePit.

Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb threw all of four innings in 2009 before going under the knife for shoulder surgery. A question mark for 2010, the team was nevertheless counting on Webb's return to give the rotation a considerable boost. There's only one problem, though - his rehab isn't going as planned, and now he's had to go to the doctor.

TUCSON - Right-hander Brandon Webb's lack of progress in spring training had him visiting with the Diamondbacks' team doctor Wednesday.

Webb was scheduled to visit with Dr. Michael Lee for an examination on his right shoulder, on which he had surgery in August.

Webb hasn't appeared in any Cactus League games, and he hasn't thrown off any mound since the beginning of the month. Since then, he's been on a program of long-toss, short-toss, and rest in repeating three-day cycles. He hasn't been progressing as desired, necessitating this visit with the doctor. There's a degree of uncertainty as to whether there's still something actually wrong with Webb's shoulder, but the bottom line is that this is a setback. Webb will pitch in 2010, but it's an open question as to when.

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