Teaching Better Baseball

In case you missed it, Joey Devine is having a second Tommy John surgery after his first in 2009.  This is proof that regular rehab procedures and "plasma-rich platelet injections" simply do not work to make the arm any better.  Only proper mechanical adjustments to remove the injury causing bad habits will end the Tommy John madness.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Devine slowly building up arm strength
MLB.com
June 01, 2010

BOSTON, MA:  Joey Devine is no longer making guesses on when he'll be back in Oakland.  After all, the A's rehabbing reliever, recovering from last year's Tommy John surgery, thought he'd already be with the team by now.  "To be honest, I'm done making timetables," said Devine, who experienced his first setback in March in the form of tendinitis.  "I thought I'd be back by June."

Yet if Devine has his way, he still might be.  A lot has to go right, but Devine said he could potentially be putting on that green and gold uniform by the end of June.  The 26-year-old pitcher, who in 2008 posted a 0.59 ERA in 42 appearances with Oakland, has been throwing a bullpen session every two to three days at the A's Minor League complex in Phoenix, AZ.

As of Tuesday, when he spoke to MLB.com via phone, Devine said he is at the point in his rehab program where he was four weeks ago when he experienced a setback that resulted in a trip to Birmingham, AL for a visit with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.  It was there Andrews gave Devine a platelet rich plasma injection, which releases growth factors to stimulate recovery in non-healing injuries.  The right-handed pitcher, who was instructed to take two weeks off following the procedure, was told the first try could work, but it may take a second or third try.

So far, so good.  "I'm close to the point I was at before I left for there," Devine said.  "I've been feeling really strong, which is a good sign that the treatment is working."  Devine most recently threw a 25-pitch bullpen session at about 85 percent on Monday, and he'll throw at 90 percent, the level he was at when he began experiencing a sore flexor tendon a month ago, on Thursday.  Thus, "I should know more then," he said.

If he comes out of Thursday's session feeling strong, Devine hopes to pitch in a simulated game once or twice before moving on to games.  Finding games in which to partake, though, may be an issue since extended spring games end Friday and don't resume again until June 21.  However, Devine said that problem may actually work in his favor.  "I'm pretty much stuck here throwing bullpens," he said, "unless the organization says that if I'm at 100 percent and feeling good, I can make a rehab assignment, which I'd be all for."

If given a chance to take his rehab work into a Minor League assignment, Devine thinks there's a chance he could be activated from the 60-day disabled list close to the time he's eligible, June 29.  "We'll see," Devine said with cautious optimism.  "It's extremely frustrating being away from the guys and not being able to help out the team.  It's just a matter of being patient.  I check in with a lot of the guys every seven days or so, and I'm excited for them."

In the meantime, Devine has been in good company with wife, Erin, and their dogs, Bruiser and Lily.  "It's been real good having them around," he said.  "It's kind of helped this process, because it's been hard going through everything."