Bear-Arms
Mentor
CHICAGO -- It's now certain that Troy Percival's season is over. It's far from certain whether Percival will throw a baseball in a game again at all.
The results from his visit with Dr. Lewis Yocum on Monday confirmed what Tigers medical personnel suspected: He's torn more muscle fibers around his right elbow, worsening the injury he originally suffered in May.
The damage and the pain are bad enough that head athletic trainer Kevin Rand won't broach the topic of when Percival could start throwing again. His staff's focus now is on getting him strong enough to brush his teeth or pick up his kids again. In that light, pitching again becomes a secondary priority.
"We have to get him back to pain-free movement in basic activity," Rand said. "We'd have to give it two months before we can even think about having him pick up a baseball again."
By that point, of course, the season will be nearly over. Thus, with no point of having him try throwing again in two months, it makes more sense to have him rest his arm longer and try in the offseason instead.
"Troy will be done for the season, basically," Rand said.
Asked whether Percival's career could be over, Rand wouldn't go that far just yet. "I'd say we have to wait on that," he said.
Percival, signed as a free agent to a 2-year, $12 million contract last November, first tore the muscle mass in a game against the Angels in early May. He went on the 15-day disabled list and missed four weeks before being activated June 4.
Though his pitching suggested he was healthy, including a fastball that topped out around 96 mph, he was trying to mask the pain. It progressively worsened until he couldn't throw anymore following a blown save July 9 at Tampa Bay.
"The feeling was it wasn't good," manager Alan Trammell said of the initial reaction to the aggravated injury.
Percival is still scheduled to return to Detroit on Wednesday to meet the team for the start of its five-game series against the Twins on Thursday at Comerica Park. Though Trammell openly hoped Percival would be around the team the rest of the season, he also understood if Percival decided to rest at home with his family in California, and Rand indicated that's what he planned to do.
Though Percival mentioned to reporters that surgery was a possibility, his only realistic hope at playing again is to rest his arm for at least two months and hope it has strengthened enough to throw in time for next spring. Surgery to reattach the muscles, Rand said, would only be an option to get him back to strength for everyday activities if rest and rehab don't work.
"It's a very difficult procedure," Rand said.
Percival, who turns 36 years old next month, admitted last week that he planned on retiring after his contract ends next season. An absence of a year or more could encourage him to call it quits, though he could wait until after next season to announce anything like that for insurance reasons.
For the Tigers, it's a difficult loss, moreso than the stats would suggest. Though Percival struggled to a 1-3 record and a 5.76 ERA with eight saves in 11 opportunities, his veteran presence among a group of largely young relievers was a major reason the Tigers signed him.
"He leads by example," lefty Jamie Walker said, "and that means a lot. These days, most of the closers don't even come out [to the bullpen] until the seventh inning."
The other loss falls on the Tigers' relief depth. With Percival out, the rest of the bullpen moves up in role, with setup man Kyle Farnsworth taking Percival's closer spot. Trammell said Monday that Fernando Rodney -- little more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery -- will take over Farnsworth's setup duties alongside Walker, leaving a bulk of the work in the seventh inning to Chris Spurling and Franklyn German.
"I think it's big," Trammell said of Percival's loss. "We had some depth, and we lost some of that."
Walker put it more bluntly. "It [stinks]," he said. "For a player and a teammate, it really [stinks]. We could use him."
Whether he plays again or not, Percival could use a painless right arm. "The first thing he needs to do is get to pain-free living every day," Rand said. "Forget baseball."Edited by: Bear-Arms
The results from his visit with Dr. Lewis Yocum on Monday confirmed what Tigers medical personnel suspected: He's torn more muscle fibers around his right elbow, worsening the injury he originally suffered in May.
The damage and the pain are bad enough that head athletic trainer Kevin Rand won't broach the topic of when Percival could start throwing again. His staff's focus now is on getting him strong enough to brush his teeth or pick up his kids again. In that light, pitching again becomes a secondary priority.
"We have to get him back to pain-free movement in basic activity," Rand said. "We'd have to give it two months before we can even think about having him pick up a baseball again."
By that point, of course, the season will be nearly over. Thus, with no point of having him try throwing again in two months, it makes more sense to have him rest his arm longer and try in the offseason instead.
"Troy will be done for the season, basically," Rand said.
Asked whether Percival's career could be over, Rand wouldn't go that far just yet. "I'd say we have to wait on that," he said.
Percival, signed as a free agent to a 2-year, $12 million contract last November, first tore the muscle mass in a game against the Angels in early May. He went on the 15-day disabled list and missed four weeks before being activated June 4.
Though his pitching suggested he was healthy, including a fastball that topped out around 96 mph, he was trying to mask the pain. It progressively worsened until he couldn't throw anymore following a blown save July 9 at Tampa Bay.
"The feeling was it wasn't good," manager Alan Trammell said of the initial reaction to the aggravated injury.
Percival is still scheduled to return to Detroit on Wednesday to meet the team for the start of its five-game series against the Twins on Thursday at Comerica Park. Though Trammell openly hoped Percival would be around the team the rest of the season, he also understood if Percival decided to rest at home with his family in California, and Rand indicated that's what he planned to do.
Though Percival mentioned to reporters that surgery was a possibility, his only realistic hope at playing again is to rest his arm for at least two months and hope it has strengthened enough to throw in time for next spring. Surgery to reattach the muscles, Rand said, would only be an option to get him back to strength for everyday activities if rest and rehab don't work.
"It's a very difficult procedure," Rand said.
Percival, who turns 36 years old next month, admitted last week that he planned on retiring after his contract ends next season. An absence of a year or more could encourage him to call it quits, though he could wait until after next season to announce anything like that for insurance reasons.
For the Tigers, it's a difficult loss, moreso than the stats would suggest. Though Percival struggled to a 1-3 record and a 5.76 ERA with eight saves in 11 opportunities, his veteran presence among a group of largely young relievers was a major reason the Tigers signed him.
"He leads by example," lefty Jamie Walker said, "and that means a lot. These days, most of the closers don't even come out [to the bullpen] until the seventh inning."
The other loss falls on the Tigers' relief depth. With Percival out, the rest of the bullpen moves up in role, with setup man Kyle Farnsworth taking Percival's closer spot. Trammell said Monday that Fernando Rodney -- little more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery -- will take over Farnsworth's setup duties alongside Walker, leaving a bulk of the work in the seventh inning to Chris Spurling and Franklyn German.
"I think it's big," Trammell said of Percival's loss. "We had some depth, and we lost some of that."
Walker put it more bluntly. "It [stinks]," he said. "For a player and a teammate, it really [stinks]. We could use him."
Whether he plays again or not, Percival could use a painless right arm. "The first thing he needs to do is get to pain-free living every day," Rand said. "Forget baseball."Edited by: Bear-Arms