Detroit Tigers reliever Bobby Seay hasn't pitched at all in 2010, due to a shoulder injury. It now appears that he could miss the entire 2011 season, as well.
The Detroit Free Press' John Lowe is reporting that Seay has opted for surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Recovery from the procedure is expected to take 10 to 12 months, which effectively keeps him out for all of 2011.
The hope was that Seay could heal the tear, originally believed to be in his rotator cuff, through rehabilitation rather than surgery. At 32, Seay's fear was that going under the knife could put his career in danger. Obviously, that rehab either wasn't healing the shoulder sufficiently or had progressed as far as it could.
Apparently, however, the tear being in the labrum instead of the rotator cuff gives Seay more hope for a full recovery. And if all goes well, according to what Seay's doctors told him, his arm should be as healthy as it's ever been.
"The doctor told me that if the surgery goes well, my arm will feel like it would for someone in their mid-20s."
Seay will become a free agent after this season, so it's not assured that he'll pitch for the Tigers if he recovers. But he says he'd like to return to Detroit and play for Jim Leyland.
Check out SB Nation's Detroit Tigers blog, Bless You Boys, for more on Seay and where he might fit into the Tigers' future plans.
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