ST. LOUIS (AP) -St. Louis Cardinals reliever Tyler Johnson will miss the rest of the season following arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to remove scar tissue in his left shoulder.
“My impression is it’s something that we can expect him back, 100 percent, ready to go,” manager Tony La Russa said.
The team estimated a six-month recovery time for the 26-year-old Johnson, who has been sidelined since spring training. The team originally diagnosed the injury as tendinitis, but La Russa said he wasn’t surprised by the severity.
La Russa said Johnson’s problems began when he arrived at spring training at less than optimal condition.
“All of a sudden he was throwing harder than he should,” La Russa said. “We didn’t ask him to do that.”
Johnson was 1-1 with a 4.03 ERA last year, his first full season in the majors. He was part of an unproven bullpen that was one of the keys to the Cardinals’ World Series title in 1996.
The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal El Attrache, a colleague of Dr. Lewis Yocum.
Add A Comment