Huge developing story first reported by the Boston Herald today. In the report, it said that Curt Schilling “has a significant shoulder injury that could end the veteran right-hander’s season and is causing tension and friction between the player and club.” Gordon Edes reported tonight that, “according to several sources familiar with his condition”, Schilling “is not expected to be ready to pitch until at least the All-Star break”.
Later on in the evening, the Red Sox released the following statement:
Curt Schilling was examined by Red Sox doctors in January after he reported feeling right shoulder discomfort. Curt has started a program of rest, rehabilitation and shoulder strengthening in an attempt to return to pitching.
The Big Schill just released a statement of his own in which he said:
There have been disagreements these past few weeks in an effort to provide me with a solution that would allow me to pitch as much as possible during the 2008 season. At no time did I ever consider taking a course of action against the clubs wishes. In the end, regardless of who agreed with whom, I have chosen the clubs course of action and will vigorously pursue any and every option I can to be able to help this team to another World Series title in 2008.
Please understand that a lot of what has been reported is not true. When the club feels it’s appropriate to further discuss the details of this issue publicly I will elaborate but I need to make it clear that Dr Morgan did NOT diagnose me with a tear of the rotator cuff at any time during this process, nor did he recommend rotator cuff surgery.
So it looks like Schilling and the team have decided that rest instead of surgery is the best course of action right now. I wonder just ho wmuch they’ll get out of him this year. Can they count on 10-15 starts? Pure speculation here, but this sounds like something that could linger and be a problem all season long.
Tough break. I wonder if he’ll continue on with his Jenny Craig off-season diet program?
Here’s your possible 2008 Red Sox Starting rotation: Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield and possibly Clay Buchholz, who would replace Schilling.
Looking at his gut in that picture, I’d say he has another kind of problem. Maybe he can give Joey Chestnut a run for his money.