ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Chicago White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy has become an expert when it comes to recovering from latissimus dorsi muscle injuries, based on his full detachment he suffered in July of 2010 and missing 10 months and never gaining full recovery until this spring.
So when Peavy learned that Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay suffered a strain of his latissimus dorsi muscle near his right shoulder that will sideline him from six to eight weeks, Peavy thought that Halladay could make a full recovery without surgery.
“There have been documented cases of lat strains where time heals and if you have a significant part of your lat still attached, once the others heals, it will slowly grow back and re-attach itself along with the rest of the majority of your lat that is attached,” said Peavy, who plans to talk to Halladay soon. “Unfortunately for me, I pushed it past that point and had no attachment there and ripped it 100 percent from the bone. So that was my way. I would not think any part of this would need surgery, from what I’m hearing. That’s a good thing for me, but it will take a little time for it to heal.”
Peavy’s immediate advice to Halladay was simple, adding that recent technology may have prevented Hallday from more extensive damage.
“I’m just going to advise him to take it easy,” Peavy said. “Certainly you don’t want to push it to the limit that I did. I’m just fortunate for him that his first MRI out of the chute was big enough, and in a broader picture, that they were able to diagnose something like that with me. “I had some MRIs, but we weren’t able to pinpoint what was going on. So maybe with what happened with me, and maybe that being out there on the open market, people are more apt to look at the lat attachment area, where in years past maybe not so.
“I feel bad for Roy. It’s going to be a tough rehab, but if anyone can make it back, if anyone is strong enough mentally and physically, this guy is a champ.”
mgonzales@tribune.com
Twitter @MDGonzales
