By Chris Brown – STL Baseball Today
Nine to twelve months. That’s how long it usually takes baseball players to rehab from a torn Achilles tendon.
Adam Wainwright is still attempting to do it in six.
The Cardinals ace, who had surgery in late April to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon, has been playing catch from 90 feet and is soon expected to increase that distance to 120 feet as he works to return to the mound in game action this season.
“I’m getting better every week,” Wainwright told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’ll continue to show up here to the field every day and expect to get better. There will be certain tests I have to pass in September.”
Goold has more on the recovery process Wainwright has been going through:
Recovery from a torn Achilles tendon can be a laborious process, with players who have had the injury in the past describing recovery as tedious. Wainwright has finished with the inactive portion of his recovery and advanced from a boot to immobilize the ankle, a sleeve to support the ankle, to now just socks and shoes, like normal. He said he’s running at 80 percent effort on a treadmill and that the healing process is over.
The building process continues.
The calf muscle in his left leg atrophied as the Achilles tendon healed, and the left calf muscle is about half the size of his right calf. He described the workouts to strengthen the muscle as “starting from ground zero.”
Wainwright’s current schedule has the right-hander throwing off the mound in less than a month.
“I think he’s talking himself into it,” manager Mike Matheny said. “No matter what they’re telling him, he’s going to push. If it’s humanly possible he’s going to do it. That’s just kind of his makeup.”
If Wainwright is able to make it back this year, which still remains a long shot, the 33-year-old might be used in a relief role. Regardless of his role, it’s unquestionable that Wainwright, who’s posted a 3.12 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 84 postseason innings, could potentially be a major addition for the team in October.
Feature image used under Creative Commons from SD Dirk. No changes made.Image License.
