July 6, 2008 Casey Janssen, who is recovering from a torn right labrum, met with Dr. Lewis Yocum on Saturday and was advised to rest another week or two before beginning a throwing program, according to MLB.com.
Our View:The 26-year-old hurler has continued to increase the intensity of his strength workouts, and is looking forward to adding a throwing program to his routine. When that time comes, Janssen will begin playing light catch, throwing 15 times from a distance of 30 feet. From that point, Jays' pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said Janssen would be put on a gradual program with the goal of having the pitcher ready by spring training of 2009.
July 5, 2008 Casey Janssen, who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in late March, will meet with doctors to determine if he can begin a throwing program with the target of returning to action next season, according to MLB.com.
Our View:Janssen still has a long road and recovery path to follow, but it appears that in the early going, things are progressing nicely.
March 12, 2008 Casey Janssen is finished for the season, this according to MLB.com. The Jays' website reports that the MRI exam taken on the pitcher Tuesday showed serious damage to the labrum.
Janssen is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week in California by the busy Dr. Doom, Lewis Yocum.
The injury woes for the Jays last year have now carried over into spring. Fantasy owners can only hope players like B.J. Ryan aren't rushed back into action -- or a string of injuries don't plaque Toronto like last season. With Janssen out of the mix for a job, Jesse Litsch becomes the favorite in-house candidate to depart spring training as Toronto's fifth starter.
March 11, 2008 Casey Janssen was forced to cut his practice session short on Tuesday due to pain in his right shoulder, this according to the MLB.com. Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi commented that the team wasn't certain how a potential injury would affect the pitcher's program moving forward. Janssen was notably fighting for a spot in the Jays starting rotation.
February 16, 2008 The hot topic in Toronto is the role of veteran Casey Janssen . According to the official team website the organization is debating where the 26-year-old righty fits best in the pitching staff, as a starter, or out of the bullpen.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons prefer keeping the right-hander out of the pen considering his 2.35 ERA in his team-high 70 games a year ago.
Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi believes Janssen and the team is better served with the right-hander in the starting rotation. With closer B.J. Ryan possibly being ready for Opening Day, Janssen might not be needed to serve as the setup man and is a lock as one of the starting five. Everything appears to hinge on what kind of spring Ryan has and whether he will in fact be ready by April 1st.
