Phil Hughes To See Specialist For “Dead Arm”

Added on Apr 28, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

The mystery surrounding Yankees starting pitcher Phil Hughes’ loss of velocity on his fastball just took another intriguing turn. Hughes is scheduled to meet with a specialist to test him for something called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. TOS is a circulatory problem that induces arm weakness and numbness due to pressure in the neck.

Hughes was shipped to the disabled list on April 15th after arm inflammation resulted in his fastball to dip below the 90 mph range. Since then Hughes has undergone a battery of MRIs and scans to determine the exact cause. Treatment for TOS can range from simple rest to surgery. Should Hughes be diagnosed, it’s unknown when he would be cleared to pitch again.

Despite the uncertainty about his arm difficulties, Hughes has tried to remain positive.

“I’m ready to figure out what it is, fix it and get back to throwing,” Hughes said. “I hope it’s not something that sets me back too much. Hopefully it’s something minor and fixable and something that will get me back to being what I know I can be.”

Hughes’ numbers this season have been glaringly bad, with an ERA of 13.94 in 10 1/3 innings pitched. The 24-year-old was an All-Star in 2010 when he finished with an 18-8 record. However, his second-half stats were way down due to increased innings and fatigue.

Manager Joe Girardi has been noncommittal about Hughes condition, but did express some worry regarding the possibility of a TOS diagnosis.

“We are not saying that he has it,” Girardi said. “We are not saying that he doesn’t. I think anytime you talk about circulation problems, there is some concern.”

Hughes will see a specialist in St. Louis to discover if he has the syndrome. He was supposed to make a rehab start today, but was shutdown after a shortened bullpen session on Monday. So far, the Yankees haven’t missed him in the rotation; their team ERA of 3.90 is sixth best in the American League.

Source: ESPN.com