(670 The Score) Former White Sox reliever Ryan Burr was “devastated, embarrassed and heartbroken” to be released by the organization on June 13, a move that he explained came one day after he chose to have surgery to address a serious shoulder injury.
Burr shared his emotional story in an Instagram post, according to the Sox on 35th Twitter account.
“I felt lost,” Burr wrote. “Facing surgery to fix your shoulder is one thing, but to do it without the support of the team whom you hurt your arm pitching for cut very deep. Literally.”
Burr had been dealing with shoulder pain since spring training. An MRI on June 5 revealed that Burr had a labrum tear in his throwing shoulder, he wrote. Beyond the physical pain, he added the mental anguish took a toll on him as well.
After a week of consultation with orthopedic surgeons, family, friends and teammates, he decided on June 12 to have surgery. The White Sox released him the following day.
“I am thankful for my time in Chicago,” Burr wrote. “I loved the South Side and wore my uniform with pride every single night. I know it wasn’t always pretty and I didn’t always get the job done, but I loved every second of it.”
Burr had a 6.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in nine innings across eight appearances this season. He had a strong 2021 season, posting a 2.45 ERA in 34 games. He has a career 4.08 ERA in four MLB seasons.
Burr underwent shoulder surgery on June 17, and it went as hoped.
He believes he’ll make a full recovery and be capable of performing at a high level in MLB again.
“The fire is burning hotter than ever before,” Burr wrote. “See you in ’23.”
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