JUPITER, Fla. (KMOX) -- Jack Flaherty on Sunday further clarified the injury that will sideline him for at least the start of the regular season, telling reporters that his right shoulder received a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection for inflammation, confirming an earlier report of bursitis as a diagnosis.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak had initially described the injury as a SLAP tear, which stands for "superior labrum, anterior to posterior" in the shoulder. And while the small tear does exist, Flaherty said he has been pitching with it for "a handful of years."
Flaherty cited over-compensation in his mechanics for a May 31 oblique injury that led to the shoulder soreness, something he felt during the offseason. Due to lockout rules, however, neither he nor the club were able to discuss the injury, or anything else for that matter.
"I did everything I could through the lockout. It was just hard communication-wise to communicate to (the Cardinals) what was going on," Flaherty said. "We talked when the lockout ended, and it was news to them, obviously, because we couldn't say anything."
Mozeliak concurred in the interview above, saying that the lack of communication was a challenge, but now that the team has had a chance to examine Flaherty and understand his situation they'll have a plan moving forward: two weeks of non-throwing activity following by a program to get his mechanics back in order.
"As (Flaherty) points out, he feels it's more of a mechnical issue," Mozeliak said on KMOX's Sports on a Sunday Morning. "If that's the case, that's great news. Our fingers are crossed that he can do that."
You can hear the full interview above.
