Armed with the same gritty determination that has marked his nine seasons in the big leagues, right-handed reliever Mike DeJean vowed Sunday that season-ending shoulder surgery would not extinguish his career.
“This is a last resort, without a doubt,” he said. “I am 35 years old, but I believe in my heart of hearts that I can get through this. I can be the same pitcher I was.”
DeJean has been on the disabled list since April 12 with what was described as tendinitis in his shoulder. He will undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to repair his labrum and clean up his rotator cuff. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Thomas Noonan at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Englewood.
“We knew that (DeJean’s) shoulder was basically beat up,” trainer Keith Dugger said. “His labrum was frayed a little bit. His rotator cuff wasn’t torn, but it was probably thinning a little bit. So surgery is his best option.”
In the best-case scenario, DeJean, who turns 36 on Sept. 28, would be throwing again in six to eight months and be a full participant in spring training.
“I am very determined, but I also know in the back of my mind that, hey, nothing is guaranteed,” he said. “We’ll get through Wednesday morning, then we’ll see how everything looks.”
Hollow homer
Typical Todd Helton.
The man shows off his sweetest swing in weeks, hitting a two-out, 394-foot homer to right field to give the Rockies a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning, and all he can think about was the swing that got away.
“I’m not looking for signs of progress,” Helton said after the Rockies lost 6-5 to the Dodgers. “I’m just going to play hard. And it’s all going to work out, for me personally and for the team.”
But it didn’t work out Sunday.
After Helton put the Rockies ahead, Brian Fuentes blew a save in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the inning, with two out and Cory Sullivan on first, Helton grounded out to second to end the game. He tossed his helmet in disgust.
“I was trying to call a timeout right there at the end and I was too late,” Helton said. “I shouldn’t have even swung at it, but I did.”
The Shealy solution
Manager Clint Hurdle said the Rockies are still trying to figure out what to do with slugging first baseman Ryan Shealy, who is hitting .309 with 11 homers at Triple-A Colorado Springs.
“It’s not about Ryan being prepared to hit at this level, it’s about finding the right fit,” Hurdle said. “Right now we wait and see what opportunities might be available when we start interleague play.”
Beginning June 26 in Anaheim, the Rockies face the Angels for three games, then travel to Seattle to play the Mariners for three. The designated hitter will be in play in those American League cities, making it a prime time for Shealy to get called up.
Footnote
The Rockies agreed to contract terms with 16 selections from last week’s draft: David Christensen (second round), Craig Baker (fourth), Kevin Clark (sixth), Michael McKenry (seventh), Brandon Hynick (eighth), William Harris (ninth), David Arnold (10th), Austin Rauch (12th), Victor Ferrante (15th), Anthony Jackson (16th), Michael Gibbs (17th), Andrew Graham (21st), Devin Collis (26th), Matthew Repec (27th), Drew Shetrone (33rd) and Josh Banda (35th).
Rockies recap
Cory Sullivan is showing signs of emerging from his lingering slump. The center fielder was 3-for-4 on Sunday, his first three-hit game since May 7. In the three-game series against the Dodgers, he was 6-for-11. He entered the series in an 0-for-17 slide that had pulled his average down to .249. After Sunday’s game, he was hitting .265. “It was a step forward, not a small one, not a big one, just a step,” Sullivan said. “I just made myself slow down and see the pitches better.”
RAVES FOR ROOKIE: After giving up two home runs to Dodgers rookie outfielder Matt Kemp, starter Aaron Cook said, “He’s somebody who looks like he’s going to be a hitter for a long time.” In nine games with the Dodgers, Kemp is hitting .366 (15-for-41) with six homers.
DODGER KILLER: Right fielder Matt Holliday went 3-for-4 with two doubles and is hitting .469 (15-for-32) with seven doubles, a homer and four RBIs vs. L.A. this season. Holliday is hitting .400 (52-for-130) since the beginning of May.
