Rogers upbeat after shoulder surgery

[645]

For a guy who just had shoulder surgery that will force him to miss the 2007 season, Brewers pitching prospect Mark Rogers is remarkably upbeat.

Rogers, Milwaukee's first-round draft pick (No. 5 overall) in 2004, was surprisingly happy even though he spent most of his 21st birthday on Jan. 30 with his arm in a sling. That's because for the first time in months, his arm actually feels good and he sees a light at the end of the tunnel -- even if it won't be until the 2008 season.

MILB

[645]

Mark Rogers, the Milwaukee Brewers' first-round pick out of Mt. Ararat High two years ago, was recovering Saturday after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder.

The procedure was performed Friday in Fort Worth, Texas, by Dr. John E. Conway, an orthopedic surgeon.

"It was exactly as the doctor thought," said Stephanie Rogers, who joined her son in Texas Thursday. "There was some bursitis that he cleaned up, and (the doctor) tightened up his shoulder."

In an interview during a recent visit to Maine, Rogers said the surgery was needed to repair some frayed tissue and tighten up a ligament in his right shoulder. At that time, he expected to be sidelined up to four months, which would extend through spring training.

Portland Press Herald

[Hellwig]

Yeah I bet he's pretty upbeat after surgery because he looks to be another pitching prospect that robbed us out of money. What was his original contract worth? All I could find was he got 2.2 million as a bonus. The only good thing is he's just 21.

[Hellwig]

Update on Rogers...

But Rogers says his arm strength is already returning. He's beginning light weight work focused on his upper body to go with the lower body and core workouts that were already part of his routine. Rogers is betting that his body will be stronger for having gone through this process.

He has an April 10 appointment with Dr. John Conway, a Rangers team doctor who performed Rogers' surgery. If that goes well, Rogers expects to begin throwing the following week.

"There's no way to sugarcoat it, because it's tough," Rogers said. "You have to accept that."

He's living this spring with top positional prospect Ryan Braun, and the two talk a lot about hitting. He also continues to talk at length with Jones, especially about off-the-field issues related to rehab. And Rogers meets with a sports psychologist associated with the team and has become a believer in yoga and meditation.

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[BMW]

Most kids out of high school take a couple years, and we knew when we picked him he wouldn't be ready right away. I'd say he's probably going to make his first major league start in 2009. It's not like we NEED him right now anyway, our current staff looks pretty good.