Surgery finds fraying in Guzman's shoulder

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 28, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Juan Guzman apparently did have things wrong in his right shoulder.

Found during arthroscopic surgery Tuesday were fraying in the rotator cuff and damage to the labrum, but Guzman is expected to be ready by the start of spring training.

"Everything went well," manager Larry Rothschild said. "There was obviously something there, but it's not something that he shouldn't be able to come back from."

Rothschild said doctors trimmed the frayed area and "did some minor damage control" with the labrum. "I think they stapled it back down," he said.

Guzman, signed to a two-year, $12.5-million contract, complained of discomfort since the middle of spring training and made one regular-season appearance, pitching 12/3 innings in the home opener.

"It's significant any time you go in there and there's fraying in the rotator, but anybody who's pitched a length of time is going to have some," Rothschild said. "They needed to clean it up, and they did that. Apparently it wasn't severely torn, but it was frayed enough that they had to do something. The labrum (problem) is not unusual. It's more the norm and something that you usually see."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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