Carlos Guillen could soon join Jeremy Bonderman in the "My Shoulder Injury Might Keep Me Out For the Rest of the Season" club. According to FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi (whom you might remember from such gigs as Tigers beat writer for the Detroit Free Press), if Guillen's shoulder doesn't begin to show improvement within the next month or so, his agent says surgery could be the most likely option.
Guillen's agent told Morosi that they're trying to determine a "drop-dead" date in July, and if the shoulder hasn't recovered by then, Guillen will shut down his 2009 season and try to give himself the best chance to get ready for 2010. A July decision would also give the Tigers time before the trade deadling to try and find a suitable replacement for Guillen in the outfield or at designated hitter.
Morosi also gives us an idea as to what's actually going on in Guillen's right shoulder:
Guillen has consulted with three surgeons and been diagnosed with stretched ligaments, some rotator cuff fraying and a bone bruise. He is currently rehabilitating with a trainer in Miami.
Much like Bonderman, who went from "on the 15-day disabled list," to "shut down for a week," to "possibly out for the season" in a matter of days, Guillen's injury has seemingly deteriorated fast. 10 days ago, we were told that Guillen didn't need surgery and the Tigers would pursue "more aggressive" rehab, but apparently that's not yielding any positive results. At least not fast enough for anyone's liking.
But this has seemed like an inevitability since Guillen went on the disabled list back in early May. From all accounts, he hasn't been able to throw a baseball or swing a bat during his recovery. That's hardly encouraging.
If Guillen ends up not playing another game this season, his final numbers will be a .200/.267/.244 average, with no home runs and six RBIs in 101 plate appearances. (And, as Morosi points out at the end of his article, two years and $26 million remain on Guillen's contract.)