The Road to Recovery: Back Behind the Plate (February 14, 2018)
The Road to Recovery: Back Behind the Plate
At the beginning of the 2017 baseball season, sophomore Jack McDonald secured his role of starting catcher for the Junior Varsity baseball team. He helped lead the team with the four other sophomores on JV. Towards the end of the season, Jack traveled to Myrtle Beach with the Varsity team as a backup catcher and continued playing with Varsity for the last few games of the season. After Louisa lost both Varsity catchers Aaron Szalankiewicz and Kiano Maugafea, McDonald had a very good chance of being the starting catcher for Varsity his junior year. McDonald started as catcher during Louisa Fall Ball, a fall league serving as a practice before tryouts in February; however, his season was cut short after suffering a season ending injury. “It happened during fall ball for the high school,” explained McDonald. “I was making throw downs to second and third base. I made one throw down to third base and something in my elbow popped. It was instant pain in my right elbow.”
Tommy John Surgery is one of the most popular and well known surgeries in the world of baseball. During a normal surgery, a healthy tendon is taken from an arm, or a leg, and pulled through drilled holes in the elbow to repair a torn or injured ligament. Most cases of this surgery are limited to Major or Minor League Baseball pitchers. Recently, young athletes ranging from little league to high school, have been required to endure the surgery, causing problems in their future. During the fall of 2017, Jack McDonald was required to have surgery if he ever wanted to return to the sport of baseball.
“The surgery that I had was Partial Tommy John with an internal brace,” explained McDonald. “It’s a new procedure they can only do on certain patients if they meet the standards.” McDonald explained that his case was different than other Tommy John recipients because of a partial tear in his UCL. “My ligament was still intact. It had tore away from the bone and they were able to re-attach the UCL back into place with a silicone brace to hold it in place.” Partial Tommy John surgery has only been conducted on less than one thousand people, but an easier recovery than normal Tommy John surgery. “It has about half the recovery time as a normal Tommy John surgery.” McDonald’s special surgery was optional, however, a surgery overall was mandatory if he ever wanted to play baseball again.
After surgery, McDonald was put in a brace and started his long road to recovery. “They gave me a brace which could lock at a 90 degree angle,” explained McDonald. “I had to have the brace locked at 90 degrees for about two weeks. Then I had to wear the brace for an additional four weeks without it being locked in place, so I could move my arm.” One week after surgery, McDonald continued his recovery process by going to physical therapy two days a week. “Once I was allowed to start hitting at the beginning of January, I started going once a week.” McDonald continues to go to physical therapy and keeps his arm loose in the gym. “I am in the gym pretty much everyday we have school because I have advanced gym second period.”
As McDonald continues to work almost everyday, his recovery process has gotten him closer to getting back in his catchers gear. “So far my recovery has been great,” said McDonald. “I've progressed with little to no pain in my elbow and even if I do have any, the pain is only from soreness of strengthening back the muscle.”
The possibility of Jack McDonald returning to Louisa County Baseball for the 2018 season has been on the mind of all baseball personnel this offseason. “I do plan on returning to baseball. I hope to return this spring for varsity and play throughout the summer.” Throughout this whole process, the only thing on his mind was returning to baseball. “My biggest motivation really thus far is having the ability to play this spring for varsity and the potential to play baseball in college.”
Fresh out of his surgery, McDonald might have some limitations going into the 2018 season. “Starting the first week of tryouts for spring I might have some throwing limitations but nothing major. I am currently on a throwing program and once that is done, I should be good to go.” Although he endured a career threatening surgery, Jack McDonald is not letting that restrict him from getting back behind the plate and pursuing his dream of playing baseball.
At the beginning of the 2017 baseball season, sophomore Jack McDonald secured his role of starting catcher for the Junior Varsity baseball team. He helped lead the team with the four other sophomores on JV. Towards the end of the season, Jack traveled to Myrtle Beach with the Varsity team as a backup catcher and continued playing with Varsity for the last few games of the season. After Louisa lost both Varsity catchers Aaron Szalankiewicz and Kiano Maugafea, McDonald had a very good chance of being the starting catcher for Varsity his junior year. McDonald started as catcher during Louisa Fall Ball, a fall league serving as a practice before tryouts in February; however, his season was cut short after suffering a season ending injury. “It happened during fall ball for the high school,” explained McDonald. “I was making throw downs to second and third base. I made one throw down to third base and something in my elbow popped. It was instant pain in my right elbow.”
Tommy John Surgery is one of the most popular and well known surgeries in the world of baseball. During a normal surgery, a healthy tendon is taken from an arm, or a leg, and pulled through drilled holes in the elbow to repair a torn or injured ligament. Most cases of this surgery are limited to Major or Minor League Baseball pitchers. Recently, young athletes ranging from little league to high school, have been required to endure the surgery, causing problems in their future. During the fall of 2017, Jack McDonald was required to have surgery if he ever wanted to return to the sport of baseball.
“The surgery that I had was Partial Tommy John with an internal brace,” explained McDonald. “It’s a new procedure they can only do on certain patients if they meet the standards.” McDonald explained that his case was different than other Tommy John recipients because of a partial tear in his UCL. “My ligament was still intact. It had tore away from the bone and they were able to re-attach the UCL back into place with a silicone brace to hold it in place.” Partial Tommy John surgery has only been conducted on less than one thousand people, but an easier recovery than normal Tommy John surgery. “It has about half the recovery time as a normal Tommy John surgery.” McDonald’s special surgery was optional, however, a surgery overall was mandatory if he ever wanted to play baseball again.
After surgery, McDonald was put in a brace and started his long road to recovery. “They gave me a brace which could lock at a 90 degree angle,” explained McDonald. “I had to have the brace locked at 90 degrees for about two weeks. Then I had to wear the brace for an additional four weeks without it being locked in place, so I could move my arm.” One week after surgery, McDonald continued his recovery process by going to physical therapy two days a week. “Once I was allowed to start hitting at the beginning of January, I started going once a week.” McDonald continues to go to physical therapy and keeps his arm loose in the gym. “I am in the gym pretty much everyday we have school because I have advanced gym second period.”
As McDonald continues to work almost everyday, his recovery process has gotten him closer to getting back in his catchers gear. “So far my recovery has been great,” said McDonald. “I've progressed with little to no pain in my elbow and even if I do have any, the pain is only from soreness of strengthening back the muscle.”
The possibility of Jack McDonald returning to Louisa County Baseball for the 2018 season has been on the mind of all baseball personnel this offseason. “I do plan on returning to baseball. I hope to return this spring for varsity and play throughout the summer.” Throughout this whole process, the only thing on his mind was returning to baseball. “My biggest motivation really thus far is having the ability to play this spring for varsity and the potential to play baseball in college.”
Fresh out of his surgery, McDonald might have some limitations going into the 2018 season. “Starting the first week of tryouts for spring I might have some throwing limitations but nothing major. I am currently on a throwing program and once that is done, I should be good to go.” Although he endured a career threatening surgery, Jack McDonald is not letting that restrict him from getting back behind the plate and pursuing his dream of playing baseball.
