By Joe Haggerty
CSNNE.com Bruins InsiderFollow @hackswithhaggs
SEATTLEJ.D. Drew admitted there is still some discomfort in his left shoulder as he attempts to return to the Sox roster, and that the relative soreness is probably something hell deal with for the rest of the season.
So much for the popular notion that Drew refuses to attempt playing when hes less than 100 percent.
The Sox right fielder also admitted that the rotator cuff issue in his left shoulder is likely something that will have to be corrected via surgery once this baseball season is over, but hell give it a go over the final two months of the season with nothing to lose. That continued on Saturday with another day of live batting practice at Safeco Field with his teammates.
Its pretty sore because hitting on the field is a little more aggressive than hitting in the cage, but Ill build my endurance to get back in there. I feel pretty good, said Drew. Its about what we expected. Theres soreness that I think will be there for the rest of the year. I think its just a matter of strength gains that weve made kind of helping, and getting out of some bad hitting habits that caused.
At some point we may look at surgery down the road, but for right now its strength management and trying to keep the shoulder as stable as I can. As far as hitting Im taking the next steps on the field and its getting the endurance up and getting the swing plane to where I want it to feel.
Drew was non-committal about a potential rehab assignment in the minor leagues over the next couple of weeks, and said that regaining his timing in the minors isnt something hes needed to do in the past.
It feels like I hadnt swung that aggressively in a while, but it felt better today than it did yesterday. One day itll probably just all be there for me. I think well probably get a game plan going tomorrow: Monday is off so Ill probably just hit in the cage that day and some cage-work during the double-header and Wednesday, said Drew. Then we can make an evaluation and see the way things are progressing. The more swings and the more repetition I get while working with some aggressiveness will be a good answer to where were at.
Boston Red Sox
Drew has to hope that shoulder-strengthening works because playing through the left shoulder discomfort left him with a .219 batting average and a pathetic .305 slugging percentage in 77 games this season. Thats extremely un-Drew-like and a sign that something is wrong physically with a 35-year-old thats talked assuredly about potential retirement after the current season is finished.
Joe Haggerty can be reached at jhaggerty@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Joe on Twitter at http:twitter.comHackswithHaggs