Photo: Redleg Nation Staff
Yesterday we learned that Justin Dunn experienced discomfort in his shoulder while throwing just before arriving in spring training and then again in his first bullpen session after arriving. Today we heard from Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell and he noted that Dunn may miss all of spring training (first reported by Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer) and that he’s having his shoulder checked out by the team doctors.
For Justin Dunn and his shoulder – it’s been a long road and one that has had many speed bumps along the way. When he was with the Seattle Mariners he missed an entire year on the injured list with a shoulder injury despite not having needed surgery. He was traded to Cincinnati while still dealing with the injury and after getting healthy enough to return to the mound he noted that things still weren’t quite right. In mid-September of last season he was placed on the injured list with shoulder tightness. He made one rehab start with Triple-A Louisville, throwing 3.0 innings on September 27th before the end of the season.
Dunn was looking to compete for a spot in the Cincinnati Reds rotation this spring. It would appear that is going to be off of the table given the news today. At this point when he can return to the mound is unclear, but it’s almost assuredly not going to be by the start of the season. Hopefully the news from the doctor(s) is good for Dunn, but after 18 months of almost continuous problems with his shoulder it would seem that there’s something going on there.
Reds MiLB Spring Roster
If you are going to be out in Goodyear this spring to take in some spring training baseball, one of the things you should make sure to do is check out some stuff on the minor league side of the complex, especially if the big league club is going to be playing night games because then you won’t be missing out. The Reds currently have 160 players invited to minor league camp. You can check out the entire list of players who will be there at RedsMinorLeagues.com.
