Good Luck Jaye! Fans of Mosley Baseball are pulling for you. Mosley grad Chapman rehabbing hip, hoping for MLB return PANAMA CITY BEACH — Jaye Chapman isn’t used to staying home in March. The former Mosley High School standout was in Bay County as spring training opened. The right-handed pitcher had ascended through the minor league system and made his Major League debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2012. A persistent problem has sidelined Chapman ever since and made him anxious to return to the field. Chapman is home and rehabilitating a second hip surgery that was performed in July 2013. The first was May 17 of the same year. They were the initial major surgeries of Chapman’s career, which began in the Atlanta Braves organization in 2006. The 26-year-old said he had felt pain in his hips for about four or five years despite putting together his best minor league seasons between 2010-12. He consulted with team trainers to alleviate the problem, but nothing was working. “They would say my hips were tight. I’d do as much hip mobility stuff as anyone and no one else was having hip problems,” Chapman said. “It got to the point where I couldn’t throw. I told the Cubs, had X-rays and surgery right away. It was possibly career-ending if I didn’t.” The 6-foot, 195-pound Chapman was diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), a condition where the bones of the hip are abnormally shaped. Bone spurs form along the femoral head (ball) and acetabulum (socket of the hip), causing the bones to rub against each other rather than move smoothly. Chapman’s femur was pointing out instead of in due to the condition and it led to torn labrums in both hips. He called the corrective surgeries a grueling process. He was on crutches for four months and his new range of motion is an adjustment. “I always thought something would happen sooner or later. It’s an occupational hazard,” Chapman said. “Sooner or later you’ll have to have an arm or elbow surgery. For it to be hips was a weird type of thing.” Questions surrounding the surgery also have kept potential employers away. Chapman is a free agent who most recently pitched in the Cubs farm system last summer. Chapman said teams are wary of a reoccurrence of the injury, but he added that his doctor believes the surgery was a success and will be the best thing for him in the long run. Chapman said he has some lingering soreness, but more importantly no pain, and feels better than he has in years. He said 13 teams have requested his medical records. He had recent workouts with Detroit and Atlanta, the team that drafted him out of Chipola College. His velocity was as high as 92 mph and around 90 during bullpen sessions. Chapman said he’s a few months away from being game-ready, but having the injury behind him will help him focus. “Baseball is already a mental grind,” he said. “But going out there in pain every day doubles the grind. “It’s been a blessing in disguise. I’m only 26. I made it to the majors when I was 25. Baseball is a small world. They know I can pitch.”
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 03:34:53 +0000
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