Josh Johnson has been out since mid-May with a shoulder injury that was supposed to take just a couple weeks, but he received some good news from Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday and is now hoping to return “at some point in August,” according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
Andrews found no structural damage in Johnson’s shoulder, which means no surgery is needed, but even an early August return would mean sitting out nearly three months.
And that’s far from a sure thing, as Johnson has been shut down for the next 10-14 days, after which he’ll have to restart the rehab process. Or as Frisaro put it: “The period of inactivity isn’t set in stone. It could be longer. The Florida ace will throw when the discomfort has disappeared.”
He’s going to miss at least half the season with an injury that the Marlins are still describing as merely “an aggravated shoulder.” I was going to write that something “seems fishy” until I realized how hacky that sounds about a Marlins player. But ... well, something seems fishy.
