Blue Jays SS Troy Tulowitzki throws, optimism grows

Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki made some strides in his recovery from a left shoulder injury today, making some throws and emerging without any setbacks. The latest update on Tulo’s progress before this point came over the weekend, when he revealed that he was able to lift his arm, so this is a significant jump from that point.

This won’t have me running out to bet my savings on Tulowitzki returning to the Blue Jays lineup prior to the end of the regular season, but the presence of any progress is very encouraging at this point. Especially when compared to a situation like Devon Travis and his shoulder injury, where the Blue Jays would go weeks without seeing any noticeable change in the recovery process.

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As Barry Davis notes, there is still a long way to go in Tulo’s recovery, but the fact he’s already throwing signifies that this is something the Blue Jays and their medical staff are comfortable with him playing through. Like we discussed on the latest episode of the Jays Nest Podcast, this could very well come down to a matter of pain tolerance.

Tulo’s pain threshold shouldn’t be questioned here. This is one of the more intense competitors in the league, and we should all expect him to be on the field whenever it becomes remotely possible. The issue continues to be his potential performance upon returning.

Throwing with his right arm should only put a moderate amount of stress on his left shoulder, but swinging a bat from the right side will be a different battle. As his swing torques around that shoulder, reaching in or out for a last-minute adjustment, Tulowitzki will feel the pain in the middle of his stroke. Will that be enough to throw off his mechanics? Only time will tell.

For now, the news continues to be as positive as it can be. Expect the next step to be Tulowitzki taking some swings off a tee, but again, this will be a slow and steady build to avoid any risk of re-injuring the shoulder.

Next: Blue Jays taking a cautious approach with Hawkins

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