RSI-Relief

As we reported last year, Cincinnati Reds Pitcher Bronson Arroyo was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome during spring training, and it threatened his entire baseball career. He made it through the season, but then had the option of undergoing surgery to (perhaps) fix the problem once and for all. He declined.

Here’s the story:

The Cincinnati Reds right-hander has carpal tunnel syndrome in his pitching hand. It got so bad during spring training last year that he had to wear a brace when he wasn’t pitching. He wasn’t allowed to write or play the guitar.

The weakness he felt in his hand started affecting his pitches, giving the Reds a huge scare heading into the season. The problem eased with cortisone shots and Arroyo got better as the season went along, finishing with a 2.07 ERA in his last 16 starts.

Then, he had to make a decision. He could have had surgery to try to fix the problem. Instead, he decided to stay with the same regimen. He limited his guitar playing in the offseason and will give it up again while he’s playing baseball, hoping that gets him through another season without an operation.

“The last 16 games of the season were just too good to take a chance,” Arroyo said Tuesday. “I didn’t want to come into camp being two-thirds ready because my hand got cut on and I wasn’t up to par.”

Read more from USA Today: Reds RHP Arroyo’s carpal tunnel has subsided