I was listening to Rob Bradford's podcast on the way to work this morning and he had Daniel Bard on to talk about his career. He mentioned that he had undergone surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and that was the first time I can recall hearing that. Apparently it was subtle at first, a minor compression of the nerve bundle in the shoulder, which affected his command and control first, then his velocity as the issue worsened.
Here's a link from the Globe back in 2015 that mentions it as well: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/01/11/red-sox-setup-man-daniel-bard-healthy-ready-bounce-back/y5xTS7WIA6kIKGBL3YHSzK/story.html
I figured people would be interested to know that there apparently is an answer for the sudden loss of "it" in late 2011 and then fully in 2012, and it likely had nothing to do with moving him to the rotation.
It's also a cautionary tale for those expecting/hoping for Thornburg to get back to being the guy they traded for this year now that he's had the surgery. This affliction can be a career killer.
Here's a link from the Globe back in 2015 that mentions it as well: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/01/11/red-sox-setup-man-daniel-bard-healthy-ready-bounce-back/y5xTS7WIA6kIKGBL3YHSzK/story.html
I figured people would be interested to know that there apparently is an answer for the sudden loss of "it" in late 2011 and then fully in 2012, and it likely had nothing to do with moving him to the rotation.
It's also a cautionary tale for those expecting/hoping for Thornburg to get back to being the guy they traded for this year now that he's had the surgery. This affliction can be a career killer.