Several articles have appeared recently about Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb and his ailing shoulder. On Monday, he played catch for the first time since June 18th, and he still felt pain after the session. Webb is visiting Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas on Sunday; rumor has it he may undergo surgery but at the moment that is just a rumor, and likely nothing will be decided until after he sees the doctor. Three physicians, including Meister, decided in June that Webb did not need surgery, but it sounds like rest has not helped at all. Brandon's September comeback now looks nearly impossible, if he's taking this drastic of a step after simply throwing.
"He’s not probably making the progress we were hoping for, so I think we have to make an assessment about what to do next," Byrnes told reporters in a conference call. "He’s worked hard. It’s just when it comes to throwing, it just hasn’t been much different recently than it was going back to late May or June."
The Diamondbacks will have to decide within five days after the end of the World Series whether to pick up Webb’s $8.5 million option for 2010 or pay a $2 million buyout.“We’ve still got in the neighborhood of 100 days before we have to make that decision,” Byrnes said. “He’s been tremendous pitcher for this organization and he’s obviously a tremendous person within the walls of the organization. We’re going to use all the information we can gather in the next 100 days or so to make the best decision.”