Last season didn’t go anything like Jeff Jeffords had planned.
The former Lamar and South Carolina standout had big plans in mind as he entered his third season as a pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
In 2008, Jeffords had 86 strikeouts in 79 innings and also recorded six saves at Class A Dayton before making it to Double-A Chattanooga. He was hoping for better things last year, possible making it to Triple-A Louisville.
But Jeffords, a right-hander, missed the entire season last year after having Tommy John surgery.
“My career has been a roller coaster,” Jeffords said. “I had a terrible year in ’07 and a good one in 2008.
“But last year was the worst experience I’ve had in my life.”
Jeffords said he had been dealing with pain in his elbow for quite sometime, and it got progressively worse.
The final blow came in February when he was warming up before spring training practice. Jeffords couldn’t throw more than 20 feet.
Shortly after that, doctors told Jeffords he would have to have Tommy John surgery, a procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon usually from the forearm, hamstring, knee or foot.
Recovery rate from the surgery is 85-90 percent and, in some cases, pitchers throw harder than they did before the surgery.
“I had a lot of doubts and didn’t know how it would go, but I talked to other guys that had gone through it to help me out,” Jeffords said.
Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds Medical Director and Chief Orthopedic Physician, performed Jeffords surgery on April 7 in Cincinnati. Jeffords stayed in Cincinnati for a few days after the surgery then went to the Reds’ spring training facility in Sarasota, Fla., to begin rehab.
Jeffords had to build back up to simple tasks such as turning car keys to start his car or even opening a door.
“It was pretty tough the first few weeks,” Jeffords said. “Sometimes I would be walking and have a shooting pain in my right arm. It took a lot of getting used to, but eventually you just learn to deal with it.”
Jeffords stayed in Sarasota until the fall and shifted his rehab to Goodyear, Ariz., which is Cincinnati’s new spring training home.
In September, Jeffords picked up a baseball for the first time since the surgery and started with simple light toss to continue to build up his arm strength.
On Feb. 5, Jeffords threw his first bullpen session, which consisted of 20 fastballs.
He threw to hitters for the first time since September of ’08, last week and is scheduled to pitching in a spring training game this week.
Jeffords is unlikely to pitch more than an inning in any of his outings this spring.
“(Throwing to hitters) felt great,” said Jeffords, who will likely start the season at Class A Lynchburg and resume his role as reliever. “I just happy to throw again.”
Jeffords is looking forward to another chance to prove himself.
“I’ve learned not to take anything for granted because everything can be taken from you with the snap of a finger,” Jeffords said.
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