Near 'miracle' means Sean Marshall could return to Reds

When Sean Marshall went into surgery last week, he thought his career may be over. When he got out of surgery, it was a different story.

"I had a lot of thoughts in my head. I just wanted to make sure I could throw batting practice to my kid later in life," Marshall said. "So when I got the news that I could have a possible comeback way sooner than later, that's a huge breath of fresh air."

Instead of repairing the capsule in his left shoulder, Dr. David Altchek and Dr. Timothy Kremchek cleared out scar tissue in Marshall's left shoulder because that was all that was needed. Instead of throwing again in six months at best, Marshall said he could be throwing again in six weeks. Reds manager Bryan Price said it's possible Marshall could return to the mound this year.

Marshall had surgery last June on the shoulder. When Altchek and Kremchek got into his shoulder, the labrum and capsule were intact - the excess scar tissue had hidden that in the MRI. The doctors cleaned out the scar tissue.

On Monday, Marshall was back with the Reds and without a sling.

"I had a lot of people praying for me, and hopefully, this is one of those prayers that was answered," Marshall said. "I couldn't be more excited to get that news and get back with the team."

As Price said, "it's really nearly a miracle."

For a team that hasn't had much to cheer about as of late, seeing Marshall back in their clubhouse with a smile on his face and good news was certainly a nice shot in the arm.

As Marshall talked to reporters, Todd Frazier came up to him and stuck out his hand, "Todd Frazier," he said, mockingly introducing himself. Marshall thanked Frazier for not taking over his locker, which is next to the All-Star third baseman's. After Marshall told Frazier of his diagnosis, the two hugged.

"It's great for all of us, we really invest in our guys, everyone does," Price said. "You care so much, especially a guy like him who has worked so hard to be a part of getting things right here and he just hasn't been able to be on the field."

There are, of course, no guarantees, but for now, the news on Marshall is good. Two weeks ago, the Reds announced his surgery would be season-ending, which was even optimistic. Now, there's a chance he could return.

"For the last year, year-and-a-half, it's been a lot of bad news for me," Marshall said, "but this is about as good as it gets."