Bishop back in Mariners clubhouse after spleen surgery

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This article was published 17/06/2019 (2322 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SEATTLE – Braden Bishop was back in the Seattle Mariners clubhouse for the first time in a couple of weeks on Monday, a few pounds lighter but feeling significantly better.

The last time Bishop was around his teammates he was a matter of hours away from discovering he had suffered a lacerated spleen, was bleeding into his abdomen and about to be rushed into surgery.

“I think anything was going to be better than what I was feeling. It was something I would not wish upon anybody,” Bishop said.

It’s still several weeks, potentially up to a couple of months, before Bishop will be back on the field for the Mariners. He hasn’t been cleared for any activity beyond walking. But any activity is better than the pain and discomfort of a couple weeks ago.

Bishop started in centre field for the Mariners on June 4 after being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma. He played four innings before realizing something was wrong and leaving the game. It was initially thought Bishop had a neck injury but doctors told Bishop the pain in his shoulder and neck was likely the internal bleeding in his abdomen manifesting elsewhere.

The injury was originally caused by Bishop being hit by a pitch a few days before being called up, but he said it felt like a bruise and didn’t seem to be impacting his ability to hit, throw or run.

Bishop said he saw the Mariners team doctor the morning after leaving the game and after the seriousness of his injury became apparent. He was immediately taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and a few hours later was undergoing surgery.

“I definitely feel better with the pressure in my abdomen. I think the blood has reabsorbed,” Bishop said. “They did the procedure and told me I wasn’t going to feel much different. They had to stop the bleeding but I had so much blood in my abdomen they told me it was going to take seven to 10 days to reabsorb. The first four days were uncomfortable and painful.”

Bishop isn’t the only Mariners player facing a lengthy recovery. Infielder Ryon Healy, on the injured list since May 21, will have an epidural injection in his back on Tuesday in an attempt to relieve nerve pain that has sidetracked his recovery. Healy said he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which was revealed after undergoing two bone scans. Healy said the hope is the injection will relieve pain and allow him to rehab and strengthen his lower back.

It could be a month before Healy resumes baseball activity.

“Unfortunately when it gets flared up like that it becomes very uncomfortable and us being a rotational sport that’s what was aggravating it a lot,” Healy said.

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