Shoulder Separation

All sorts of different arm injuries happen to baseball and softball players. For Dirtbag freshman Michael Hill, he is still recovering from a partial shoulder separation that he injured in the preseason.

Freshman Michael Hill
Photo curtisy of
Long Beach State Athletics

Shoulder separations are not the same as a shoulder dislocation. “A shoulder separation occurs when a sharp blow or a fall causes the collarbone to be forced away from the bone of the shoulder,” said in an article about shoulder separations on eMedicineHealth.

Once the injury has been diagnosed, the most important thing to do next is learn what to do to recover from the injury the best. The hardest thing for athletes to do in the recovery process it to rest yet it is an essential part of the recovery process so that they can allow the damaged tissues to heal. Other things that can be done to help heal the injured shoulder is to use ice to reduce the swelling and to wear a sling to take pressure off the joint stated in an article on about.com.

Hill is now back on the field and helping the team although he has not fully recovered from his injury.  Dirtbag’s head coach Troy Buckley talked to the Daily49er about Hill’s return.

“It’s nice to see [Hill],” said Buckley, who added that he could see more playing time. In Hill’s first game back he played well delivering a pinch hit and a two-run double as documented in the Daily49er.