Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson was supposed to miss two starts while on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Then it was three starts. Then it was four starts. Then it was more starts. Before long, Johnson was considered out until July, and moved from the 15-day to the 60-day DL.
On Wednesday, a rehabbing Johnson had his shoulder examined just to make sure everything was peaches. It was examined by Dr. James Andrews, which is always a scary thing to hear, but the visit was considered precautionary, and the news is good:
Josh Johnson just got out his appointment with Dr. James Andews in the last half hour and the news was better than expected.
An MRI and examination found no structural damage in Johnson’s right shoulder. He will not resume his throwing program for at least 10 days.
So everything is all right in there. Johnson received a cortisone shot and will take a week and a half of rest, but after that he should get back to working out and stands a chance of returning to the Marlins in late July, although early August might be more likely. He's well beyond his initial timetable now, but the important thing is that he's not dealing with anything major.
When he comes back, Johnson will be pitching for pride, as the Marlins are currently 2-77, and 47.5 games out of first in the NL East.