It’s unlikely Roy Halladay was out last night at the local dive bar, tossing back shots and celebrating another year on earth. Besides, he’s got too much work to do, and that begins with shoulder surgery tomorrow in Los Angeles.
Halladay, who turned 36 today, will have bone chips, a frayed labrum, and a partially torn rotator cuff scoped by Dr. Neil ElAttrache, and will miss three months, possibly more, depending on what they find.
In roughly 24 hours, we’ll know the extent of what is wrong with Halladay’s shoulder. Will he return this season? Will it be career threatening? It sure seems like anything is possible given the delicate nature of the shoulder.
A few season ago, it seemed blasphemous to think Halladay’s career would be winding down at this age. I, for one, assumed he’d be onto his second contract with the Phillies, no questions asked, winning 16-18 games, being the horse he always was. And he still could come out of it that way. Odds are, he won’t.
Regardless of that, wish the Doc a Happy 36th.
