Harrison Set to Begin Throwing Program

Matt Harrison has to know the odds aren't in his favor, and it seems more likely than not that his career as a big-league pitcher could very well be over after multiple back surgeries including a fusion surgery to fuse vertebra in his lower back last season.

With that said, however, Harrison got some good news over the holidays after being examined by Dr. Drew Dossett, who said Harrison is clear to being a throwing program in a couple of weeks to hopefully clear the path for him to return to a big-league mound.

Harrison, who is just 29 years old, signed a big deal with the Texas Rangers prior to the 2013 season but has pitched in just six games since signing that deal — two in 2013 and four in 2014. Luckily, the Rangers were able to execute an insurance policy on the deal and recoup a decent chunk of the money.

Harrison hopes to begin making rehab starts in May and to return to the Rangers some time in June, but there is no precedent or guarantees he'll ever pitch in the majors again.

If there is any positive in all of this, it's that there was also no precedent or guarantees Colby Lewis would ever pitch again, either, after his hip resurfacing procedure and he ended up leading the Rangers in innings in 2014 and becoming a good pitcher after the all-star break.

Of course, a back issue is a whole different story, but at least it's something to look at for Harrison in his recovery process.

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