Pablo Sandoval’s labrum surgery could be a huge X factor

Hanley Ramirez (right) had shoulder surgery (in 2011), just like Pablo Sandoval, and Ramirez said he had to make adjustments in his swing. Barry Chin / Boston Globe

By The Boston Globe

February 21, 2017

1 minute to read

Attempts to determine what kind of player Pablo Sandoval might be going forward seem to revolve solely around his weight and physical conditioning. Yet it’s entirely possible that another physical issue will loom larger in determining his impact in 2017, and his worthiness of reclaiming an everyday role at third base.

It is easy to forget that the reason Sandoval missed the 2016 season was not his conditioning; it was surgery to repair a damaged labrum in his left shoulder. And while his physical preparedness for this season may have a great deal to do with his performance, there is a chance that the health of his shoulder played a significant role in his 2015 decline — and that it will likewise play a pivotal role in 2017.

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