Continued:
In February 2018, Hahn stepped on the mound in spring training in Surprise, Ariz., ready to make his Royals debut.
At the time, his arm felt great. The Athletics had traded him to the Royals nearly a month prior after Hahn had struggled to stay healthy, but that day Hahn threw three innings and “felt fine.” The 28-year-old walked off the mound feeling like the pitcher he was while emerging as a rookie in 2014 with the San Diego Padres, then pitching well in 16 starts for the A’s the following season.
In his next start, he felt fine at first, but after two innings, he did not. His elbow was hurting in the same way it had in 2010.
“I didn’t know how serious this injury actually was,” Hahn says.
But he knew he had to leave the game.
He underwent MRIs in the following days, but the images did not reveal much. The prescription was rest, so that’s what Hahn did. Months later, he began throwing again. And when he did, similar to the beginning of spring training, his arm felt fine.
By July, he was ready to pitch again. He had two outings in the Arizona Rookie League and didn’t give up a run, so the Royals transferred him to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where Hahn made three more outings and still didn’t give up a run. Triple-A Omaha was the next stop. Hahn knew he was close.
On Aug. 7, 2018, at Werner Park in Papillion, Neb., Hahn arrived at the mound to pitch for the Omaha Storm Chasers. He struck out the first two batters then gave up a single. The coaches pulled him after he reached his pitch count, and the outing was considered a success.
But not to Hahn. His elbow was hurting again.
After the game, Hahn immediately called Royals head athletic trainer Nick Kenney.
“Hey Nick, I don’t think I’m going to be able to throw a baseball anytime soon,’” Hahn said to Kenney. “This kinda took a turn for the worse. I think I’m going to have to shut it down.”
Kenney, not having seen any MRIs, trusted Hahn’s judgement. But because the pitcher was in Omaha, Kenney recommended Hahn drive the three hours to Kansas City for further evaluation with Dr. Vincent Key. A day later, he underwent the MRIs that Paletta later would see.
“We just knew it wasn’t functioning right,” Hahn says. “Something was obviously wrong.”
In conversations with Kenney and Key, Hahn considered his options. He had already undergone one Tommy John surgery, so he knew it would require about 17 months of rehab. Not only did he love the game too much to quit, but he also knew those at home, such as his sister Melissa, were cheering him on to return.
It was then that he remembered conversations he had had with Maness about a procedure Maness had undergone. The Royals knew Paletta had performed that procedure and Hahn wanted to see if it was an option for him. So he drove to St. Louis, spoke with Paletta and signed the waiver.
“I was just going to accept it,” said Hahn, who gave Paletta permission to speak to The Athletic about the details of the surgery. “No matter what the surgery was, I was very confident I would overcome (it) and be out there pitching again. It was just a matter of what date it was going to be.”
Hahn woke up in a daze. His wife, Jessica, stood over him.
“Check your leg,” she said.
Hahn felt down with his left hand and noticed his leg felt normal. This was significant. It meant Paletta did not have to take a graft from there to do a full reconstruction. Semi-realizing the situation, Jesse smiled.
“Yeah,” Jessica said. “You had the repair.”
The Hahns stayed in St. Louis for a couple days so Jesse could recover and relax. Then they returned to Arizona with a couple specific requests from Paletta. For the first eight weeks, Hahn was to let his arm rest, quite similar to Tommy John rehab, then he would begin the strengthening phase. Where the rehab really differed was 4 1/2 months into the process.
That’s when the long-toss program would begin. The program would last for six weeks, then Hahn would throw from the mound for six weeks. At that point, he could be back pitching again.
Some of the process went as planned after Hahn returned to Arizona; some of it did not.
Every morning during rehab, Hahn would wake up and walk to the coffeemaker in the kitchen. Above it hung a message board, and each day Jessica put together a new quote.
“That would motivate me for that day,” Jesse says, “and keep me positive. It went a long way. One of the things that goes unnoticed in the rehab process is the mental side of it. Believing, trusting, staying positive … it’s a grind. The messages really went a long way.”
About five months into the recovery, Hahn was back throwing and right on schedule. Until he wasn’t.
“The problem in Jesse’s case,” Paletta says, “is he had complications with nerve issues. That slowed his recovery. That’s a complicating factor that may make the return time seem longer than if it was just the repair. … Nerves recover at a much slower pace than most other soft tissues in the body. The expectation is that the nerve will recover fully. Jesse came into the surgery with the nerve issues, and those nerve issues are not immediately or easily cured by the surgery.”
Still, Jesse pushed through because that’s what he had done his whole life. And the Royals, who had placed him on the 60-day injured list, stuck with him. At long last, on Aug. 21, just shy of a full year since the surgery, Jesse took the mound in competitive competition for the first time. He pitched an inning of rookie ball and emerged unscathed, with two strikeouts on nine pitches.
“The feeling, it sounds cliche’, but I couldn’t describe it,” Hahn says. “After I walked off the mound that night, I was all smiles. I couldn’t stop smiling the entire night. I couldn’t wait to move forward and go on to the next one.”
Over the years, Dugas says he has received a number of questions from baseball executives — including well-known general managers — about the primary repair with internal brace procedure and which players qualify.
“I honestly don’t think it makes any difference what level of player you are,” Dugas says. “I don’t think it matters how hard you throw. That has nothing to do with it. It has to do with what your injury is.”
Since 2017, the procedure has become more recognized. Paletta says he has done nearly 150 of them in total.
After rejoining the Royals on Tuesday, Hahn now has the chance to re-establish himself in the majors after having undergone the new procedure.
Kansas City Royals
✔@Royals
RHP Jesse Hahn has been returned from his rehab assignment and reinstated from the 60-day IL. #Royals
“When you’re dealing with a professional athlete,” Paletta says, “it’s on a more magnified stage. I don’t read about my high school or college kids. But with guys like Jesse, it’s right there in front of you. These guys are pitching at the highest level.
“If you can get them back to that, it’s gratifying and rewarding.”
Jesse told his story one late-August morning. He’d pitched well a few days prior at High-A Wilmington, striking out all three batters he faced with a flaming fastball, deceptive changeup and hard slider.
Jesse is now 30 years old, and he still dreams of pitching in the playoffs and the World Series, things he has not done yet.
Those dreams and his love of the game are what pushed him to sign the waiver to allow Paletta to perform the Tommy John alternative. Not to mention the support from those back home. His father and mother. His sister Melissa, who has followed every game since he’s been back.
“I love the game, and I have zero quit,” Hahn says, “But I believe this is bigger than me.”
(Top photo: Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
At the time, his arm felt great. The Athletics had traded him to the Royals nearly a month prior after Hahn had struggled to stay healthy, but that day Hahn threw three innings and “felt fine.” The 28-year-old walked off the mound feeling like the pitcher he was while emerging as a rookie in 2014 with the San Diego Padres, then pitching well in 16 starts for the A’s the following season.
In his next start, he felt fine at first, but after two innings, he did not. His elbow was hurting in the same way it had in 2010.
“I didn’t know how serious this injury actually was,” Hahn says.
But he knew he had to leave the game.
He underwent MRIs in the following days, but the images did not reveal much. The prescription was rest, so that’s what Hahn did. Months later, he began throwing again. And when he did, similar to the beginning of spring training, his arm felt fine.
By July, he was ready to pitch again. He had two outings in the Arizona Rookie League and didn’t give up a run, so the Royals transferred him to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where Hahn made three more outings and still didn’t give up a run. Triple-A Omaha was the next stop. Hahn knew he was close.
On Aug. 7, 2018, at Werner Park in Papillion, Neb., Hahn arrived at the mound to pitch for the Omaha Storm Chasers. He struck out the first two batters then gave up a single. The coaches pulled him after he reached his pitch count, and the outing was considered a success.
But not to Hahn. His elbow was hurting again.
After the game, Hahn immediately called Royals head athletic trainer Nick Kenney.
“Hey Nick, I don’t think I’m going to be able to throw a baseball anytime soon,’” Hahn said to Kenney. “This kinda took a turn for the worse. I think I’m going to have to shut it down.”
Kenney, not having seen any MRIs, trusted Hahn’s judgement. But because the pitcher was in Omaha, Kenney recommended Hahn drive the three hours to Kansas City for further evaluation with Dr. Vincent Key. A day later, he underwent the MRIs that Paletta later would see.
“We just knew it wasn’t functioning right,” Hahn says. “Something was obviously wrong.”
In conversations with Kenney and Key, Hahn considered his options. He had already undergone one Tommy John surgery, so he knew it would require about 17 months of rehab. Not only did he love the game too much to quit, but he also knew those at home, such as his sister Melissa, were cheering him on to return.
It was then that he remembered conversations he had had with Maness about a procedure Maness had undergone. The Royals knew Paletta had performed that procedure and Hahn wanted to see if it was an option for him. So he drove to St. Louis, spoke with Paletta and signed the waiver.
“I was just going to accept it,” said Hahn, who gave Paletta permission to speak to The Athletic about the details of the surgery. “No matter what the surgery was, I was very confident I would overcome (it) and be out there pitching again. It was just a matter of what date it was going to be.”
Hahn woke up in a daze. His wife, Jessica, stood over him.
“Check your leg,” she said.
Hahn felt down with his left hand and noticed his leg felt normal. This was significant. It meant Paletta did not have to take a graft from there to do a full reconstruction. Semi-realizing the situation, Jesse smiled.
“Yeah,” Jessica said. “You had the repair.”
The Hahns stayed in St. Louis for a couple days so Jesse could recover and relax. Then they returned to Arizona with a couple specific requests from Paletta. For the first eight weeks, Hahn was to let his arm rest, quite similar to Tommy John rehab, then he would begin the strengthening phase. Where the rehab really differed was 4 1/2 months into the process.
That’s when the long-toss program would begin. The program would last for six weeks, then Hahn would throw from the mound for six weeks. At that point, he could be back pitching again.
Some of the process went as planned after Hahn returned to Arizona; some of it did not.
Every morning during rehab, Hahn would wake up and walk to the coffeemaker in the kitchen. Above it hung a message board, and each day Jessica put together a new quote.
“That would motivate me for that day,” Jesse says, “and keep me positive. It went a long way. One of the things that goes unnoticed in the rehab process is the mental side of it. Believing, trusting, staying positive … it’s a grind. The messages really went a long way.”
About five months into the recovery, Hahn was back throwing and right on schedule. Until he wasn’t.
“The problem in Jesse’s case,” Paletta says, “is he had complications with nerve issues. That slowed his recovery. That’s a complicating factor that may make the return time seem longer than if it was just the repair. … Nerves recover at a much slower pace than most other soft tissues in the body. The expectation is that the nerve will recover fully. Jesse came into the surgery with the nerve issues, and those nerve issues are not immediately or easily cured by the surgery.”
Still, Jesse pushed through because that’s what he had done his whole life. And the Royals, who had placed him on the 60-day injured list, stuck with him. At long last, on Aug. 21, just shy of a full year since the surgery, Jesse took the mound in competitive competition for the first time. He pitched an inning of rookie ball and emerged unscathed, with two strikeouts on nine pitches.
“The feeling, it sounds cliche’, but I couldn’t describe it,” Hahn says. “After I walked off the mound that night, I was all smiles. I couldn’t stop smiling the entire night. I couldn’t wait to move forward and go on to the next one.”
Over the years, Dugas says he has received a number of questions from baseball executives — including well-known general managers — about the primary repair with internal brace procedure and which players qualify.
“I honestly don’t think it makes any difference what level of player you are,” Dugas says. “I don’t think it matters how hard you throw. That has nothing to do with it. It has to do with what your injury is.”
Since 2017, the procedure has become more recognized. Paletta says he has done nearly 150 of them in total.
After rejoining the Royals on Tuesday, Hahn now has the chance to re-establish himself in the majors after having undergone the new procedure.
Kansas City Royals
✔@Royals
RHP Jesse Hahn has been returned from his rehab assignment and reinstated from the 60-day IL. #Royals
“When you’re dealing with a professional athlete,” Paletta says, “it’s on a more magnified stage. I don’t read about my high school or college kids. But with guys like Jesse, it’s right there in front of you. These guys are pitching at the highest level.
“If you can get them back to that, it’s gratifying and rewarding.”
Jesse told his story one late-August morning. He’d pitched well a few days prior at High-A Wilmington, striking out all three batters he faced with a flaming fastball, deceptive changeup and hard slider.
Jesse is now 30 years old, and he still dreams of pitching in the playoffs and the World Series, things he has not done yet.
Those dreams and his love of the game are what pushed him to sign the waiver to allow Paletta to perform the Tommy John alternative. Not to mention the support from those back home. His father and mother. His sister Melissa, who has followed every game since he’s been back.
“I love the game, and I have zero quit,” Hahn says, “But I believe this is bigger than me.”
(Top photo: Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
yet he kept almora,schwarber fat adam dunn 2.0 sorry ass and happ who can't make contact to save his life
he still sucks all he does is hit hr's or strikeout.still needed that
