When veteran reliever Ronald Belisario inked a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays this winter, he knew he'd have to earn his way on to the roster following a disappointing 2014 campaign with the Chicago White Sox. In 62 appearances, Belisario posted a 5.56 ERA while allowing a career worst 78 hits in 66.1 innings. The innings total was actually his fourth lowest in five full seasons, so that confirms it was a real struggle.
Still, a real opportunity awaited Belisario when he arrived to Port Charlotte, Fla, for Rays camp, but unfortunately he didn't make it there in one piece. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Belisario suffered a fractured left shoulder in a freak accident while climbing out of his swimming pool, and that all but guarantees he'll be on the outside looking in on opening day.
According to Belisario, he actually suffered the fall about a month ago but never had his shoulder looked at by doctors. The injury was diagnosed upon his arrival to camp, and it's reported he'll be sidelined from baseball activities for the next two weeks as a result. For a guy in his position, that might as well be two years, because his time frame to make an impression was already limited as is.
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It's unknown what the timetable might have been had Belisario had the injury checked out initially. One could safely assume he'd be much closer to returning though, so the decision to not get checked might be even more costly than the injury itself.
As Mike Axisa of Eye on Baseball notes, this continues a troubling trend for Belisario, which has seen him miss the beginning of spring training five times since 2009. His issues have included two separate late arrivals due to visa problems and two suspensions for drug abuse.
If there's a silver lining to this year's predicament, it's that those issues seem to be behind him. Another silver lining is that the injury occurred to his non-throwing shoulder. That means he'll be able to resume throwing without restrictions as soon as he gets the all clear, but he'll be so far behind that a stint in the minor leagues would be required just to get him up to speed. It's expected that he'll remain with the Rays throughout that process and have an opportunity to earn his spot during the season.
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So not all is lost, but there are two important lessons here.
1. If something doesn't feel right, go see a doctor. It can save you time, and it might save you from having to reveal that you were injured climbing out of a swimming pool.
2. Beware of swimming pools.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
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