Akron Beacon Journal reports Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield will undergo surgery for a torn labrum and fraying in addition to a fractured humerus in his left shoulder.

HSS sports medicine surgeon, Theodore A. Blaine, MD, who did not treat Mayfield, explained, “The odds are in his favor in terms of getting back to playing, of getting back to the same level. They’re not 100%, but if you look at different studies, it ranges between 70 to 90% back to play at the same level. That’s looking at all different types of athletes.”

He continued, “Professional athletes are a different breed, they have better tissues, they heal better, they heal faster, they do better. I’m always more confident in their ability to recover than somebody else.”

For a typical recovery, according to Dr. Blaine, “Whether it’s done through a scope or whether it’s done open, the recovery should be four to six months. The average return to play is about six months for these kind of surgeries, but ... it’s possible he could be a little bit faster than that.”

“It’s a good thing it’s his non-throwing shoulder because the position of instability, what we call an at-risk position where the shoulder can slide out, is a position of abduction, external rotation where you kind of raise the arm and rotate it out. Obviously, you do that on every throw. But he doesn’t do that with his non-throwing shoulder. So the risk is lower for a non-throwing shoulder for recurring episodes of instability," he added.

According to Dr. Blaine, “The labrum is a lining tissue to the shoulder joint, so it goes all the way around, 360 degrees around the clock face. An anterior labral tear, which is also called a Bankart tear, is usually associated with instability. That’s the kind of tear that’s harder to play with, that you have to get fixed to get stability back in the shoulder.”

When asked about his optimism that Mayfield can get back to the level of performance that earned Mayfield the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma and made him the first overall pick in 2018, Dr. Blaine said, “I’m a Browns fan, so I’m always hopeful.”

Read the full article at Beaconjournal.com.