Don't worry -- manager Terry Francona and Papelbon said they, too, were flummoxed by the terminology, which Gill explained afterward in layman's terms: The ball of the shoulder joint had slipped slightly forward, but not completely out of the joint to the point where it would be considered a dislocation.
``Classically, it's described as a `dead arm' syndrome," Gill said. ``If you remember when Papelbon came off the mound, he came and dropped his arm and kind of shook it. That's a classic symptom of someone who's had it. That's called a dead arm for the slight slippage."
The relief was transparent on the face of Papelbon, who yesterday was administered an arthrogram MRI, in which dye was injected and pictures taken, none of which showed any tears in the labrum or rotator cuff, the injuries pitchers most dread. The labrum is the fibrous ring of cartilage attached to the rim of the shoulder, while the rotator cuff is a band of muscles encircling and supporting the shoulder joint.
In one five-year study of 36 pitchers who had been diagnosed with labrum tears, only one returned to his previous level of success.
``No tear," Papelbon said after the game, one in which Gabbard held the White Sox to three hits over seven innings and Timlin, assuming Papelbon's closer role, spun two innings of one-hit relief to send the White Sox to their fifth defeat in six games. ``So I mean, shoot, you can't ask for anything more than that.
``My immediate reaction was, you know, whew, thank the Lord. Labrum tears are pretty tough to come back from."
Asked how the injury had been explained to him, Papelbon groped for words.
``Oh jeez, good question . . . sublux something or other," he said. ``Sublux is some doctor term. They started reeling off all these doctor terms -- subluxation, push it out, and this and that. I tried to pay attention, but obviously I didn't go to school to be a doctor. I heard, `No tear,' and that's basically what I was worried about."
He ultimately admitted to a better understanding of the injury than he'd let on.
