Pat Neshek thought his career was over after injury scare

Pat Neshek thought for a moment that his career was finished when he felt pain shoot through the back of his shoulder last Friday while warming up with a light game of catch.

“My first thought was that I tore something,” Neshek said. “I took it pretty hard. Because you never know if that’s your last throw. It was scary. It’s scary when I’ve played for as long as I have and never had something like that happened. It freaked me out.”

Neshek, who is in his 14th major-league season, left the field and rushed back to the clubhouse at Miller Park, where the team’s training staff alleviated his concerns by putting him through a series of strength tests to prove he had not torn anything in his shoulder.

An MRI showed inflammation, but Neshek said there was no structural damage. The Phillies placed him on the injured list Saturday morning. He said he is not sure when he will return from the injured list but expects to pitch again this season.

The injury occurred a day after Neshek struggled against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, but Neshek said his shoulder did not flare up until his fifth warm-up throw at Miller Park. Neshek has not thrown since returning from Milwaukee, and his shoulder is still in pain.

“It could be quick, but who knows,” Neshek said. “I just want to figure out what’s causing the pain right now.”