Prep baseball: Burlington pitcher healing, contributing.
Lindemann off mound, not field
This was not how Jacob Lindemann wanted to help Burlington defend its Division 1 state baseball title.
After helping the Demons claim their first championship last spring, the Wichita State recruit underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in August and will not be able to pitch until at least late May.
“I was definitely surprised because he’s never had any arm problems at all,” Burlington coach Scott Staude said. “He never showed any sign of fatigue the last two seasons, so it definitely was a shock to us. It was difficult because going into the season he was a preseason all-state player and pretty highly touted. It was disappointing.”
Last season, Lindemann made second-team all-state after compiling a 10-1 record with a 0.81 earned-run average as Burlington finished with a 25-5 mark.
But the 6-foot-3 inch, 225-pound right-hander was pitching for the Racine Hitters in the summer and felt a tightness in his throwing arm.
He took himself out of the game, iced it and rested for a week. Lindemann threw again, but his arm did not get any better and he noticed he lost some velocity.
This time he took three weeks off and it still did not improve.
“It wasn’t like what you see in the major leagues, where they fall to the ground and the ball goes way off to the side,” Lindemann said. “It felt like a knot in my upper forearm, by my elbow.
“When we met the doctor, he said straight up I either get this surgery or I never throw again.”
Milwaukee Brewers team physician and orthopedic surgeon William Raasch performed the surgery Aug. 23, and it actually could help Lindemann get better and stronger.
“I was surprised by that but that’s what a lot of scouts were saying and also the Wichita State staff,” Staude said. “This is actually probably a blessing in disguise long term, as long as he rehabs well and heals well.”
Lindemann, who threw as fast as 91 mph last year, was told he would not be able to pitch until the end of May or middle of June.
He admits that at first he was pretty frustrated but then changed his tune.
“It wasn’t necessarily bad things that went through my head, it was the good things that got me to the point where I am today,” he said.
Where Lindemann is today is a designated hitter and soon-to-be first baseman. He met with Raasch last week and was told he could play defense but not pitch in a game.
So far, he has helped Burlington get off to a 5-1 start by batting .438 with four runs batted in and two runs scored.
And at least he will be able to throw off a mound with a physical therapist.
“I’m happy to be playing but I’m kind of sad I can’t pitch,” Lindemann said. “I had very high expectations for my senior year. I’m just trying to contribute as much as I can to the team right now.
“It’s bugging me knowing that if a play didn’t go the way that I wanted … I would go through my mind how I would pitch to them.”
Lindemann, the fifth Division I baseball player out of Burlington, was expected to be selected as high as the 10th round in the major-league draft in June. But that was before the injury.
He still might get drafted, but the likely scenario is to play the minimum three years at Wichita State and then get selected.
“I think it’s going to be a situation where if someone takes a flyer on him and drafts him (in June), it’ll probably be pretty late,” Staude said.