New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Hitting the spot
Recovering from injury, Guilford’s Deshefy excels in new role as DH
Guilford’s Lucas Deshefy sat with his helmet and batting gloves on, stuck in the dugout as his teammates took the field at St. Joseph on Saturday afternoon in Trumbull.
The scene has become the unfortunate new normal for the junior shortstop and pitcher, who introduced himself to the state in a big way a season ago, leading Guilford to the SCC championship and an appearance in the Class L final as a sophomore.
But, in the fall, Deshefy felt pain in his throwing shoulder. An MRI confirmed a torn labrum. He had surgery in October.
It was a tough blow for the uncommitted junior, who expected to build on a season in which he became the first sophomore since 2008 selected to the GameTimeCT/New Haven Register All-State first team and the first sophomore to be named SCC Player of the Year since the award’s inception in 2014.
Instead, he’s been relegated to designated hitter to start his junior year. Yet, he remains optimistic of returning to the field toward the end of the season.
“The doctor said it’s faster than most recoveries, I am a couple of weeks ahead of schedule,” Deshefy said. “I feel good, I am doing a throwing program, and my arm feels good.”
In the meantime he has made the most of his role as the team’s DH. Despite sitting on the bench for close to 30 minutes as St. Joseph scored five runs Saturday, he got on base three times, including two hits, in an eventual 10-7 loss to St. Joseph.
Guilford coach Nick Merullo said designated hitters have a hard time staying focused during games since they only get a handful of at bats, but that Deshefy is holding up well, batting .444 and posting .583 on base percentage so far this year.
“He has a good attitude towards it,” Merullo said. “(Former Red Sox great) David Ortiz and those guys, they made a living doing it. But in high school, you can’t go into the clubhouse for a little or watch tape. Sometimes they are too locked in. He finds ways to stay in the game.”
In the season opener, Deshefy reached base twice in a victory over