Surgery took Ricky Howell's fastball, but he's ready to help his team any way he can

As soon as Pendleton Heights pitcher Ricky Howell uncorked the fastball from his right arm, he knew something was wrong.

Howell wanted to show the scouts gathered to watch his Indiana Bulls travel team play on a hot 100-degree day in Georgia he was all the way back. Howell wanted to show he recovered from a broken foot that cost him his junior season. Heading into his senior season, the right-hander was using the summer tournaments to reestablish himself as one of the best pitching prospects in the state.

The pitch was clocked at 92 mph, up about four mph from the beginning of the travel ball season. A fastball at that velocity from a pitcher his age is enough to catch the eyes of college and pro scouts.

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When Howell collected the ball and prepared to throw his next pitch, there wasn't any pain in his elbow, just a weird sensation. He fired another pitch and pain shot threw his arm. He tried to throw a fastball, but the pitch came out at just 81 mph, the velocity of a changeup.

Howell collected the ball from his catcher, ready to pitch through the pain. He'd already lost so much time during his career — the pandemic canceled the 2020 season before the foot injury cost him 2022 — but he had no strength left in his arm. He attempted an off-speed pitch, bouncing the ball well before home plate. He signaled to his coaches to visit him on the mound and exited the game.

Howell left the tournament to get his elbow evaluated back home in Indiana. The initial MRI showed a torn ulnar collateral ligament or UCL, a band of tissue that connects the inside of the upper arm (humerus) to the inside of the forearm (ulna).

After getting a second evaluation from Cincinnati Reds team doctor Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the original diagnosis was confirmed. What came next were three words dreaded by pitchers around the world: Tommy John surgery.

"I never really had been educated on Tommy John or any arm issue because before that I never had any arm issues," Howell said. "It was hard (to hear) but in the end it's just a minor setback. I always say the comeback is always greater than the setback."

Howell had surgery to repair his UCL Aug. 23. He was unable to do anything but rehab for about two and a half months. Rehab initially consisted of extending his arm and getting its mobility back. About three months post-surgery, Howell focused on weightlifting and gaining strength in the lower half of his body. Strengthening the lower half and core is a great way to prevent future arm injuries.

"Lower body lifting, that's what they really emphasize during rehab, and during this whole process," Howell said. "They want you to focus on using your lower half as much as possible, because that's where all your power is generated from in pitching.

"At that time, I wasn't really using my lower half. And that's what the doctor said, I was probably using my arm too much and exposing my elbow. Throwing 92 mph with an exposed elbow is pretty bad. ... It's all about using your lower half and getting all your power from the ground instead of exposing your elbow."

Five months post-surgery Howell started a throwing program. He throws three days a week, gradually increasing the distance of his throws. He's a couple weeks away from another checkup and possibly getting cleared to throw off a mound again. If cleared, he'll need to throw off a mound for about three months before he's fully cleared to resume pitching.

The rehab process ended his chances of pitching his senior season. The small silver lining is his elbow is healed enough for him to bat for the Arabians. Howell wants to contribute any way he can. He's engaged in practice and during scrimmages, basically functioning as another coach on the field for Pendleton Heights coach Matthew Vosburgh.

"There's never been a 'woe is me' moment," Vosburgh said. "There's never been, 'why did this happen to me?' I told him for whatever reason, your story's gonna take a little bit longer to write through all the hardship and through all the injuries.

"Everyone sees how hard he works, and everyone understands the type of talent that Ricky has. For him to do the little things, it speaks volumes as an example for us, and how we want to run our program and the type of culture that we have."

Howell plans to pitch at Wabash Valley College next season. The next step after leaving Wabash Valley is to enroll at Indiana and pitch for the Hoosiers.

In the immediate future, the kid with the big arm will make his presence felt at the plate. Through five games this season, Howell is batting .294 with four RBIs for the 4-1 Arabians.

"As soon as I heard the news that I could hit, I was like, 'Yes, this is great,'" Howell said. "Even though I wouldn't be able to pitch, at least I would still be able to do something. And even if I wouldn't have done anything, staying around the team, being around the team, creating brotherhood, friendships and relationships, it's awesome."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana high school baseball: Ricky Howell rebounds from Tommy John