By Chris Fuller
Kentucky Scouting Director

When unsigned senior LHP/OF Miles Lee participated in the PBR Kentucky Top Prospect Games event in June, he had no idea the difficult road that would soon lie ahead.

Lee showed well in many facets of the game over the two-day event.  At 6-foot-1, 175-pounds, Lee, from Saint Xavier HS, ran his fastball up to 84 mph with good arm-side run while also showing the ability to throw a cutter with late action.  In addition, he showed good feel for his 68-69 mph breaking ball and 75-77 mph changeup.

 “I played outfield all spring, but that was my first time back on the mound since April,” Lee said.  “I had some shoulder soreness during the high school season.  I went to the doctor, and he said I had some bursitis going on in my shoulder so I received a cortisone shot to calm it down some.”

While Lee also ran a 7.06 sixty and showed 87 mph arm strength from the outfield, it was his performance on the mound that started drawing interest from Division I programs.

“I started hearing from multiple Division I schools,” Lee said.  “Given that I hardly pitched during the high school season, the Top Prospect Games was big in allowing me to show what I could do.”

Lee’s travel team, the IXL Ironmen, traveled to Atlanta in early July to participate in the Perfect Game WWBA National Championship, and Lee said he was contacted by some Division I schools to see when he was scheduled to pitch.  “I had schools wanting to see me pitch,” he said.  “Unfortunately, rain wreaked havoc on the tournament, and I ended up pitching in two different games than originally scheduled.  The schedule changes made it difficult for schools to come see me.”

It was after those two outings in Atlanta that Lee began to really feel the soreness back in his shoulder.

“I shut it down after I pitched in Atlanta, but the soreness continued,” Lee said.  “A week later I went to have an MRI, and that’s when I was diagnosed with the torn labrum.”

While the timing of Lee’s labrum injury was unfortunate, there was some good news about the diagnosis.  The surgeon determined that his labrum was stable, meaning that anchors would not be required to reattach it.  Instead, Lee’s labrum required only some smoothing and trimming, which typically leads to a much quicker recovery for the athlete.

Lee’s surgery was performed on August 1, and already he has begun the first stage of his throwing program.

“I started my throwing program on September 29,” he said.  “It is a 10 step program that will end with me throwing bullpen sessions off the mound.”

For now, step 1 involves Lee throwing from 45 feet on flat ground.  There is no timetable to progress through each step, only that when he feels comfortable completing all of the throws in step 1 without soreness, it will be time to move to step 2.

Lee said there is no reason why he shouldn’t be back to 100 percent in time for Saint Xavier’s 2014 season.  “I’m just going to work hard on my rehab, and I should be ready to go.”  The doctor feels I have a very good chance of getting back to and exceeding my velocity levels prior to the injury.”

Given that the Tigers lost 22 wins from their pitching staff last season to graduation, that’s music to their ears.