Coupeville Sports

Even while injured, the camera-friendly McKayla Bailey remains available for photo ops. (John Fisken photo)

The most valuable softball-hurlin’ arm in Coupeville has been pulled from the pitcher’s circle. For now, at least.

McKayla Bailey, who carried the Wolves all the way to the state tournament while throwing 99.7% of her team’s pitches as a junior, has had to step back a bit from her usual summer select ball schedule.

Bailey has been diagnosed with two slight tears in her pitching shoulder. One is in her rotator cuff, the other is a “SLAP tear” in her super labrum.

“They were caused by an impingement in the joint,” Bailey said. “We are trying physical therapy and hoping that will help it to heal itself.”

If PT doesn’t improve things, she’ll go in for surgery in late August, but even that would not be as bad as first thought.

“I would be back and fully functioning by mid-September, because the surgery is minor,” Bailey said. “At first we thought it would be a six plus month recovery time, but the MRI showed that it wasn’t that bad.”

Always a three-season athlete, she plans on playing a fall sport as a senior, regardless of where her shoulder may be.

“I’m hoping to play volleyball this fall, surgery or no surgery,” Bailey said. “I’m going to talk to the coach and see how she feels about the possibility. If I can’t play, I will be the manager, if possible.

“Or, if she doesn’t want me to play, then I’ll look at soccer again,” she added. “You don’t have to worry about using your arms in that sport!”