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Arizona RHP Arroyo to have Tommy John surgery

By WTOP Staff

JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — Bronson Arroyo had been one of baseball’s most gutsy pitchers, finding a way to take the mound no matter what was ailing him.

Even after suffering a severe elbow injury in May, the Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander kept taking the ball, making six starts while fighting through the pain.

When an MRI revealed a ligament in his elbow had torn away from the bone, Arroyo still trying to keep pitching before finally giving in.

A player who had never been on the disabled list prior to this season, Arroyo will have Tommy John surgery within the next week or so, becoming the third Diamondbacks pitcher to undergo the ligament-replacement procedure this year.

“I wanted to see if I could pitch on it without the ligament, because a few guys have done it,” Arroyo said on Monday. “Most of the guys were bullpen guys, so it was going to be tough to do. I fired it up the last three days, and I could throw 120 feet and I could probably go out there and pitch, but it just won’t come back fast enough. So I’d have to pitch every 10 days and take nine days to get it healthy. It just wasn’t going to work.”

Signed by Arizona during the offseason, Arroyo had been one of baseball’s most durable pitchers, making 369 consecutive starts during 15 seasons with four teams.

The 37-year-old got the season off to a slow start after suffering a back injury in spring training, but had seemingly rounded into form over the last month, pitching well despite the elbow injury. He was 7-4 with a 4.08 ERA in 14 starts.

Arroyo said he believes the ligament tear came during a start against Washington in May, when he outpitched Stephen Strasburg in a complete-game victory. He continued to pitch after that and was still effective, using medication to fight the pain and deception to fight off hitters. Despite pitching with a torn ligament, Arroyo went 3-0 with a 2.95 ERA over his final three starts before going on the disabled list on June 16.

Even after an MRI revealed the tear, he tried to fight through it before succumbing to surgery.

“We had a discussion with him before his last start and he was pretty adamant about continuing to pitch, he thought he could get through it but that last game really hurt him,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “That’s when we shut him down and got the MRI and we took this course. It seems that surgery is the only way to go now.”

Arroyo joins Patrick Corbin and reliever David Hernandez on Arizona’s list of pitchers to have Tommy John surgery. Left-hander Daniel Hudson has had the surgery twice, in 2012 and 2013.

All three are working their way back to the big leagues and Arroyo will do the same despite nearing the end of his career.

“If this was the last year that I was going to play, I would just go gut it out and pitch and it would hurt and I’d try to find a way to win at 82 miles per hour, but I don’t think it is,” Arroyo said. I think my body’s a lot younger than my age is. I think I’m probably closer to 32-33 as far as the way I feel in comparison to most guys my age. So I don’t think it’s going to be a problem coming back.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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