By Darren
Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex
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| Ethan Forrest sets to throw a pitch for the Cubs. |
As the
17-year-old second baseman and relief pitcher was training at Inside Pitch Saskatoon over the winter months, he started to notice what he believed was
regular pain in his right throwing arm. At first, Forrest thought it was
something that was going to go away.
The pain never went away. At a Cubs practice shortly before the under-18 AAA baseball club began playing exhibition games, Forrest asked the team’s coaches about the pain he was experiencing and a pattern that had developed on his arm. The coaches told their veteran player to see a doctor.
“It got
really bad in kind of my armpit area, kind of the lat area, and that is when I
knew it wasn’t any normal pain,” said Forrest. “I could hardly lift my arm.
“That is
when we went into the hospital, and then I was diagnosed with a blood clot. A
couple of weeks later, it was removed, but they found I had thoracic outlet
syndrome. It is usually a pitcher syndrome.
“Max
Scherzer in the MLB is just suffering from it right now. He is just getting off
rehab for it. It is just kind of where you get a little bit of kind of build up
of scar tissue from overuse and right under your clavicle bone there in your
neck, and then it pinches off and kind of just forms a clot or you’ll have
nerve damage.”
Scherzer,
who is an ace right-handed pitcher who helped the Texas Rangers win the World
Series last year, started his MLB season with a lengthy stay on the injured
list with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome in his throwing arm. He saw his
first action with the Rangers on June 23.
When
Forrest first got his diagnosis, he thought he might miss the Cubs season.
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| Ethan Forrest was diagnosed with a blood clot. |
“I didn’t
know if it was going to be months or a few days. I was scared to miss the
season for sure.”
Forrest has
been thankful that everything that has been done to treat his blood clot and
manage his thoracic outlet syndrome has worked. It allowed him to return to
action with the Cubs in quick order.
Having just
graduated Grade 12 from Holy Cross High School, Forrest has committed to
joining the Miles Community College Pioneers Baseball Team in Miles City,
Montana. He will play second base and third base for the Pioneers, who are part
of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II ranks.
At the
moment, Forrest is still taking blood thinners every day, and that has allowed
him to play for the Cubs. He is considering options to further deal with his
thoracic outlet syndrome after the Cubs season comes to an end.
“I just
kind of have to be careful now,” said Forrest, who will turn 18-years-old on
July 29. “Now, I play and lift weights with no pain anymore.
“The next
step we are doing is just deciding with surgery and stuff before I head to
college and what that is going to look like. We have to decide if we’re going
to go with surgery now or not. We don’t really know yet.”
Once
Forrest’s medical diagnosis was clear, Cubs co-head coach Jordan Frey said the
team’s focus was to help the veteran standout get healed up.
“Obviously,
it wasn’t something we wanted to deal with or foresaw coming, but it was
something we did have to deal with,” said Frey. “We talked with him lots and
wanted to make sure that he had our support as a coaching staff and as a team.
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| Ethan Forrest is dealing with thoracic outlet syndrome. |
Frey said
the Cubs coaches weren’t worried if Forrest had to miss a few games or a
lengthy amount of time to possibly the whole season. The team’s coaches were
pumped, when Forrest made a quick return.
With that
noted, Forrest’s workload on the pitching mound has been managed as he comes
back from his medical challenges. When Forrest has come in to play relief, the
Cubs coaches at first tried to limit him to an inning or two.
On June 30
at Cairns Field, the Cubs brain trust allowed Forrest to go a little longer.
Forrest pitched an efficient three scoreless innings with one strikeout leaving
the mound with the Cubs holding a 4-1 lead over the Saskatoon Diamondbacks
after six innings. The Diamondbacks rallied scoring four runs in the top of the
seventh to pull out a 5-4 victory after Forrest left the game.
Frey said
the Cubs coaches were pretty inspired to get the superb three innings from
Forrest.
“We know
what we are getting with him on the mound,” said Frey. “He is going to be
consistent.
“He is
going to throw strikes. Thirty-three pitches in three innings is nothing we’re
ever going to complain about. It is just one of those things we have to get him
ramped back up again to a higher pitch count.”
Forrest has
been a regular when it comes to playing second base, and Frey said his
graduating veteran has been outstanding at that position.
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| Ethan Forrest has played regularly for the Cubs this season. |
“Obviously
playing second base, it helps with a little bit of a shorter throw. Just being
able to have him out there and being a third-year kid, it helps our team. You
can see when he is in the lineup.
“The boys
absolutely love having him around. Even when he was hurt, he was just on the
bench trying to help out anyway he could.”
On offence,
Forrest has gone 19-for-67 at the plate for a .284 average with 16 runs batted
in as the Cubs have built a 18-8 record to battle for first place in the
Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League. Looking at everything he has dealt with,
Forrest is pleased with his season so far.
“I feel
like it is going pretty good,” said Forrest. “We’re first in the league team
wise, and we’re all having a good time this year.
“The team
is performing really well. Personally, I think I am having a decent year. I
always have stuff to improve on obviously on the offensive side.
“I’m happy
with how my pitching is going right now for sure. It has been a fun year
overall for sure.”
In 2022,
Forrest took part in as many Cubs practices as he could as an affiliate player.
He played that campaign full time with the Saskatoon Cardinal Sluggers Under-18
AA team, and he was around Cubs when they won their Saskatchewan title in that campaign.
He moved up to the Cubs on a full-time basis in 2023 as they had another stellar year but were unable to make it to the provincial final. Forrest believes the Cubs have all the pieces to win another provincial title and qualify for nationals, or make the provincial final and earn a spot to Westerns.
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| Ethan Forrest believes his Cubs can win a provincial title. |
“As a third
year especially, it is my last kind of summer season here in Saskatoon,” said
Forrest. “It is going to be tough one.
“With the
clot as well, I’m fortunate enough to be healthy right now and playing with no
pain. Definitely, I am very appreciative to be playing right now.”
