KANSAS CITY -- Right-hander Nate Karns was back in the Royals' clubhouse on Friday, almost three weeks to the day since he had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in Dallas.
Karns moved about with normal activity and certainly seemed in good spirits, even sharing the fact that his surgeon gave him the partial rib removed during the procedure as a keepsake.
"I do have it," Karns said, smiling. "I just have to figure how to clean it. They give it to you in a little container. I'm excited to clean it up and put it in a necklace, and wear it around -- that way I'll be a 100 percent skeleton instead of 99 percent."
The surgery is performed to eliminate or reduce the blood flow restriction in the shoulder area that is associated with the syndrome.
"Surgery went very well," Karns said. "I woke up and felt good. I was in the hospital for two or three days.
"I've just been doing normal things with the arm. No nervy pain coming out of post-op. All good things. It all leads to positive conclusions.
"Now, we start the therapy and then a throwing program. I have no idea when that will be. I'm just doing cardio right now to get the body ready, get the inflammation out of there."