AUSTIN (KXAN) – As Texas Longhorns catcher Kimble Schuessler was moving toward what he envisioned being a breakout season with Texas, he started to experience major discomfort in his left hand. He eventually went to get it checked out, and the diagnosis was a rare one that required risky surgery.
“Doctors really … it was an experimental surgery,” said Schuessler. “There wasn’t really a name for it.”
In August 2022, the discomfort started for Schuessler on his left index finger. It turned to discoloring and numbness. The best way to describe it is “dead finger.”
He tried to push through the injury for months but decided for surgery in December. A 5-hour surgery kept him in intensive care for four days afterward.
The surgery, as Schuessler said, was an experimental one. Doctors took an artery from his left thigh and attached it inside his left hand to get blood flow to his “dead” finger. They removed scar tissue and broken arteries as well which all left him with quite the scar.
“Going in, I knew that it was going to be fixed but I didn’t really know if I was going to have 10 fingers when I woke up,” said Schuessler.
The surgery was a success, but Schuessler had quite the road to recovery in front of him. It started with catching ping pong balls to regain strength, and then it progressed into a major test.
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“The moment that I really knew the surgery worked was [the] first weekend at [Texas] Tech,” said Schuessler. “Friday night I was catching Lebarron [Johnson Jr.] and it was snowing. I was like if I make it through this game, then I know the surgery worked.”
Not only did Schuessler make it through, but he’s become an everyday player. He’s having the breakout season he’s been working for throughout college.
“I’ve been healthy and not played and I’ve been hurt and not played,” said Schuessler. “I’ve seen both sides of the spectrum. Getting in there and really maximizing my opportunity has been great and I really appreciate it.”
Schuessler is hitting .338 with nine home runs for the Longhorns. He and Texas will get going in the Big 12 Conference tournament in Arlington on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. against Texas Tech.