Reds' Marshall: 'Hopefully I will be 100 percent at spring training'

Though persistent shoulder problems have derailed the career of Cincinnati Reds left-hander Sean Marshall, the 32-year-old remains optimistic he'll be ready when spring training begins, reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.

Marshall spent more than four months on the disabled list in 2013 due to tendonitis and a left shoulder sprain, and made just 15 appearances this season before undergoing surgery June 24 to repair a torn labrum.

"We had in mind at the end of June when I had the surgery to be ready to pitch at spring training," Marshall said. "Hopefully I will be 100 percent at spring training."

Once considered among the game's top left-handed relievers, Marshall has done little to vindicate the three-year, $16.5-million deal he signed with the Reds prior to the 2013 campaign. However, Marshall is expected to begin a throwing program in November and hopes to contribute in 2014.

"It's been definitely tough to be a spectator the majority of the last two years to not be able to be out there and competing," Marshall said. "I know we did the right thing as far as the repair and the PRP (platelet-rich plasma injections) and other procedures. As a whole, I should be better than I was before. I'm optimistic for that. I know I missed the guys a lot, and I think they missed me a lot down there. I'm really looking forward to being back."

Marshall, a sixth-round pick in 2003, fashioned a 2.44 ERA (168 ERA+) with a 4.22 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 247 appearances from 2010 to 2013.