Worcestershire first team physiotherapist Ben Davies is hopeful all-rounder Gareth Andrew will be available to return to action for the home LV = County Championship derby with Warwickshire in mid June.
Andrew aggravated the lumbar pedicle area in his back, which prevented him bowling for most of last season, during the Championship game with Sussex at Hove just over three weeks ago.
The 31-year-old underwent MRI and CT scans and then saw a leading specialist in Oxford who has diagnosed a return six to eight weeks after the initial setback.
It is hoped a six week course of parathyroid hormone treatment will do the trick and enable Andrew to cope with the intensity of a match workload.
Davies said: "Basically, against Sussex about three weeks ago, Gareth suffered an aggravation of the area he spent a lot of time on the side-lines with which as a medical team we were very concerned with at the time.
"But we went through all the correct channels, MRI scan, CT scan, and he went to see a really good specialist in Oxford, a sports medicine doctor with a special interest in stress fractures and bone health.
"The specialist basically diagnosed a six to eight week return for Gaz from the time of the initial aggravation. There is just a tiny little bit of inflammation on the area, which is that final stage of healing basically.
"We got him back to full bowling pain free pre-season and he played the first couple of games, but that match intensity workload just seemed to be a little bit too much for the area and unfortunately he got a bit of inflammation around the area.
"He's had two weeks with just gym work and we are going to start him on a six week course of parathyroid hormone treatment – which is a self administered injection each day – and that basically helps that final stage of healing to help him with his match intensity workload.
"Looking at it, within the next three weeks we are targeting a return for him if all goes to plan. That's what we are aiming for. We've got his back to bowling programme in place and we are really confident we can get him back and are looking towards Warwickshire at home."
Brett D'Oliveira is making good progress after becoming the third Worcestershire spinner this season to suffer a side injury.
D'Oliveira picked up the injury in a T20 Blast warm-up game with Somerset at Taunton Vale and played as a batsman in the second eleven game with Northamptonshire last week.
Moeen Ali, while on England World Cup duty during the World Cup, and Shaaiq Choudhry – in the March friendly against Gloucestershire at New Road – suffered similar setbacks.
Davies said: "Brett bowled a quick yorker basically and felt a little pull through his side, only a grade one external oblique injury.
"We got him back in 10 days playing club cricket again and we are just being fairly cautious with his return to bowling basically. We don't want to rush him with T20 coming up. He is going really well.
"That is three spinners we've had pick up side strains now so Ross and myself have actually put a new programme in for the spinners just to try and eradicate this trend.
"Mo did his with England, but spinners trying to bowl quicker now, and putting that extra pace and revs on the ball, seem to be prone to these intercostal injuries."
