Still too early to say. I'm a year into a wrist injury that just won't heal, finally gave up babying it and wrap the heck out of it and go broke broke in the gym. The harder I work it the better it seems now although it throbs on a rainy day. Same with a quad pull years ago body surfing summer swells with dive fins. Damaged a nerve that nerfed all sensation. Took 9 months before the feeling came back.
Structural healing is only one aspect. And being off is pretty distracting in everyday life, I can't imagine how that would impact a high caliber athlete. I liked Girardi's defense, you can't know what the kid is experiencing.