Ever since he threw a perfect game in May 2010, Dallas Braden’s career has taken a turn for the worse. The Oakland A’s lefthander pitched in just three games in 2011 before he was shut down to have shoulder capsule surgery on his throwing arm.

Now, manager Bob Melvin says that Braden will undergo another procedure on the shoulder because the joint has not responded as the team had hoped. Melvin termed this surgery “exploratory,” but it’s probably a safe bet that Braden — who had hoped to make a few starts this September — is not far enough along in his recovery that he will be able to take the mound in 2012.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chroncle explains that when it comes to shoulder capsule repair, how tight to make the shoulder generally is the issue, and evidently Braden’s joint either is too tight or is not tight enough.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden will pitch off a mound Monday for the first time since having shoulder surgery in May, according to MLB.com.

“Tomorrow’s Christmas for me,” Braden said Sunday, according to the report. “Get to bed early, leave cookies and milk out on the table, see what happens.”

He’s expected to throw 25 pitches — just fastballs — and he said that he feels healthy after rehabbing almost a year and missing the majority of the 2011 season.

“I feel great. I feel really strong,” Braden said. “It’s nice to know all the hard work we put into the offseason and the days you didn’t want to get up and the days you didn’t want to push through, you now understand why it’s important to do so.”

The Oakland Athletics have agreed to terms with left-handed starting pitcher Dallas Braden, the team announced Tuesday.

Braden, 28, missed the majority of last season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn capsule in his shoulder. He is most well-known for his 2010 perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

He has a career record of 26-36 with a 4.16 ERA in 94 appearances.