The shoulder is a frequently injured joint in athletes, and the most common injuries in active patients include instability, rotator cuff injuries, and superior labrum lesions. These three types of injuries often involve different mechanisms of injury, variable methods of surgical repair, and different considerations in rehabilitation and return to play. This article focuses upon rotator cuff injuries and superior labrum lesions, treated nonoperatively and operatively. Return to play with these injuries depends upon many factors including upon the age of the patient, the severity of the pathology,the type of treatment rendered, and the expectations of the patient.