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August 3, 2005

Under The Knife

Looking for Leadership

by Will Carroll

Ryan Franklin isn't the name that Rafael Palmeiro is, but his suspension may be even more informative. Franklin let everyone know that his positive test, one of two, was taken back in May. This changes the timeline we had all thought was in place for suspensions under the new Joint Testing Program. That a player, be it a bad pitcher like Franklin or a player breaking a milestone like Palmeiro, is allowed to play for months while under a cloud of suspicion is troubling.

I understand that Don Fehr and Bud Selig are hamstrung by confidentiality rules in commenting specifically about any steroid violation. It doesn't stop me from wanting to see the leadership of baseball doing something that looks like, well, leadership. Congress stands to take control of this issue whether or not baseball does something and honestly, I don't know what baseball can do. I just hate seeing Selig throw up his hands once again, just as he did at the All-Star Game in 2002. This time, the stakes are much higher--the very soul of the game, as Howard Bryant has written. Don Fehr is just as culpable and capable of helping. Bud, Don...this time it counts.

Powered by the chance to be on "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" alongside two men I really respect--Alan Schwarz and Rick Collins--on to the injuries ...

• DRPU: The New York Times reported that Palmeiro tested positive for Winstrol. This is the same steroid that Jose Canseco said he used on Palmeiro in his book. There are few products that could cause a cross-indication of Winstrol in the system, putting more of a burden on Palmeiro's defense that he doesn't know how it got into his system. Sources tell me that further developments in the case should come public in the next 48 hours. For those of you that have jokingly asked me about the use of Viagra by bodybuilders, don't laugh. Viagra is a nitric oxide enhancer and some advanced researchers in the anabolics field have discussed the use of Viagra in muscle recovery.

• The injury was played over and over on TBS Tuesday, and with each replay I saw, there was something different to see. It was a great job by the production crew on the Braves telecast to show so many angles on a play that could put such a damper on the team's hopes. Chipper Jones dove to his left for a grounder and jammed his shoulder hard into the ground. My immediate thought--and that of another medhead in attendance at the game--was that Jones had separated his shoulder. Reports from the Braves have called this a posterior rotator cuff strain, but watch for further imaging to check for internal damage, including an AC separation, labrum and capsular injuries. The Braves have been very conservative with the DL, allowing their players every opportunity to return without hitting the list. Jones' pain and range of motion will determine his return date, but this could be a situation very similar to Scott Rolen's.

• ESPN is reporting that Torii Hunter has torn tendons as well as a fracture. The Twins are officially denying this. While I can't definitively clear this up, I think I can clarify it a bit. When Hunter's cleats caught in the padding at Fenway, his foot clearly everted, testing the strong tendons on the inside of the ankle/foot. Given that mechanism, it's likely that he has at least a mild sprain, which by definition is tearing of ligaments. The report may have confused the mild tearing of ligaments in the sprain with early reports of a torn tendon. Team officials, including Dr. John Steubs, dispute the report. Steubs, it should be noted, stated that the foot inverted, rather than everted, contradicting the video. Either way, Hunter is done for the season.

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