The injury to Mike Sweeney has a number of subplots (“Mr. Ken Harvey, where were you when Sweeney was injured?”). The news from Brian Jordan’s MRI was good laced with a bit of bad. Matt Morris is having obvious problems with his shoulder. And the Indians are close to calling up Cliff Lee. Will Carroll cycles through the latest injuries in Under The Knife.
Roy Oswalt is making a point of shoving his doubters noses in his return. Randy Johnson remains on track for his July 17th return after having a successful side session. The fracture news isn’t as good for Nick Johnson. Kent Mercker has gone through more than almost any baseball player in recent memory, from a torn hand to a cerebral hemorrhage.
Matt Mantei is nearing his return to the mound–and his next appearance in UTK. Fred McGriff goes on the DL for the first time in his career. Melvin Mora’s off-the-charts season hits a snag. These and other injury updates in today’s Under The Knife by Will Carroll.
A year and a day after Darryl Kile’s death, Will Carroll wonders if MLB has learned any lessons from the tragedy.
Billy Koch said that his current “dead arm” period is forcing him to learn to pitch. I guess if I had high-90s heat, I might be inclined to just try and throw it by everyone, but somewhere–perhaps after Tommy John surgery or when he was with Rick Peterson–shouldn’t he have learned just a little bit about pitching? Changing speeds and hitting spots is a good thing, even with that heater in your arsenal. Most pitchers would love to have a live arm that was in the 92 range, let alone a dead one at those velocities.
The Expos have been very encouraged by reports surrounding the rehab of Vlad Guerrero. It’s pretty clear at this point that Guerrero will avoid surgery in the near term, but as he transitions from physical therapy to baseball activities over the next week, his ability to remain healthy will come into question.
Jeff Kent had a cortisone injection in his left wrist to try and control some “raging tendinitis.” This problem is nothing along the lines of those experienced by Nick Johnson or Travis Hafner, but wrist problems do have a tendency to heal slowly and fitfully. This injury could rob Kent of some power, at least in the short term, and the DL is not out of the question.
I’m not sure how to report the injuries to Paul Wilson because I don’t know who said what or how the tension built to the point where Kyle Farnsworth form-tackled Wilson and proceeded to drop a beatdown unlike most baseball fights I’ve ever seen. Wilson, for one, owes Damian Miller a six-pack for covering him and keeping a couple more Farnsy haymakers from landing. I’m sure suspensions will be forthcoming, but this fight–in more ways than one–hurt the Reds much more than the Cubs.
It’s an odd injury to Alex Rodriguez, who is nearly as durable as his hero, Cal Ripken. From the tape, I can’t tell if he just dropped his glove early or was making something of a deke tag, but either way, the throw down on the steal attempt whacked Alex squarely in his nose. He was dazed and bloodied, leaving the game early, but there’s no word on if he’ll miss any time. With injuries like this, it will be based on his awareness level and pain tolerance. I’d expect him to miss a game or two, but nothing serious.
A groin injury has put yet another Yanks reliever on the shelf. Antonio Osuna’s injury is not considered serious, but an already thin bullpen might push Frankensteinbrenner to do something, well, rash. The mind can’t really wrap itself around the possibilities in such a thin trade market, but I keep hearing that Jeff Weaver is suddenly available.
Will Carroll offers the latest injury news on Vladimir Guerrero, Matt Morris, and Seth McClung in today’s edition of Under The Knife.
There are days when I wonder why I didn’t call this column Under The Needle or something similar. The reason for this is steroids; it seems that no matter what the topic is or where I am, when people talk baseball with me, they’ll bring the conversation back to steroids, and likely to Barry Bonds. Sure, I opened myself to this with my offer to help Barry get tested (which was politely declined by the MLBPA) last year after Bonds said that he wanted to be tested. Why did I offer? I wanted to make a point much different that the Rick Reillys of the world.
I am reasonably sure that Bonds would have passed.
Completely sure? No. Heck, I could have had something in my meatless chicken patty tonight that would trip the light on a urinalysis. The steroid issue is clouded by a couple issues–it’s easier to say ‘steroids’ than Beta-2 agonists or chorionic gonadotrphin, and it’s simpler to explain changes. Ignore new bats, new ballparks, better techniques, dietitans, personal trainers, video breakdowns, and a year-round focus, but blame some drug that’s been lapped by the field. Easy, but wrong.
It hasn’t yet gotten to this point yet, but it might make the Reds and their fans feel better. In Monday’s game with the Cubs, Ken Griffey Jr. reached up to wave at the home run that put the Reds down and banged into the wall. For most players, the move to rub his shoulder would be a non-item, but this is Griffey–at one time one of the best players in baseball, and now the hope of a proud franchise. Griffey is OK, no more or less sore than any other player who ran into a wall, hoping to find a way to help his team with a miracle catch.
There’s nothing I like seeing like an old-fashioned pitching duel. Good pitching should not be “old-fashioned,” it should be a part of many ballgames–poor pitching should be the exception. But in today’s game, 1-0 contests are few and far between. Monday’s Mets/Marlins game didn’t really have the makings of a great game, but I dialed it up on TiVo and watched for signs of Tom Glavine’s poor health. I got none of those expected signs. Apparently, Glavine’s elbow has responded extremely well to treatment and he was very effective. If Glavine can come back from this start and make one more solid one, I’ll have to back off–slightly–on my doomed predictions of impending implosion.
Are we sure that Friday the 13th didn’t come early this year? The Yankees are melting down, Steve Phillips was shown the gate, a no-hitter falls from the sky, and I can’t get guests for BPR. In the end, everything will be OK. I think. Maybe. If nothing else, it was a great night out at the ballpark in Indy and, as always, we still have injuries…
While the Cardinals have fallen apart around him, Matt Morris (aside from that annoying ligament replacement a couple years ago) has been the one rock of consistency. Any injury to an ace, let alone a shoulder problem, would not just be a crushing blow for the Cardinals, it would have been the crushing blow. Morris is having a muscular problem–probably centered on his subscapularis, which is part of the rotator cuff. While not considered serious, the Cards will need to be cautious with any concern surrounding Morris. Looking back at his velocity data, it appears it may have been affecting him in at least his last start.
The serious rehab for Vladimir Guerrero’s herniated disc began this week. He’ll be ready in about six, but early reports say that Guerrero is working extra hard and his great physical condition could change that timeline rapidly. Of course, I’ll be watching this one closely.
It’s not quite a Phil Nevin thing, in that you’ll have to take my word for it, but earlier today I was reading this article where Roy Oswalt was discussing his new adjustment to his pitching motion, a slight turn of his right (push) foot. My immediate thought was “Angle? Man, he’s going to hurt himself.” I won’t try to explain the mechanics of it in this short space, but stand up and try it yourself. Push off an invisible rubber with your foot both parallel and at an angle. Make sure you drive your leg and get a good hip rotation. Feel that? Yeah, so did Oswalt.
No determination has been made, but comments Oswalt made after the game seem to indicate that he’s headed back to the DL. Remember that red light? This clearly wasn’t what I was expecting, but longer term, the groin injury could take some of the stress off his arm. The Astros obviously have a great bullpen, but with their ace down again, that bullpen and the back of the rotation will be taxed. The extra workload could be a big factor in September.
While the Mariners are certainly one of the more creative teams when it comes to dealing with the DL, this latest tale surrounding Kaz Sasaki is perhaps too strange to be anything but true. If the suitcase story holds, then Sasaki should miss near the minimum. If not, and this is some cover for the back injury–or shoulder injury that many think Sasaki is dealing with–then it’s all up in the air. As in his last stint, we’ll know nothing from the normal channels on how to assess this.
Some have noted that Mike Mussina appears to be running into trouble in the fifth or sixth innings and have asked if the Velocity Project is showing anything. The answer is no. It appears more that as he begins to tire, he throws more strikes and becomes more hittable. More hittable is bad, no matter what theory you believe in. Is it an indicator of an injury? No, I don’t think so. I’m less sure that it’s not simple aging. Ask me the same question about Al Leiter and you’ll get a similar answer.
After noticing a lack of muscle tone and getting Ellis Burks to admit to both pain and numbness in his hand, a series of tests were run to try and find a cause. It turns out that his ulnar nerve was impinged and caused all the problems. It will likely need to be surgically released and could cost Burks a good portion of the remaining season. With his career near its last legs, this trip to the DL could be the one that leads off into the sunset. The Indians brought up another piece of the future, Coco Crisp, to replace Burks. Some combination of Crisp, Jody Gerut, and Milton Bradley would be one heck of a young outfield.
If you thought Jermaine Dye still didn’t look right, you’re right. His knee is still acting up and needed draining tonight between BP and the game. It’s the legs that drain power when they’re injured, so don’t expect Dye to look like the masher he has been until he fully recovers the strength in his legs. Even with that bad wheel, Dye was able to make some nice defensive plays behind Tim Hudson.
The Cardinals summoned Jason Isringhausen from his rehab assignment to Boston on Monday. While the assumption is that he will be activated and available when they resume play in Fenway on Tuesday, the Cardinals aren’t yet committing to the move. By the time you read this, the Cardinals will have made the move, but waiting and evaluating is the smart thing to do in this case. The usage patterns of Isringhausen will remain an open question even after he is activated. I remain unconvinced that Izzy is anything more than an injury time bomb, waiting to explode inside an unsuspecting bullpen.
While A.J. Burnett sits and waits for his elbow to heal enough to just play catch again, Josh Beckett is hoping to avoid the same fate. The Marlins appear to be cautious with the comeback of their young potential ace, but if you try and figure out what the Marlins have in mind, you’ll often find yourself grabbing nothing but smoke. Beckett was back on a mound for the first time, throwing occasional breaking balls in a 50-pitch workout. (Odd how the Marlins learn to count during rehabilitation work.) Beckett remains on target for a July 1 return, but the caution could push him back to the All-Star break or further.
Mike Hampton’s injured groin will only cause one missed start for him. For the Braves, the interleague schedule and the extra off days should help Cox and Mazzone juggle the rotation without taxing the staff. Hampton will likely be back on the mound by the weekend.
The good news is that Hee Seop Choi will be OK and shouldn’t have any lasting effects from his concussion Saturday. It’s a scary sight for people to see someone unconscious and “locked” as Choi was after his head whipped into the hard Wrigley dirt. After being unconscious for more than two minutes, being taken off with all precautions, and following each step the situation called for, including a night in the hospital, Choi should return in about two weeks, no worse for the wear. Concussions are an interesting beast and everyone will react differently, but it is not a football-type situation where Choi is a recurrence risk. He has as much chance of falling and hitting his head like that as you or I do–probably less. Several sources are pointing to insurance as the reason for the DL posting and this is quite likely the case. The treatment of Choi was textbook concussion management and there’s no reason that should stop when Choi left the field of play and entered the field of lawyers and actuaries. If nothing else, this is a great showcase for David Kelton…and one that could finally lead to a trade for the Cubs.
Joe Sheehan’s analysis of Joe Garagiola Jr.’s trade history included a challenge to keep an open mind. I’m trying to, especially in the case of the acquisition of Shea Hillenbrand. No trade should be analyzed by any one measure. By my favorite measure, MLVr, the Diamondbacks made out like bandits. By injury analysis, Hillenbrand’s oblique injury would cloud things, but Kim’s earlier DL stint would be ignored since it was a freak, traumatic occurrence. Trades probably can’t even be analyzed properly for three years or more, but their very nature demands that they be dissected in every column, blog, and toilet stall from Roxbury to Mesa. All we can tell in this moment is that the severity of Hillenbrand’s injury won’t decide the fate of the 2003 season for the Diamondbacks. That fate was probably sealed long ago.
There are open questions about Randy Johnson, and Friday’s UTK seems to have opened quite the can of worms surrounding the reigning Cy Young Award winner. As I reported, Johnson is having a series of injections to lubricate his knee and replace the missing cushion and lubrication that should naturally be there. The substance, Synvisc, is administered in a series of three injections, with the first performed Friday, the next scheduled on Tuesday and the final probably the next Friday. There are whispers coming from multiple sources that the Synvisc injections aren’t the solution, but merely a stopgap measure to try and get Johnson through the season. The underlying problem is rumored to be an osteochondral defect and the normal therapy for that is a microfracture surgery or reconfiguration of the bone through an osteotomy.
The problem is similar to that of Mo Vaughn, but a better recent comp is Marvin Benard. Benard had microfracture surgery, took about four months to get back into competitive shape, and has had some setbacks along the way. If Johnson can be babied through to the end of the season, he could have the more extensive surgery in the off-season. Still, despite the best efforts of a good Arizona medical staff, Johnson’s knee could flare up under the unusual stresses placed on the plant leg of a power pitcher. There’s nothing to say that the Unit can’t do it, but if you’re looking at risks, Johnson’s red light just started flashing.
In addition to the pitching problems, the Diamondbacks are placing David Dellucci on the DL after a concussion. The move is termed precautionary and was done more to add a body to the roster while Dellucci fully recovers than concern that he will take longer than expected to recover. Curt Schilling, Craig Counsell, Matt Mantei and Mike Koplove are some of the other key Diamondbacks on the DL for various lengths of time. It’s not just at the major league level either–they’re dropping like flies at the Triple-A level too. Remember that the arms still there, the ones not forced up to the majors by injury, are likely facing a heavier workload and more stress than expected.
The news on Vladimir Guerrero gets worse. The herniated L4/L5 disc is causing not only the painful immobility of his trunk and weakness and radiating pain to his legs, but there is some concern that there may be some stenosis associated with this problem. While the diagnosis of stenosis may not alter the timetable or protocol significantly, it does make it much more likely that Guerrero will be forced to undergo surgery at some point in the future. Guerrero’s response to epidural injections is now crucial. He’ll likely have at least two and perhaps three in hopes that surgery can be avoided. While the injury is comparable to that suffered by Ivan Rodriguez last season, the stenotic element makes this more concerning from a long-term perspective.
The Expos got about the worst possible news Thursday, regarding Vladimir Guerrero. Early thought that his back pain was the result of the hard turf in Montreal and would clear up once he got to grass turned out to be incorrect. An MRI showed a mildly bulging, herniated disk but significant nerve impingement. The likely course of action is a DL stint and epidural injections to control the inflamed disk and attempt to reduce the impingement. This is a relatively easy injury to come back from in a matter of weeks, if not too severe. But reports on the severity of Vlad’s injury have varied. The Montreal Gazette reports that “Guerrero probably will be sidelined for an extended period of time.” Vlad will likely see renowned spine surgeon Robert Watkins for a second opinion. The loss of their superstar not only hurts the Expos on the field, but also reduces the potential trade value for Vlad.
There’s been some confusion regarding Randy Johnson, but I spoke to team sources yesterday afternoon and got a bit more clarity on the situation. Johnson and the staff are discussing using Synvisc, an artificial lubricant, in his knee, but this is more a long-term solution. Johnson fully intends to pitch for several more years and does not want to undergo a series of “scrape and tape” knee scopes or have the same type of arthritic degeneration seen in other players. The Synvisc injections should not affect his injury timetable.
Tom Glavine went only one inning yesterday with uncharacteristic wildness. Leaving the game after 54 pitches, Glavine reported “severe stiffness” in his pitching elbow. Reader Greg Sigountos wrote in to let me know that Glavine said in a postgame interview that the problem was caused by adjustments he made as a result of his recent blister. Look–cascading! Since loss of command often is a sign of UCL problems, this bears watching and any injury would be just another nail in the coffin for Steve Phillips.