Prospect Injuries -- Latest: A Caleb Gindl Update

[DaddysgirlIN82]

In hearing about prospect Taylor Green's injury today, I was reminded about Mat Gamel's injury and his chances of making the team out of spring training. Does anyone know his status? I thought tendonitis was a quick fix with rest and building the muscle around the tendon. Did Gamel end up playing any winter ball at all? I was under the impression that his improvement this past year on defense was due to his hard work in the off season and Don Money. Why wouldn't he have played winter ball? Although I have to note that at Brewers on Deck he did seem to look a little more bulked up.

[ecjimg]

Taylor really hurt his wrist playin the USA vs. Canada game at the Riverside Theatres Uecker's warm up!

[CheezWizHed]

Welcome Daddysgirl.

 

I doubt Gamel will start with the team out of ST. I would expect the Brewers to call him up in May/June at the earliest, similar to what they did with Braun.

 

I haven't heard anymore about his injury, but it didn't sound too serious.

 

ecjimg - Any links or more info on Green's injury?

 

FYI, this should probably be moved to the Minor Leagues section.

[Mass Haas]

Adam McCalvy:

 

RHP Alex Periard, 21, was unable to participate in his first big league camp because of lingering shoulder tightness that began in October during the Arizona Fall League. Club medical officials are convinced that the injury is not more serious, and they have not yet ordered an MRI scan.

 

Let's see, October, lingering, but no MRI. Why, Brewers, why?

[lexi881]

Mat rehabbed his elbow with a physical therapist this off-season. It feels much better. He does have a shoulder impingement that is being treated with anti-inflamatories. Thus far, the treatment has helped. He was unable to play winter ball due to his elbow.

[wvpowerblkwel]

Thanks for the update Lexi! I know I for one can't wait to see Mat get that big league call...here's hoping for quick, full recovery!!

[lexi881]

Thanks - we cant wait either. He has been sidelined the past two days for "the flu". He did hit BP, but was sent home/back to the hotel after that because they did not want him in the close quarters of the locker room & dugout around the other players. They are treating the symptoms with medication.

 

Today is a big day for him and Julianne, his fiance. They are at the hospital (in Jax) for the birth of their daughter, Audrey. Mat flew in late last night. Hopefully he is feeling better when he gets back to AZ on Monday.

[craigharmann]

Lexi, it's obvious you know Mat. Are you related to him or just friends or what?

[pogokat]

Lexi is Mat's sister...

 

Thanks for the updates as always...congratulate him (and her, of course) for all of us!

[And That]

Tell Mat to stop naming his children after my children.

[DHonks]

lexi, congrats to Mat and his growing family. And congrats on being an aunt

[Brian the Automator]

Congrats from the "Automator" household to Mat as well. I'm sure his first kid will be a great joy and a great challenge.

[lexi881]

Yes - I am the sister and thank you for all the well wishes. I will certainly pass them along. Julianne and Audrey are both healthy and happy at home now. Mat heads back to AZ this afternoon, and seems to be feeling better.

[Mass Haas]

Adam McCalvy's blog has been a welcome addition for news, but this latest entry is sad:

 

LHP Prospect Brae Wright to undergo Tommy John surgery

 

Good luck to Brae, long road back, unfortunately.

[Never Outhustled]

That is disappointing. I posting a few times last year about Wright's strong 2nd half stats, including an increased K rate. While he was still a longshot, he put himself on the radar. Sometimes pitchers return from TJ surgury with increased velocity, like Amaury Rivas did last year, and maybe Wright can do the same. With hard work, he could turn this negative into a positive. His timetable should allow him to hit the ground running in 2010.

[twobrewers]

I feel bad for athletes.

 

The truth is, being lazy holds 99% of the world back from accomplishing their goals in life. To come so close to your dream, only to have factors that are almost 100% out of your control (Injuries) prevent you from reaching your dream...

 

Man. That just must suck.

[Mass Haas]

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com with injury updates on Omar Aguilar and Alex Periard.

 

The oblique strikes again (Aguilar) and we haven't had good feelings about Periard's shoulder all spring.

 

A tiny pat on the back to Brewerfan http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif -- we pointed out Aguilar's week-long absence to Adam (since a five-pitch no-out stint last Saturday), so he pursued it with Gord Ash.

[battlekow]

Periard may require exploratory surgery.

Uh oh.

[TheCrew07]

I'm too irritated to comment rationally.

[berniebrewer4life]

Periard may require exploratory surgery.

 

A phrase that has haunted us here at brewerfan for many a great prospect.

[Never Outhustled]

Cortisone shots actually do help. It just got TGJ back on the field.

[TheCrew07]

Cortisone shots actually do help. It just got TGJ back on the field.

For position players, where there's no structural damage to the shoulder... Chronic pain over 6 months isn't tendonitis, it's something much more serious, and sometimes an impingement isn't a minor injury turns out to be a bone spur or rotator cuff injury that needs to be surgically repaired.

 

To me this looks like another waiting game for nothing... if rest and rehabilitation is going to do the trick, results are seen over a period of weeks, not months. I realize that shoulder and wrist injuries can be very difficult to diagnose, which is why the lack of the MRIs is particularly disturbing to me. There's no recovery time for an MRI, and if there's nothing found then it makes sense to go ahead and do exploratory surgery, but why not do both as soon as possible to get the athlete into recovery as soon as possible? Why wouldn't the Brewers want their athletes to begin rehab over the winter or as close to the original injury date as possible? What logical explanation is there for sitting on an injury for 6 months?

[wvpowerblkwel]

I just want to know one question....what does an MRI cost? I have seen multiple young pitchers pass through Charleston, who eventually had surgeries (Braddock, Bryson and now Periard), all of whom seemed extremely promising, but the Crew would not authorize MRI's for for a very long period of time. I just don't get it! Two years ago Braddock was the strikeout man of all minor league baseball on a k/9 IP standpoint, and he had arm issues, and didn't actually see any MRI or surgery for 2 years. Someone just explain why the silly MRI's are so dreaded by the big team? Does that make a prospect "damaged goods" on the trading front if they go that route?

[TheCrew07]

They aren't cheap.. when I had mine on my knee it was very expensive, MRIs were the latest and greatest thing at the time (1993). The cost has come down, it depends largely on where and whom... I've seen between $1200-$2000 dollars per when I was looking at them last fall, I'll shoot our trainer an email and find out about what it costs in North East WI.

 

I will say that I believe an MRI is peanuts in comparison to how valuable young, producing MLB players are. Again I don't believe the team is intentionally devaluing their assets, I just don't understand why they aren't more proactively protecting their investments.

 

edit. fixed shoddy grammar

 

edit 2. I'm so dumb I totally forgot my father had an MRI done on his shoulder 2 weeks ago, he's going to look at the bill and let me know.

[pogokat]

I had one on my wrist in september---it was $497

 

an impingement is rarely serious...but can take lots of time to get over