2009 INJURIES: TB's Pena done for the season (broken fingers)

[PrinceFielder28]

Man Dusty Baker kills another bright career!

[TooLiveBrew]

I don't know if it's Dusty's fault or not, but the Reds & their medical staff sure come off looking pretty clueless.

[joepepsi]

I don't know if you can blame Dusty this time. Between the minors and Texas in 2007 he pitched 178 innings. Last year with Dusty it was 196. He had three games in September when the pitch count was around 120( 117, 119, and 121 in consecutive Sept. starts--what were you playing for Dusty?!?!?) This year's pitch counts seemed reasonable.

[PeaveyFury]

Any team with good, young pitching that hires Baker is asking for trouble.

 

Especially when their training staff is also clueless, apparently.

[TheCrew07]

Wow too bad Volquez, I actually like him, even though he's in the division... so I guess in a round about way this is good for us. I echo what Peavey said, if you're going to build through your farm system managers like Dusty Baker should not be in your dugout. For all the grief I give the Brewer training staff for the way they've handled injuries the last 3 or 4 years, I'd be writing letter campaign furious with the way Cincy handled Volquez, he could be 6 weeks into his rehab already.

[TooLiveBrew]

But, his arm was "fine, big time'! ...

 

Seriously, if a physical therapist that didn't even examine Volquez could tell that was bunk, what on earth are the Reds doing paying their medical staff? I swear Neault will get hired by an organization at some point.

[TooLiveBrew]

Looks like the comments from Piniella & Zambrano were wishful thinking. Zambrano was placed on the DL today, retroactive to Aug. 2d.

 

At the time of the flare-up, Piniella said he expected Zambrano to make his next start (which would have been last night), and Big Z himself had dismissed any concerns: "It's nothing to worry about. It's just a tight back. I'll just have to treat it and get ready for my next start."

[TooLiveBrew]

Neault's take on Zambrano:

Carlos Zambrano was set to start Friday's game against the Rockies, but was scratched due to lingering back stiffness. It still doesn't look like this is a serious injury by any means, though it is worth monitoring, as back injuries can seem minuscule one minute, and then turn out to be a longer term ordeal. Based on Zambrano's comments about how it could have arisen due to sleeping the wrong way or by sleeping on a soft mattress at the hotel, it mainly sounds like a minor irritation of DJD/DDD (i.e. arthritis or normal degenerative changes), though this is purely speculative.

[TooLiveBrew]

It looks like Jose Reyes ' 2009 season is teetering on the brink of being over. He continues to have pain coming from the torn hamstring tendon, and a recent MRI showed significant scar tissue and inflammation in the area. He has not been able to sprint, and probably won't be able to any time soon

...

Ryan Dempster is pitching well after bouncing back from a right toe injury. He was able to return to the rotation just under four weeks from the injury date where he broke the right Great toe. Recent x-rays showed the bone had healed quite nicely, so there is virtually no chance of this becoming a problem again this season.

...

Speaking of toes, Scott Downs is back on the DL after aggravating his busted left big toe. With a little more than three weeks separating the toe injuries, you have to figure that the toe wasn't fully healed and that Downs simply rushed back. Now he is likely going to be out for 2-3 weeks.

[TooLiveBrew]

Justin Upton was sent to the 15-day DL with a mild oblique strain, but should be able to return at the minimum DL time. He has been having a true breakout year, and will only get better. It is scary how much better he is than his brother.

...

Nelson Cruz is trying to avoid being sent to the DL, but it seems likely that time on the DL may be necessary. A probable grade 2 ankle sprain will do the trick and usually sideline a player for at least two weeks, and usually longer. This guy plays all out and is a monster at the dish. It is a crime that I got him in the 11th round this year.

...

Torii Hunter should start a rehab assignment sometime early next week and be ready by their next series with Baltimore. The Angels outfielder was able to do some aggressive running today which is certainly a great sign. Manual muscle strength tests showed that there is still some guarding and weakness in the adductors, but it was not an overly poor grade. He should be set to activate late next week.

...

Lance Berkman was recently unable to jog without discomfort due to lingering pain in his left calf, which had been diagnosed as a grade 2 strain. That Berkman remains sore after running indicates that there is still some healing left to do. He will probably be out for most, if not all, of next week.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Is that 3 pitchers now on the DL in the Cubs rotation? Last time I checked, Dempster, Lily, and now Zambrano have all hit the DL. Perhaps the door has cracked open a bit for the Brewers to make a run at the division?

[TooLiveBrew]

Dempster made his first start returning from the DL on July 28th, so I think it's 'just' Lilly & Zambrano.

[Ennder]

Is that 3 pitchers now on the DL in the Cubs rotation? Last time I checked, Dempster, Lily, and now Zambrano have all hit the DL. Perhaps the door has cracked open a bit for the Brewers to make a run at the division?

Would be nice but it seems like this is the Cubs lucky year as every scrub they call up produces even though they have more or less no upside other than Fox.

[razzzorsharp]

I saw Aramis left with a shoulder injury, anything serious?

[Janelle Larson]

Is that 3 pitchers now on the DL in the Cubs rotation? Last time I checked, Dempster, Lily, and now Zambrano have all hit the DL. Perhaps the door has cracked open a bit for the Brewers to make a run at the division?

Would be nice but it seems like this is the Cubs lucky year as every scrub they call up produces even though they have more or less no upside other than Fox.

1) If the Cubs were lucky, they wouldn't have so many injuries.

2) Scales, Blanco, Freel, Hoffpauir, Baker, Samardzija, and Patton have all been terrible. .

[TooLiveBrew]

I saw Aramis left with a shoulder injury, anything serious?

 

From the Tribune's Hardball blog:

 

Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez left Saturday's game against the Rockies after five innings after his left shoulder developed soreness. Initial reports indicated it was not serious.

The shoulder is the same one that he dislocated in May, causing him to miss nearly two months. Ramirez has played nearly every day since his return on July 6.

Ramirez may have injured himself while swinging. He struck out all three times he batted Saturday.

Could be that this kind of soreness isn't out of the ordinary... or this could be a very, very bad sign for the Cubs.

[TooLiveBrew]

The DL Informer with more on Aramis Ramirez & others...

 

Aramis Ramirez is not going to play on Sunday after he finally succumbed to persisting left shoulder discomfort. He has been playing regularly since being activated from an extended stay on the DL. He dislocated his shoulder earlier this season and all along it has been figured that offseason surgery would be necessary to stabilize the joint further. With increased activity, the musculature surrounding the shoulder joint needs to work extra hard to approximate the ball and socket joint, and this alone can create soreness. It would not surprise me in the least to learn that he is placed back on the DL, with the hopes of returning in September for a playoff run. There really would be no point in having him undergo surgery at this time, so the Cubs will wait this out and see if a few days off helps to reduce the soreness before making a decision on the DL tag.

...

Roy Oswalt is aiming to return to the Astros rotation on Tuesday after being bothered by what was called a "lower back strain", but is actually a disc problem. The disc occasionally compresses on a nerve root, which is the cause of his left thigh pain he had felt. This is something that clearly will be a management issue going forward, but minor disc bulges can get better with conservative treatment, if given the appropriate exercise prescription. One thing we do know about Oswalt is that he is an overly fierce competitor, and there is always the possibility with him that he is pushing himself to return too early. His recent comments seem to smack of the "I'm fine" attitude. Said Oswalt, "I'm good. I'm ready to go. I could pitch today if I needed to." Let's see how he does with Sunday's bullpen session before declaring him ready to go for Tuesday. This is a situation that could go either way - successful and without pain, or a short start with residual symptoms.

...

Lance Berkman should be able to return by the Florida series. He has been doing some light exercise, but the most encouraging sign is that he has been able to jump rope. For someone with a calf strain, being able to load the foot and control body weight - repetitively and with frequency - is a good indicator that he is healing well despite some lingering tightness. Berkman has said that he's ready to go now, but the Astros have been wise to hold him back despite his pleas. Expect him back this week.

...

Brandon Webb had surgery on his right shoulder on August 3rd. For now, we aren't getting too many details on the exact nature of the surgery, though it was an arthroscopy that focused on wear and tear in the joint. The take-home message here is that a scope that focuses on "cleaning up the joint" is the best case scenario, and that no tissue had to be repaired - simply trimmed and shaved down some frayed edges (usually cartilage, some tendon fraying, and synovial irritation). Said manager A.J. Hinch, "They did a cleanup of his shoulder, didn't have to repair anything, and it sounds like it was good news for us.

...

Randy Johnson has a partial thickness tear in his left rotator cuff, and has not been throwing for a while now. If able to return, it wouldn't be until September. He has been on the DL since July 6, and is not going to throw for at least another week. If the Giants remain in contention for a playoff spot, you can bet that Johnson will make another start before season's end.

...

San Diego starting pitcher Chris Young is likely done for the year, as his right shoulder continues to bother him. The descriptor of "soreness" is vague and doesn't give us a lot to go on, but the fact that his rehab has taken this long and has been this unproductive leads me to believe that an offseason surgery could be on the horizon.

...

Ian Kinsler should be ready to come off the DL when activated on August 13th. He has been rehabbing a minor hamstring strain that he suffered while running the bases. Initially, it didn't look like an injury that would land him on the DL, but you know how these injuries roll.

...

Tim Wakefield is definitely missed right now in Beantown. The Red Sox rotation is struggling, outside of the two-headed monster of Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. They have fallen 5-1/2 games behind the AL East-leading Yankees, and with no apparent relief in sight, the return of Wakefield would be a welcome sight. Wakefield's back injury is clearly a chronic problem, as the atrophy and weakness of his left calf is a sign that the nerve compression in his lower back is significant. Luckily for Wakefield, his pitching motion requires little effort compared to more traditional deliveries, but he would still have to be able to field his position without risking injury to his calf, or to other body parts as a result of the weakness. It sounds like the Red Sox are expecting him back before Daisuke Matsuzaka, though nothing is etched in stone as far as a return date.

[TooLiveBrew]

The latest on Dave Bush:

 

 

Right-hander Dave Bush might not return to the Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation as soon as hoped.

 

After throwing breaking balls at close to maximum effort for the first time during this rehabilitation stint in a bullpen session Friday, Bush experienced some tightness in his forearm Saturday. Whether that sets him back was not certain.

 

"I wouldn't really call it a setback," said Bush, who already had one of those when his first rehabilitation stint was shut down after he experienced arm fatigue during a July 15 outing with Class AA Huntsville.

 

"It's just a little sore, a little tight. I threw breaking balls for the first time. Just like spring training, when you step it up a little, you get sore. I just want to knock out the soreness and make sure I'm OK before I go out and pitch anywhere."

 

There was hope that Bush would be ready to pitch on a minor-league assignment in the next few days, but he said that would depend on how he felt Sunday.

 

Asked if he thought Bush would be ready to pitch in a game soon, manager Ken Macha said, "I don't know. The disappointing part was that he went out on a rehab assignment in Appleton (with Class A Wisconsin) on July 10 and was fine. Since then, he has had an MRI and everything."

 

Then, referring to both Bush and Jeff Suppan (oblique strain), Macha said, "Progress with both those guys has been slow."

 

I posted this in the "Are the Brewers still 'in it'?" thread, but figured I might as well add it here, too. It concerns me a bit that the Brewers have designated Bush's injury as "arm fatigue", when they also reported finding a micro tear in his right triceps, just above the elbow. And at the moment, the soreness is in his forearm... I can definitely be a pessimist about injuries, but I don't like how this rehab situation has developed. I'll shoot an email to Neault at the DL Informer & see what he has to say.

[joepepsi]

I'm worried he'll be shut down for the season after a rehab start or two. I just hope he doesn't need TJ surgery...

[TooLiveBrew]

Well, with a tear in a muscle near the elbow, I guess forearm soreness after not throwing regularly at least 'adds up'. But yeah, I am concerned this situation will get worse before it gets better.

[bklynbrewcrew]

I really wonder if the Brewers training staff butchered this whole Dave Bush injury since they didnt discover any tears until Bush made several more starts after being hit by that line drive.

[jwaltz]

Jordan Zimmerman is going to have Tommy John surgery. This is a bummer. I became a fan of his when he was pitching for the Northwoods League's EC Express a few years ago.

[TooLiveBrew]

Not sure about other details, but Telly Hughes reported at the beginning of tonight's broadcast that Dave Bush said he felt "great" after another bullpen session, which I think he threw today (not certain). That's big news, and as long as he still feels good tomorrow, Telly said the Brewers plan on having him throw another BP session. And if they follow what was the plan before Bush had forearm soreness, that would mean scheduling one short (2 IP-ish, per Macha's comments) rehab start, then another slightly longer rehab start, and then a return to the bigs.

 

So we'll have to wait & see with this, but good news as of today.

[TooLiveBrew]

Timely response from Chris Neault of the DL Informer on my Dave Bush query:

 

I wouldn't concern yourself too much with the phrasing of the injury at this time. They can call it "arm fatigue" or "triceps strain" or "triceps tear" or "arm strain" or whatever they want...the fact is, a small tear in the triceps tendon could take a couple of months to heal on its own with rest.

 

In the area of the Triceps, there are not many ligaments because the stability in the posterior aspect of the elbow is mostly from bone articulation. A tear in the Triceps will lead to disuse, and this disuse will lead to weakness...hence the arm fatigue.

 

I think I have the date right -- that Bush got drilled June 4th @ FLA. So "a couple of months to heal" would put an early or mid-August return well within reason. Keeping my fingers crossed, Dave... best of luck.

[TooLiveBrew]

Bush looked pretty good. He didn't give up a hit, walked one and only had one hard hit ball in 3 innings

That's logan's short, short version (nod to the fellow Spaceballs fans out there) on how Bush looked tonight from seeing him firsthand in Appleton.

 

Regardless of how this season winds up, the Brewers definitely need a healthy & effective Dave Bush to return.