Hart to have knee surgery (Reply #88: Had surgery 1/25)

[fondybrewfan]

So Hart is seeking a 2nd opinion; his surgery was supposed to be today. Hopefully that May return date doesn't turn into June or July because his surgery is delayed or even worse he tries to let it heal on its own and it doesn't.

[hawing]

JSOnline blog link

 

I suppose getting a second opinion is prudent (personally if not team-wise), and certainly is his right. I hope Corey didn't wait until he was at a hospital this morning to say, "you know what?..."

[CheezWizHed]

[sarcasm]Great! Now he is sandbagging on having the surgery![/sarcasm]

[Oxy]

So Hart is seeking a 2nd opinion; his surgery was supposed to be today. Hopefully that May return date doesn't turn into June or July because his surgery is delayed or even worse he tries to let it heal on its own and it doesn't.

 

The MRI revealed a "defect" in the knee, whatever that means, and some issues with his meniscus. I love getting a second opinion here, as this kind of sound like an issue that is about pain and discomfort more than anything. If it doesn't hurt that bad, and he wants to play, let him play. He plays first base and doesn't need to be a threat on the basepaths, so as long as his swing isn't affected (Big IF), he doesn't need his legs much anyway. I'd rather have him for the full season and take the late innings off and/or an extra day off every now and then rather then miss more than a month of the season and STILL not be comfortable on the knee. It's not like everything is necessarily going to feel perfect after he comes back from surgery anyway, so if it doesn't feel too bad let him play.

[Funketown]

[sarcasm]Great! Now he is sandbagging on having the surgery![/sarcasm]

 

Yeah, he probably just hates playing in the dreariness of a Midwestern spring. I mean, it's not like he has any reason to give a good effort with his contract expiring next offseason.

[Patrick425]

"We sent the MRI to Dr. Steadman. We don't know if it needs to be followed up with a personal visit."

 

Cory, you are a MLB ballplayer, you have a little money. Just get on a plane and go see the guy (I don't know? Maybe the Brewers even need to pay for this?). Why wait to see if the Dr. calls back and says "I need to see you"? I don't mind him getting a second opinion, but why didn't he get it right away? So if the second opinion confirms the first, is it going to be another 5-7 days before the surgery? tick...tock...tick...tock...tick..tock.

 

By the way...is Dr. Steadman's first name Mitch? That would be awesome.

[Raw Biz]

By the way...is Dr. Steadman's first name Mitch? That would be awesome.

 

Not sure who Mitch is but Chet would be sweet.

[Patrick425]

By the way...is Dr. Steadman's first name Mitch? That would be awesome.

 

Not sure who Mitch is but Chet would be sweet.

 

 

Yes..you are correct. I meant Chet, but I think I had Mitch Stetter in my head.

[reillymcshane]

[sarcasm]Great! Now he is sandbagging on having the surgery![/sarcasm]

Awesome.

[reillymcshane]

So Hart is seeking a 2nd opinion; his surgery was supposed to be today. Hopefully that May return date doesn't turn into June or July because his surgery is delayed or even worse he tries to let it heal on its own and it doesn't.

Corey's seeing this guy today.

 

http://www.designlessbetter.com/blogless/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/dr-nick.gif

[RockCoCougars]

Though I have my doubts that Corey would be doing this due diligence if it wasn't a contract year, it's tough to blame him.

[djoctagone]

what's the earliest date in spring training that a player can be backdated to for the disabled list?

 

i'm trying to determine if the brewers could put hart on the 60-day disabled list to open up a 40-man spot.

 

I believe it's 10 days. I don't see them going that route though, because he could recover quicker than expected like last year. Wouldn't want to have him sitting out longer than needed.

with hart expected to miss all of april and may as reported, and with the need to have some time on a minor league rehab assignment (to serve as his spring training), an assignment to the 60-day disabled list backdated into spring training could make sense to open up a roster spot.

 

of course, a team can always transfer a player on the 15-day dl to the 60 day . . . but he remains on the 40-man until that time of transfer.

[hawing]

I don't know when the second opinion was made, but Corey had the surgery Friday morning. So I guess the second opinion agreed with the first.

 

Thus begins the ca. four-month recovery clock. Boom.

[KCBrewerfan34]

I can't believe this is going to take 4 months.

[PrinceEatMeat]

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/3875/corey-hart

 

Looks like Hart is already ahead of schedule. No surprise. He's a fast healer, as he's proven before.

[Invader3K]

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/3875/corey-hart

 

Looks like Hart is already ahead of schedule. No surprise. He's a fast healer, as he's proven before.

 

Well that's definitely good news. I guess he's not "sand bagging it."

[TooLiveBrew]

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/3875/corey-hart

 

Looks like Hart is already ahead of schedule. No surprise. He's a fast healer, as he's proven before.

 

Well that's definitely good news. I guess he's not "sand bagging it."

Trick's on you -- this is the long play. He's healing quickly so he'll have time to re-aggravate the injury & require a second surgery... enabling him to miss ST entirely!

[monty57]

Trick's on you -- this is the long play. He's healing quickly so he'll have time to re-aggravate the injury & require a second surgery... enabling him to miss ST entirely!

 

I know you were just joking, but the article says he feels he's on schedule to return the end of April, so he'll still miss a month. But, that is good news. The sooner Hart's back, the better for the Brewers.

[MNBrew]

Since the prospect of Hart missing April & May was causing the Brewers to look at the likes of Juan Rivera & Lyle Overbay, I'm hoping this notion of him just missing April means they're less likely to feel the need to go out & get a "blah" fringe-type outsider who'd possibly endear himself and be kept past Hart's return & therefore stand a greater chance of keeping a Green or whomever -- a more long-term "piece" -- off the 25-man.

[djoctagone]

good news today on hart.

 

the brewers need to do a hart bobblehead with crutches, and when his head starts to bobble, the crutches fall away to the ground.

[monty57]

From Adam McCalvy on milwaukeebrewers.com:

 

Hart's knee had been an issue throughout all of 2012, beginning in Spring Training when he underwent surgery for two meniscal tears, and continuing early in the season when he banged the knee against the wall at Miller Park while attempting a sliding catch. Hart played through swelling in the joint all season, then rested in October and November while waiting for another injury -- painful plantar fascia in his right foot -- to heal.

 

When he tried to ramp up his training in December, Hart's right knee began to act up. Raasch, the Brewers' head physician, recommended a surgery to repair a smaller meniscal tear and debride the joint surface, and told Hart he'd be sidelined three to four months.

 

But that procedure was delayed a few days while Hart exercised his right to a second opinion from Dr. Richard Steadman, a Vail, Colo.-based specialist considered one of the world's foremost knee experts. Steadman recommended a much more invasive microfracture surgery.

 

"He said I was out for the year," Hart said. "I was like, 'That is not going to happen.'"

 

But over the next few days, Hart said, Steadman and Raasch conferred and opted for the original procedure. Afterward, the Brewers projected a four-month rehab.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I'd be very wary of inking Hart to a multi-year deal. Does anyone else think that if this wasn't a contract year, he would've taken the "invasive microfracture surgery" that would've probably done more to repair the knee, but would've kept him out all season?

 

His trade value is shot, so let him play out the season, and then see how the knee is and how Gamel and Morris look before deciding whether to make a qualifying offer.

[TooLiveBrew]

Another case of Melvin not being proactive in capitalizing on a player's value... just unfortunately one of his calling cards as a GM. Whatever the over/under is on Hart's games played will be for '13, at this point I'd probably take the under. Nothing in that excerpt sounded good.

[logan82]

Didn't sound good for next year either. Sounds like an ongoing thing.

[paul253]

Couldn't agree more TBL. I believe he also blew a chance to trade John Axford when his value was sky high.

 

I am not sure if a trade of Hart would have even held up if it did happen but it seems like this is a result of the Brewers not being able to come to a decision on him. It's like Melvin couldn't decide if he wanted to trade him, keep him for the year, or extend him and in the meantime this happens.

 

I think a scenario in which Hart walks for nothing is very plausible right now. I wonder if his status as a pending free agent affected his decision on which procedure to have because obviously as a pending free agent missing the entire season will cost you millions of dollars. So now he has this other procedure and you have to wonder if it will really solve the issue once and for all or if it is just bandage and another injury is inevitable.

[TooLiveBrew]

Yes, this is a pessimistic view... but I could easily see the Hart scenario playing out with him being injured & missing the end of the '13 season, therefore crippling his FA value, and leaving the Brewers in a bad position where if they made a QO, he might accept (instead of the org. being able to recoup a comp. pick for him leaving in FA). Melvin handled this situation so poorly; it's just painful.