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Beltran Out for Months Following (Possible) Microfracture

Thursday, January 14, 2010

So much for having merely a bone bruise.

It looks like Carlos Beltran made a wise choice in going back to his own Doctor - Dr. Richard Steadman - as it turns out he had a good bit of Osteoarthritis in his right knee. He had arthroscopic (Updated: 1/18/10; either Chondroplasty or Microfracture) surgery on Wednesday, which means that at the very earliest, Beltran would not return to the Mets until April. In all likelihood, May or June seems to be a more reasonable scenario.

Whenever you are dealing with articular cartilage (the hard, end plate cartilage that bears weight), all bets are off. There are many factors to consider with this recovery, regardless of the procedure: location/size/depth of cartilage damage, chronicity of the injury, individual’s pain tolerance/perception of pain, health factors, previous strength level, training, etc.

Plagued by knee pain over the recent years, Beltran has contributed heavily to many fantasy baseball teams. However, the past three years have shown a decline in power numbers (ISO, SLG%, HR/FB ratio), as well as a propensity towards the ground ball, as noted by an increase in GB%. Interestingly, his stolen base totals have still been pretty darn solid.

Look for that to change this year, as it would not surprise me at all to see Beltran dip under the 10 SB mark. I am avoiding him in all leagues this year, except for NL only leagues with DL spots available.

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DL Informer Update

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I would like to thank everyone who visited the site this past season, and for those of you who have mentioned the site on their respective websites, blogs, and message boards. Our traffic this season was nearly triple what it was in 2008, and with your dedication and help, it was made possible.

The future of DL Informer is largely unknown at this time, mainly because my life has become so busy in recent months (hence the complete lack of posts towards the end of the season). I also found it difficult to juggle my many responsibilites outside of writing for this site, in combination with staying abreast of the seemingly constant updates and happenings around baseball as they pertain to injuries.

I am going to take the "offseason" to decide what to do in 2010. I may decide to close it down, but I really would like to keep it going in some way, shape, or form. The reality is that the time spent researching and staying informed, as well as coming up with thoughtful, concise, and accurate reports and analysis is very consuming.

I am thankful for our sponsors this season, with BetUS.com and Vividseats.com being our two main advertising parties. They have been great to work with, and I look forward to working with them throughout the 2010 season as well, if we continue to find that DL Informer is a valued site to the fantasy baseball legion.

In the meanwhile, if you would like to support DL Informer and show your support for our efforts to keep us up and running, please use this link to our PayPal donation center . Any amount would be appreciated. I am trying to raise $200-$300 this offseason in order to cover some of our costs, so any amount we would be greatly thankful for!

I will be updating the site periodically during the winter months, so check back often to see what’s up!

Chris

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Brandon Phillips has Hairline Fracture of Wrist

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Cincinnati Reds second baseman, Brandon Phillips , continues to play after missing some time following a hit-by-pitch on August 15. He was initially diagnosed with a deep bone bruise in his left wrist, but apparently it was a hairline fracture. Back in May, he also had a slight hairline fracture in his left thumb that he opted to play through as well. This is nothing that will require surgery or lengthy time on the DL, and is largely up to Phillips based on how he feels. You can think of this tiny hairline fracture almost like a bone bruise - something that can hurt an awful lot, and can continue to linger for weeks on end if not allowed some rest. If the pain worsens, the Reds management should just force his hand and shut him down, but if he can tolerate it, there’s no reason to bench him. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what happens when Phillips faces J.D. Martin again next year.

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Santana’s Surgery Has Some Good News; Other Mets Injuries

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Johan Santana underwent successful surgery today, having multiple bone fragments removed from his ailing pitching elbow. With no signs of ligament or tendon damage, this is certainly a best case scenario for owners in keeper leagues who wish to hold onto Santana for next year. The removal of bone fragments will allow for a more mobile joint with less painful motion, though there is some chance that this type of trauma happens again in the future - though not likely to be next season.

David Wright was activated from the disabled list today, but this is more just a sigh of relief for Mets fans than anything else. It is great that Wright is returning and is seemingly healthy, but as we are all becoming too familiar with the occurrence of concussions, we also understand that the brain has a mind of its’ own - no pun intended. Symptoms can crop up here and there, sometimes with very little or no aggravating factors. Because of this, the Mets should take the conservative route with their star third baseman and give him much more frequent rests down the stretch as they are well out of contention for the postseason. Said Wright, "I’m probably too rested. I feel good. I didn’t want 14 or 15 days off, so I feel good and I’m excited about playing." We’re just thankful that you’re alright, David - take all the time you need.

In other news with the Mets, Carlos Beltran has been cleared to begin a rehab assignment tomorrow, as Dr. David Altchek apparently feels that he is ready and won’t risk further major damage to the "bone bruise" in his right knee. He had been scheduled to have another MRI, but I haven’t seen anything yet that says what the result of that was. He has been running the bases, but the question is how well is running them? Well, the answer isn’t too easy, as Beltran has basically taken it upon himself to push the envelope with his rehab, and there is no way to truly tell how he is feeling other than what he tells the trainers. Apparently, his mechanics look pretty good, because with a painful knee such as what he presents with, an obvious antalgic running pattern is usually quite evident. It looks like Beltran will make his return, most likely, towards the end of next week - perhaps the beginning of the following week.

The writing on the wall seems to be more apparent now - that Jose Reyes may need surgery that will effectively end his 2009 season. He has said as much, though he continues with conservative Physical Therapy treatment in the meanwhile. It has been reported that the procedure - if it happens at all - would be focusing mostly on debridement of some small tearing of the tendon sheath of one of the tendons used for reconstruction of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament of the elbow (this would be the Gracilis - a hip adductor/knee flexor).

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Qualls Done for Year

Monday, August 31, 2009

Well, looks like we found our answer as to how severe the tissue damage was in Chad Qualls ‘ left knee. He is going to have surgery on the left knee. In these cases, the dislocation usually has ruptured the Medial Patellofemoral Ligament, which is the most important static stabilizer against lateral translation of the kneecap.

There are pretty much two procedures to fix this. The first is a repair of the ligament, which is basically a 4-centimeter incision on the inner part of the kneecap, and then the ligament is reattached (usually back to the Femur) with anchors that are drilled into the bone. Recovery for this is typically about 3 to 4 months.

The second option is a ligament reconstruction, and this is performed when the ligament is obliterated to the point where a repair won’t hold. A small portion of the Gracilis (a muscle in the inner thigh) is taken and is then set in place of the torn ligament. The recovery for this is typically 4 months-plus.

In either case, Qualls will be back for the start of 2010 Spring Training.

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Dislocated Kneecap Sidelines Closer Qualls

Monday, August 31, 2009

The Diamondbacks are likely to be without closer Chad Qualls for at least the next two weeks - if not longer - after his left Patella dislocated in the 9th inning of Sunday’s contest. After delivering a pitch to Jason Michaels and having a line drive shot back up the middle, Qualls attempted to get out of the way but torqued over his left knee in the process. His knee immediately gave out, and on video replays you could clearly see the kneecap pop out laterally to the left.

Depending on what the extent of the soft tissue damage is, Qualls could be out 4 weeks or longer. We will have to wait to see what the MRI and examination results are. In the meanwhile, the D-Backs are going to have to make do with a patchwork closer - Juan Gutierrez has been mentioned, but Clay Zavada could also be another (perhaps more intriguing) option. The club had recently traded Jon Rauch - who would naturally be the next in line - to the Twins.

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Huddy to Return on Monday; Others Have Season-Enders

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Oliver Perez will have arthroscopic surgery on his right (planting) knee in an attempt to alleviate painful symptoms arising from chronic Patellar tendonitis that is likely a result of bone spur or calcific tendinopathy. This clearly affected the way he threw, and was almost certainly something he had to think about during the course of his outings. Relatively minor, this surgery still takes a good 2 to 3 months to fully heal, followed by a progression back to throwing. He should be all set for Spring Training, and if pain-free, could return to being effectively wild while also compiling gaudy strikeout totals.

Jake Peavy is going to make one more rehab start in the minors before possibly being activated by the White Sox. Everyone was hoping that he would make a start this weekend against the Yankees, but that isn’t going to happen. It isn’t his ankle that’s giving him the trouble, however. He took a batted ball off the right elbow in his last rehab appearance on Monday, and it seems like just a contusion. He should be back next week. For those wondering if his ankle is going to hold up, its anyone’s guess, but the film of his rehab outings looked quite good.

Hiroki Kuroda is probably about a week-plus away from returning to the Dodgers rotation. He should only need one rehab start next week before being activated, as he is physically fine. The psychological effects that remain from his traumatic injury could be what holds him back, if anything. If he is on your waiver wire, he is a nice addition for the home stretch/playoff run in your mixed league.

Tim Hudson is scheduled to start for the Braves on Monday. This will be his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last year. I would not expect much out of Hudson except about 5 innings and a few strikeouts each start. He is a much better bet for success next season. Everything about his return seems rushed, and he did not really show much during his rehab outings.

Nyjer Morgan jammed his left hand while stealing two bases in the first inning of yesterday’s game, and had to exit the game. As it turns out, Morgan broke his hand and is effectively done for the year. No word yet on if this is a surgical case or even to what bone, but it doesn’t really matter for fantasy purposes this year. His owners will have to find another cheap source of stolen bases. Dexter Fowler or Elvis Andrus, anyone?

Justin Upton has returned from the DL after sustaining a left oblique strain. He is going to play every day, and is an obvious must-start in all fantasy leagues, as there should be no repercussions from the previous injury - unless, of course, he re-strains it - which is always a possibility that is unavoidable.

Jeff Francoeur is having surgery to repair a torn left thumb ligament, as was expected. He should be good to go for the 2010 season without any issues.

Filed in Hiroki Kuroda, Jake Peavy, Jeff Francoeur, Justin Upton, Nyjer Morgan, Oliver Perez, Tim Hudson | Comments (0)

Johan Santana Done for Year; Wagner Claimed by BoSox

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Johan Santana is reportedly done for the year, as Dr. David Altchek has diagnosed him with bone spurs in his left elbow. He will need surgery to debride (clean out) the elbow and to smooth it out. If this is all it turns out to be, then Santana has dodged a major bullet. Unless the surgery turns up something more major like ligament or tendon damage, then you can expect Santana to be back next season from the get go.

Billy Wagner was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox, and a trade is in the works. Acquiring Wagner would give the Sox another solid lefty option in their righty-dominated bullpen.

Justin Morneau was battling some dizziness as a result of an inner ear infection, but it seems as though it is under control now. He is safe to plug into your starting lineup until further notice.

Scott Downs has been activated from the DL after having an aggravation of the previous injury to his left big toe. The Blue Jays are playing some uninspired ball as of late, so don’t expect a boat load of save opportunities from here on out.

Jeff Francoeur has a torn ligament in his thumb, and may require surgery to repair it. While this will hinder his grip while at the plate, he should be able to play the field - as long as he doesn’t dive and aggravate it in a similar manner to how he hurt it. A surgery at this point would end his season, but if he waits until the end of the season, he will still be ready for Spring Training as these procedures usually take 2 to 3 months to recover from.

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Liriano Shelved

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Well, looks like Francisco Liriano ’s elbow problem is a bigger concern than we were initially led to believe. I told you back a few weeks ago that swelling in the absence of pain indicates a larger problem than meets the eye. We’ll see what the definitive diagnosis is, hopefully in the near future. In the meanwhile, you can take the "diagnosis" of "left arm fatigue" and put zero worth with it (fatigue is not a diagnosis). Owners of Liriano should be making long-term plans for his replacement, as this has the feel of a season-ender, even though we have not heard anything to that effect.

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Hunter & Puma Return; Wright Beaned; Zimm & Bedard Done

Sunday, August 16, 2009

David Wright could be lost for the rest of what has become a forgettable 2009 season for the Mets. He was struck in the head by a Matt Cain offering this weekend, and is still experiencing headaches. While the Mets track record with dealing with concussions (Ryan Church) is not too good, there is no way they will let Wright return if he is not 100 percent.

Erik Bedard had exploratory surgery on his left shoulder on Friday, and it turned out to be a bigger fix than Seattle was hoping for. A torn labrum was repaired, as well as further debridement in the joint. This ends his season, though there is an outside chance that he may be ready for Spring Training. The word out there is a 4 to 6 month recovery, but this is simply to return to throwing - not to pitching at the MLB level. The timeframe for a return to a starting rotation could be 9 to 12 months. The question is, where will Bedard be in 2010? Chances are, it will not be in Seattle. Because he was on one of my fantasy teams, I was hoping that this was a case of mechanical shoulder pain, though I had a feeling all along that something like this would be the actual culprit. Just goes to show that you simply cannot trust negative MRIs, especially in the case of persisting pain and dysfunction.

Torii Hunter (hamstring) and Lance Berkman (calf) were activated this weekend and are safe to use in all formats going forward. Neither of these injuries should happen again this season as long as they continue to receive treatment.

Jordan Zimmerman is, in fact, going to have Tommy John surgery, and will be out for the entire 2010 season. That cash register sound you’re hearing is coming from the Strasburg-Boras camp.

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