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Time to Add Montero

Monday, May 31, 2010

For those of you who are struggling at the catcher position with the likes of Geovany Soto, Matt Wieters, or Russell Martin, have no fear. Miguel Montero (right knee menisectomy) should be back within the next few weeks. Now is the time to add him, if he isn’t already stashed on your DL. He is currently only 44 percent owned in Yahoo leagues, which is ridiculously low.

He is going to be playing in an extended spring training game today as the beginning of his rehab assignment. He is going to start playing in a DH role at first, then slowly ramping up his catching duties as the week goes on. The main hurdle he will have to clear is being able to endure long periods of squatting, which places extra pressure on the meniscus surgery site as the femur rolls and glides posteriorly during deep knee flexion.

As long as he is able to get through the next 2 weeks without increased swelling and/or pain in the right knee, Montero should be in the clear. Don’t be surprised if he splits time fairly evenly with Chris Snyder early upon his return.

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What the Deal with Berkman?

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Swelling happens after knee surgeries. Especially within the first couple of weeks after a surgery. Especially when you try to run on a freshly-scoped knee (surgery was only in mid-March).

I’m not going to sit here and tell you that increased swelling in his knee is good news, because it is not. All I’m saying is that Berkman probably should not have been running just yet. He could have waited a couple of weeks and the knee probably would have responded more appropriately. Typical rehab progression after a cartilage debridement or chondroplasty wouldn’t have the person jogging for around 4 weeks. Standard.

Even Berkman himself didn’t seem surprised that it would swell, stating ”Yesterday was the most I’d done on it yet, so I don’t think it’s entirely unexpected to have it react that way. It’s disappointing. I was hoping it wouldn’t swell back up.” 

He is eligible to come off the DL on April 10th, and I would expect that he will be able to. If you can target Berkman late in drafts, take him. If you can snag him for a cheap price, do it. Although he will likely need some additional days off during the season, he will still produce when he’s out there.

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Street Closure

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Huston Street has been shut down until at least mid-May due to shoulder pain and stiffness. He had not thrown since March 11th (previously shut down on February 26th as well) in hope that rest would alleviate his symptoms, but this was not the case. Street was previously reported to have said he would pitch through the pain, but today’s news is that Street will give way to Franklin Morales to start the season.

When three different MRIs show no real damage, the question arises: “Where is the pain coming from?” Compounding the issue is the fact that MRIs are not always accurate. The answer is never easy. In fact, many times shoulder pain can be present without anything being torn or seriously injured.

Many things can cause shoulder pain, such as: shoulder instability/laxity, motor control deficits (improper contraction sequencing/timing of the rotator cuff and/or Scapular stabilizers), muscle weakness, postural deficits, tightness of surrounding muscles, etc. The list can be exhaustive, and the reason for the pain can be due to multiple factors.

Chances are, if after another month/month and a half of rest and rehab there and there is no progress, that something more may need to be done. While I am not saying he will need this, exploratory surgeries are last ditch efforts to find out if anything is wrong when all other tests are negative.

For now, add Franklin Morales and plan on having him as one of your closers for the foreseeable future. If Street can get onto a solid rehab program that includes focused motor control exercises and dynamic stability training, he could be back, but until we hear some positive news, this is a situation to avoid.

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Who Will Close Games for the Twins?

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Joe Nathan is awaiting a second opinion on his right elbow injury, which was diagnosed as a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament and confirmed with MRI/CT scan. Dr. James Andrews and Dr. David Altchek are going to be taking a look at the imaging to see whether or not surgery is needed. The bad news is the location of the tear is to the distal, thin portion of the ligament (which is inherently weaker).

If Joe Nathan’s season is over - and it looks almost certain to be the case - which of the remaining arms in the Minnesota bullpen will be the most likely candidate for the job?

If I had to put my money on it, I would say Jon Rauch . He has the most experience in the role, and Matt Guerrier is better utilized in a setup role despite a stellar 2009 season. Guerrier is less of a strikeout guy, and his stuff is not as overpowering as what the 6′11" Rauch possesses.

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Berkman Out Following Knee Surgery

Sunday, March 14, 2010

After aggravating his left knee running the bases, Lance Berkman underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery this week to remove "loose cartilage." There was no damage to the ligaments or to the meniscus cartilage, which is obviously a plus, but having to debride the articular cartilage is not a great sign going forward, especially at age 34. This is the cartilage that protects the underlying bone. With a 2 to 4 week return forecasted, this was likely a minor debridement. In the previous few mock drafts I’ve done (12-team mixed), Berkman has slid down past his ADP of around 61. I would certainly pull the trigger on him in the 5th round this year as a serviceable starting first baseman.

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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.

Click here for baseball betting , or visit the major league baseball website for news, schedules, and more.

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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. 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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