The Good News Is, Felix hernandez Will Miss 2-3 Starts

[Dr. Mercury]

The bad news is, Felix Hernandez will miss 2-3 starts--and that he might have run the risk of Tommy John surgery at such a young age.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2843381



Seattle phenom to miss at least 2 starts with arm strain

Associated Press

SEATTLE -- Seattle Mariners (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/clubhouse?team=sea) ace Felix Hernandez (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7487) will likely miss two to three starts with a muscle strain inside his right elbow and forearm.

Mariners medical director Dr. Ed Khalfayan said Thursday that the 21-year-old right-hander will not throw for five days, then will play catch.

"I think 10 to 20 days is a reasonable estimate," Khalfayan said when asked when Hernandez might again pitch in a game. That's as good a news as you can get from an elbow injury."

If Hernandez continued to pitch with the strain, he could have stressed elbow so severely he would have required elbow-ligament replacement surgery.

Hernandez had allowed just four hits in 17 scoreless innings -- including a one-hitter at Boston last week -- before he left his start Wednesday night against Minnesota after just one-third of an inning. He allowed three runs, walked two, threw a wild pitch that scored a run, then waived trainers out to the mound to remove him from the game because of the elbow tightness.

"This is a very common pitcher injury," Khalfayan said. "Felix's injury is minor. We are optimistic he won't miss too much time."

Hernandez was in good spirits and joking in the clubhouse three hours before the game, repeatedly saying "I'm fine," and then refusing to say anything else.

Manager Mike Hargrove said the team has already discussed who would start in Hernandez's absence, but he was not ready to say whom.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[Parzival]

The better news is that the Ms have been providing some excellent run support.
I'm pleasantly suprised.

<shrug> I'm more inclined to believe Hargrove is continuing to coddle Hernandez than the injury being serious.

[Detritus]

<shrug> I'm more inclined to believe Hargrove is continuing to coddle Hernandez than the injury being serious.
This is probably the better model than the Cubs' Kerry Wood/Mark Prior model from 1998/2003, respectively.

[Dr. Mercury]

Any significant change to body mass, like losing 20-30 pounds, affects biomechanics. I'm wondering if that's what's up with Hernandez' arm problems. If he can correct them early enough, it'll spare him wear and tear.

[Dr. Mercury]

There are, of course, other theories afloat. (http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/blogs/buzzerbeater/2007/04/what_really_happened.php) :D

[Detritus]

Jinx!

I also liked this quote at the end:

"A third base coach is not doing his job unless he gets people thrown out at the plate," Hargrove said.

[Detritus]

Felix Hernandez placed on DL retroactive to April 19th:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2847035

For now, it sounds like the move is as much precautionary as anything, but check back in a week.

[Detritus]

http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070502&content_id=1942408&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea

SEATTLE -- The return of right-hander Felix Hernandez to the Mariners starting rotation has been delayed.

Instead of coming off the 15-day disabled list on Friday to face the Yankees in New York, the 20-year-old now is penciled in to start the middle game of a three-game series against the Tigers on May 9.

"We would rather be safe than sorry with him," manager Mike Hargrove said. "His bullpen [session on Tuesday] was fine, but we just feel better giving him a few extra days. If we get to [May 9] and feel he needs a few more days, we'll give him more time."

Hargrove said right-hander Cha Seung Baek would start Friday night against the Yankees.

Hernandez last pitched on April 18 at Safeco Field against the Twins and lasted less than an inning because of soreness in his right elbow. An ensuing MRI exam disclosed that he had a strained muscle and he eventually went on the 15-day DL, retroactive to April 19.

It was a sudden and disappointing development for Hernandez and the team. He started the season by pitching eight shutout innings against the Athletics on Opening Day and followed that up with a brilliant one-hit shutout against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 11.

The sore elbow came out of the blue and forced him to take a step back. He's been recuperating since.

"There is no pain, but he had a little discomfort two or three days ago," Hargrove said. "He was a little upset that he just played catch and it didn't go the way he wanted, but he's fine now.

"His bullpen [Tuesday] went fine. He has thrown all of his pitches. He threw mostly fastballs and changeups, maybe a couple of breaking balls. We'll give him one more bullpen and maybe a simulated game."

There are no plans to send Hernandez to the Minors for a rehab start.

"I don't know that we have reached that, yet," Hargrove said. "A rehab start usually is to test where the arm is. The secondary part of that is to get them back in competition. I don't know that we have reached that point with Felix, yet."