Stephen Strasburg May Need Tommy John Surgery - Miss 12-18 Months

[Yanks3]

Full Story:

Stephen Strasburg 'probably' needs Tommy John surgery, will miss 12 to 18 months

Rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg will "probably" miss at least one year and perhaps the entire 2011 baseball season after undergoing Tommy John surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, General Manager Mike Rizzo said. After one of the most electrifying beginnings to a baseball career in memory and after validating the massive hype that trumpeted his arrival, Strasburg ends his season with an uncertain future. The Washington Nationals will hold their breath.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nat...bably_nee.html

[YanksFanTillDeath]

Unfreaking Real....

Full Story:

Stephen Strasburg 'probably' needs Tommy John surgery, will miss 12 to 18 months

Rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg will "probably" miss at least one year and perhaps the entire 2011 baseball season after undergoing Tommy John surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, General Manager Mike Rizzo said. After one of the most electrifying beginnings to a baseball career in memory and after validating the massive hype that trumpeted his arrival, Strasburg ends his season with an uncertain future. The Washington Nationals will hold their breath.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nat...bably_nee.html

[BronxYanks45]

WOW this is freakin insane!!!!

[Breyean]

SI_JonHeyman RT @BrentSGambill Nats Official: Stephen Strasburg significant tear in ulnar collateral ligament. Tommy John surgery. #fb 2 minutes ago reply
SI_JonHeyman tommy john surgery usually means a year off for strasburg. but elbow issues are always better than shoulder.

[Eschie]

I wonder how much that card would sell for now?

[BronxYanks45]

this is why I do not agree with giving fresh draft picks ridiculously large contracts. Give the large contracts to proven MLB veterans

[BronxYanks45]

I wonder how much that card would sell for now?

yea what a tragedy

[BronxYanks45]

dont mean this in a bad way but Chein Mein Wang can now take his spot

[kongull]

Can't say i'm surprised. That's why it usually pays to pick the hitter over the pitcher.

[Rice14]

Wow. Just reinforces that there are no "sure things", especially when it comes to young pitchers. I hope that he'll be able to make a full recovery.

[BronxYanks45]

he'll make a comeback, the issue is whether or not he's the same as was before TJS

[Beyle]

Wow. Just reinforces that there are no "sure things", especially when it comes to young pitchers. I hope that he'll be able to make a full recovery.

I agree. I hope it's a relatively quick recovery.

But a whole year? Yikes.

[BRNXBMRS]

That sucks

[Vazquez]

jeepers - way worse than I thought. I thought he just had some shoulder tendinitis.

[Panamaniac42]

Hopefully his comeback mirrors Josh Johnson's and he's ready to rock in 2012 with Bryce Harper.

[Yankee Tripper]

Damn, that bolws. But guess it goes to show even when you do everything right managing a kids pitch count and innings, you can still get injured. See ya in 2012 kid.

[NYYDragoon]

Wow. Just reinforces that there are no "sure things", especially when it comes to young pitchers. I hope that he'll be able to make a full recovery.

Yup. I don't wish injury on anyone, but this is why I was blown away by so many people on this site once getting offended at me even suggesting he was susceptible to injury.

One day ownership and management will place the long-term future of a guy over the initial hype/money he creates. Sigh.

EDIT: This guy was a wise man too: http://forums.nyyfans.com/showpost.p...&postcount=326

[NYYRules#1]

I'm not surprised at all. He was a catastrophic injury waiting to happen. There's a reason almost no starter had ever thrown that hard that consistently and stayed healthy. Arms are quite simply not made to do what he does, as impressive as it is.

That said, this is a lot more desireable than a shoulder injury of the same magnitude. You can recover from TJS - most pitchers do. Now, I'm sure this won't be the last major injury he has, thanks to how hard he throws, but this isn't career-ending or something that will seriously impair him in the long term. A shoulder injury would be.

[Eschie]

I assume his arbitration clock isn't ticking yet, can anyone confirm?

[Eschie]

yea what a tragedy

And this injury is?

[NYYDragoon]

That said, this is a lot more desireable than a shoulder injury of the same magnitude. You can recover from TJS - most pitchers do. Now, I'm sure this won't be the last major injury he has, thanks to how hard he throws, but this isn't career-ending or something that will seriously impair him in the long term. A shoulder injury would be.

Again, not wishing bad things upon Stras, but Francisco Liriano has never been the same since his TJS.

[Bob420]

He was going to get hurt. I don't think ownership and management had anything to do with it.

Yup. I don't wish injury on anyone, but this is why I was blown away by so many people on this site once getting offended at me even suggesting he was susceptible to injury.

One day ownership and management will place the long-term future of a guy over the initial hype/money he creates. Sigh.

EDIT: This guy was a wise man too: http://forums.nyyfans.com/showpost.p...&postcount=326

[NYYDragoon]

He was going to get hurt. I don't think ownership and management had anything to do with it.

If you knew he was "going to get hurt", don't you think those in charge realized it as well?

[Yankees13]

People will understandably freak out over this, but there's a pretty good chance he comes back and is just as good. There's a quite a long list of TJS success stories.

[Eschie]

If you knew he was "going to get hurt", don't you think those in charge realized it as well?

What? I haven't been following the kid closely, were there signs he'd tear his elbow up or an innings limit they ignored?

[Bob420]

If you knew he was "going to get hurt", don't you think those in charge realized it as well?

Even if they realized it, what could they do? Nothing. The only way he wasn't going to get hurt was to not pitch. This year, next year etc.

[aeromac76]

TJ surgery probably kills next year for him as well, but long term prognosis is good.
Most times these days, pitchers come back fine after the operation.

Many may not know, for instance, Mariano Rivera had the operation. AJ Burnett had it.
Some of our younger prospects, Brackman and Betances, both had it.

Look at Liriano in Minnesota, took time, but he is back.

It may take a year to a year and a half, but the youngsters usually come back as good if not better once healed up. He lost the rest of 2010 and all of 2011 most likely here, but to be honest, knowing what the prognosis is, if Strasburg were hypothetically released by the Nationals tomorrow, I'd still sigj him instantly to a mega deal and pay him to rehab next year counting on returns in 2012, and I think most teams would.

This is the end of 2010 and the end of 2011, but still only the beginning of the career.

[NYYDragoon]

Even if they realized it, what could they do? Nothing. The only way he wasn't going to get hurt was to not pitch. This year, next year etc.

No. For one, they could have built up his workload a little more gradually (maybe more time in the minors?) while working on ways to improve his mechanics. Instead they just let him throw as hard as he could.

[Eschie]

Pitchers often come back with the same velocity and better control.

[NYYDragoon]

Look at Liriano in Minnesota, took time, but he is back.

No, he is not. He he closer to being back than he was previously, but he is not back.

[YESSIR!]

It's just the ridiculous amount of torque the kid generates when he spins a baseball. Injury is never really a foregone conclusion, but you weren't exactly going out on a limb in predicting troubles for Stras. It's a shame, and a really tough blow for that organization. Hopefully he rebounds and fulfills the prophecy someday.

[DaSh 1s]

Again, not wishing bad things upon Stras, but Francisco Liriano has never been the same since his TJS.

Ya, he is nasty this year.

[CokeZero]

Who needs pitchcounts and innings limits, right? Bob Gibson never needed them, right?

[Eschie]

No. For one, they could have built up his workload a little more gradually (maybe more time in the minors?) while working on ways to improve his mechanics. Instead they just let him throw as hard as he could.

There's no guarantee that would've helped either.

[NYYDragoon]

Who needs pitchcounts and innings limits, right? Bob Gibson never needed them, right?

I think it's more about mechanics than pitch counts and innings. Stras wasn't a soft-tosser, and his breaking ball had to have put a ridiculous amount of stress on his arm.

Ya, he is nasty this year.

At times.

[Bob420]

No. For one, they could have built up his workload a little more gradually (maybe more time in the minors?) while working on ways to improve his mechanics. Instead they just let him throw as hard as he could.

He was on an innings limit. He was pretty much at the same number of IP as last year. 120 IP.

His arm action is violent and generates so much stress. I guess they could have kept him in the minors, changed his mechanics and watched his performance suffer because of it. His stuff was ridiculous because of his mechanics.

[4bronxbombers]

I wonder if this could have been avoided in anyway....I mean, did they do the right thing with this kid? Could they have limited his innings (even more than they did) or something? Just curious about that. Could it have anything to do with his age? I read an article recently about the high number of young pitchers with similar injuries.

[NYYDragoon]

He was on an innings limit. He was pretty much at the same number of IP as last year. 120 IP.

Ok.

His arm action is violent and generates so much stress. I guess they could have kept him in the minors, changed his mechanics and watched his performance suffer because of it. His stuff was ridiculous because of his mechanics.

Right. So it was a tradeoff between having a guy with electric stuff that was rough on his body BUT brought in the big bucks, or having him tone it down for now to potentially protect his health.

[Bob420]

Ok.


Right. So it was a tradeoff between having a guy with electric stuff that was rough on his body BUT brought in the big bucks, or having him tone it down for now to potentially protect his health.

He threw 109 IP at SDS and 19 in AZ fall. He was at 123 this year.

Toning it down for now means nothing. That is how he pitches. Tone it down forever with changed mechanics? Possible. TJS happens and I really can't see how he was going to avoid it. He is 21 and will be back in 2012.

[aeromac76]

No, he is not. He he closer to being back than he was previously, but he is not back.

12-7, 3.41 ERA in AL.
171 K in 158 IP, 149 H in 158 IP.

So better than 3.50 ERA, more than a K per inning and less than a hit per inning.
He looks pretty good to me..

That is borderline #1 starter type stats in the AL.

[delv]

at least we still have Joba

[wang+cano=future]

Poor Nats.

[eaganmafia]

God hates the Nationals...watch out Bryce, your next.

[ojo]

Ok.


Right. So it was a tradeoff between having a guy with electric stuff that was rough on his body BUT brought in the big bucks, or having him tone it down for now to potentially protect his health.

he's not in little league. these injuries were going to occur had he been at SDSU, AA, AAA or DC.

asking a guy who people can't seem to hit to change his mechanics because there's a higher probability of injury, and thus risk becoming less effective is riskier than just letting the kid rip it.

[Yankee Tripper]

I assume his arbitration clock isn't ticking yet, can anyone confirm?

I'm pretty sure players accumulate service time while on the MLB DL and since he was injured at the MLB level they can't shift him to MiLB until he "recovers" and goes through rehab at which point they could send him to MiLB to slow his service time but basically I think the injury is going to essentially cost t he Nats a year of team controll while accumlates service time rehabing.

[JohnnyDamonfan]

Hopefully his comeback mirrors Josh Johnson's and he's ready to rock in 2012 with Bryce Harper.

Bryce Harper is only 17 now. I really don't think he'll be ready at 18-19. Especially not as catcher. You could probably see him at 20 or 21. So I'd say add a year or two on to that. How is Bryce doing at catching anyway? Are there all ready rumors about him being more of an outfielder/DH type like Montero.

[NYYDragoon]

12-7, 3.41 ERA in AL.
171 K in 158 IP, 149 H in 158 IP.

So better than 3.50 ERA, more than a K per inning and less than a hit per inning.
He looks pretty good to me..

That is borderline #1 starter type stats in the AL.

As someone who watches most of his starts, I can tell you he's not the same as he was in 2006. (Also, since his stellar April, his ERA is just under 4.00.)

[ieddyi]

He threw 109 IP at SDS and 19 in AZ fall. He was at 123 this year.

Toning it down for now means nothing. That is how he pitches. Tone it down forever with changed mechanics? Possible. TJS happens and I really can't see how he was going to avoid it. He is 21 and will be back in 2012.

Exactly, what team in their right minds would get a talent like him and change his mechanics?

How do we know he is exerting greater effort in his motion than pitchers with lesser stuff? I'm sure the minors are full of pitchers throwing harder than him who will never make it.

He had amazing stuff- he was much more than a hard thrower

The legend is that the Yanks tired to tone down Jobas mechanics after his shoulder injury- how'd that work out?

Would we rather have the rock star Joba who flames out after a few years or the incoherent mess we have now?

[NYYDragoon]

Toning it down for now means nothing. That is how he pitches. Tone it down forever with changed mechanics? Possible. TJS happens and I really can't see how he was going to avoid it. He is 21 and will be back in 2012.

TJS doesn't "happen". It's a function of a number of factors, two of which are mechanics and body type. A rookie throwing 100 regularly with a nasty curve and change is probably opening himself up to injury. If the Nats--I don't want to accuse them of not caring, but--if they were really concerned about his long-term health, they could have suggested a few tweaks.

[delv]

TJS doesn't "happen". It's a function of a number of factors, two of which are mechanics and body type. A rookie throwing 100 regularly with a nasty curve and change is probably opening himself up to injury. If the Nats--I don't want to accuse them of not caring, but--if they were really concerned about his long-term health, they could have suggested a few tweaks.

please see my post above.