Matt Garza's Injury makes no sense...

by davidsmarch on Apr 14, 2008 1:38 PM EDT

Maybe someone can help me understand what exactly is wrong with Garza, because at it stands now, I really do not see how he is "rehabbing".

Let's start with where I get confused. So, as Garza has stated, this is a problem, they call it Radial Nerve Irritation, that goes back to the later half of the season last year with the Twins. It seems that it has recently been flaring up on him, causing him some significant discomfort, and interfering with his ability to pitch well. That all makes sense to me. What really does not is how he is rehabbing.

Now, if this is a problem that he had last year with the Twins, and all that it is is irritation, then I have to conclude from the rehab program we have him on, that just taking things easy for a couple weeks is sufficient enough to treat and heal the injury. If that is the case, then I have to wonder why this injury did not heal over the off-season, when he rested for a couple months straight.

Where is get confused, is he got hurt here, and only took a day or two off before he started tossing the ball again. Now how is this rehab, and months worth of rest is not? Is there a chance that this will just keep acting up over and over again?

Something just does not make sense to me. Either his story that it started last year, the diagnosis, or the rehab. They all do not fit together neatly, something is off. If anyone has a medical theory, or some further explanation, I would love to hear it.

On Other Notes:

Really good story on Hellickson on BA today: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=889

I would love to see this kid really live up to what it seems he can do.

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There is a lot of confusion surrounding this injury

No one seems to know for sure the circumstance behind it, except for the fact that it flared up in his start last Tuesday.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Apr 14, 2008 2:40 PM EDT 0 recs

I don't need a medical file printed in the newspaper,

but an explanation that makes sense would be nice. What is going on right now just makes absolutely no sense.

by davidsmarch on Apr 14, 2008 3:36 PM EDT 0 recs

Maybe this will help

Baseball Prospectus had a paragraph on this in their UTK report on 4/11 Googled "radial nerve pitcher injury" to get to it . Rays Anatomy had one too that I didn't read.

Nothing definitive - this injury has many paths.Shawn Hill and John Patterson of the Nats are recent victims - don't know if that makes you feel good. Rest / rehab is typically tried before surgical decompression of the nerve.

by nyyfaninlaaland on Apr 14, 2008 4:32 PM EDT 0 recs

all that does is worry me more

if this is something he states "will go away", it means that in his career is has come and gone, come and gone, meaning it's recurring, and obviously just resting it isn't healing it completely. hence, i can only assume he will have to have surgery eventually.

by davidsmarch on Apr 14, 2008 4:47 PM EDT 0 recs

Seems to have come at a weird time-

I am guessing it’s anumbness that comes and goes with the nerve in the arm/shoulder. It’s funny how he took himself out of a bases loaded situation, huh? Maybe he gets stage fright…

From a Dr. friend I spoke to, lots of people get this affliction (not just pitchers), he says that the only fix is that decompression surgery, but that there is no extra strain on the arm/shoulder. It is all about numbness and “feel”. Only rest and ice can get you back to normal, but garza probably did not need a DL stay and probably could pitch right now if he had to…

He is in a sense damaged goods though…

by Hazleton Jason on Apr 15, 2008 3:20 PM EDT 0 recs

I doubt the situation had anything to do with it

After all, he was wild for that whole inning and it wasn’t his choice to leave the game; the trainer came out and got him.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Apr 15, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up 0 recs

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/related/C142/

“Rays RHP Matt Garza threw 30 pitches off the bullpen mound today and came away pain free. The radial nerve irritation that placed him on the 15-day disabled list was treated with an injection, he said, and that has made all the difference.”

That explains that, or does it?

"I've seen many, many blue skies turn gray, but the sun will eventually return, and so will I. So will I." - Carlos Pena

by R.J. Anderson on Apr 15, 2008 10:43 PM EDT 0 recs

Apparently

Cortisone heals injured nerves? That’s the “rehab” protocol?

Tools Whore

Sign Bonds!

by Tyler on Apr 15, 2008 11:39 PM EDT up 0 recs

that seems like a short term fix

we all know that cortisone can do wonders for inflames muscles and tendons, and apparently nerves, but it’s usually a very temporarily relief. this still has me very concerned.

by davidsmarch on Apr 15, 2008 11:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

Well, he said that it wasn't all that bad to begin with...

So maybe it was just some slight inflammation in a tendon or muscle that was putting pressure on the nerve. Has anyone said where exactly he got the shot?

It could be trouble if whatever was putting pressure on the nerve was a reoccurring thing, but if it was just a slight injury that went untreated for so long, then a cortisone could have been just the thing he needed.

by Vin on Apr 16, 2008 2:16 PM EDT 0 recs

Need. Edit. Button.

then a cortisone shot could have been just the thing he needed.

by Vin on Apr 16, 2008 2:17 PM EDT up 0 recs

According to Garzam

The 2-seamer was the pitch that he felt caused the pain, he threw it in the aforementioned 30-pitch stint and he said he felt fine.

According to Will Carroll, the best way to see if he’s alright is next time he’s starting. If he manages to make it through the game, throwing all his pitches at 100%, he’s fine.

by Jacob Larsen on Apr 16, 2008 5:47 PM EDT 0 recs

Still raises some anxiety on my part

That he’s had this problem for so long and not addressed it. Even if he does get over the injury, what’s more concerning to me is that he’s keeping the trainers ignorant of his ailments. Of course athletes are usually like animals in that regard, that is to say that they hide injuries to protect themselves from perceived vulnerability, but that can be extremely debilitating after a certain point.

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Apr 16, 2008 7:28 PM EDT 0 recs

it could say something about his confidence

in himself, and his place on the team. players that are confident that they are a member of the team, and are not at risk for demotion or lessening of playing time are usually not scared to divulge injuries. maybe he is scared, and maybe that explains some of his pitching woes so far this year. who knows.

by davidsmarch on Apr 17, 2008 1:17 PM EDT up 0 recs

It's possible

Although he did mention this spring how much more of a relief it was to come into camp with a guaranteed spot in the rotation. He said that he pitches far better given that situation, rather than the situation he faced in competing for a rotation spot last year with the Twins. Obviously this might be just fluster given how he apparently was less than forthcoming about his injury, but who really knows?

by Patrick L. Kennedy on Apr 17, 2008 1:44 PM EDT up 0 recs