A-Rod could be headed for surgery
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jul 09, 2011 
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Alex Rodriguez has a slight meniscus tear in his right knee and could be headed for surgery.
Joe Girardi said the team will decide later today whether Rodriguez will play through it or have surgery, which would likely cost him a month.
He’ll likely have surgery at some point, it’s either now or after the season.
Damn. Do it. He’s ineffective this way.
“He’s ineffective this way.”
Ineffective perhaps by Alex criteria but more or less effective than his replacement is what has to be weighed.
Damn, indeed.
Having a brutal weekend…waited outside the gates in the rain last night, at work today until 1, and now this news. Can we please win the next two?
Crap.
“Ineffective perhaps by Alex criteria but more or less effective than his replacement is what has to be weighed.”
Both by his career standards and his role on the team. 3B is a power position and he hasn’t had a HR in like 88 AB.
This team over relies on A-Rod’s production.
I don’t see how the team reaches the goals they have set without Alex being Alex.
So it probably makes sense to take a step back to take two steps forward.
Well said, Rich. It’s funny that the Yankees seem to “go” when A-Rod, Tex, or Grandy carries the team. Cano has the potential, but hasn’t really done that this season. Yanks don’t even get out of the first round in ’09 without A-Rod.
Maybe Alex can get the surgery and talk to Pujols about his method for healing quicker.
Dare I ask the Yankees to sign Reyes and move DJ to third? A-Rod can be the permanent DH next season.
Hopefully Bartolo’s “doctor” performs the “surgery”
Except Alex has been well above average at 3B this season. You can fully recover from this injury, so why move him?
I watched Game 6 of the 09 World Series on YES last night after drying off……you could tell how genuinely happy and relieved A-Rod was. This is disappointing…..not really seeing him surpass the HR record.
Ugh………….I think he might as well have it now, although if he does, there’s no guarantee he will be effective at all afterwards.
Ugh…..do it now. Get him right for the postseason.
Last night some idiot in line behind me at the Stadium said “I think Swisher is playing third tonight because A-Rod is hurt.” Why are these people allowed to attend games?
“I don’t see how the team reaches the goals they have set without Alex being Alex.”
I don’t disagree with your premise.
The question to me is would it be easier for the Yankees to reach those goals with Alex being in Tampa for the next 6 weeks and Nunez at 3B or Alex playing minus power?
Pretty much the last thing they need is to lose Alex. I think they have to weigh whether its something that could get worse and how much pain he’s in. 75% of Alex is still really valuable but if they coukd have 100% of Alex a month from now then that has to be considered as well. As good as Alex has been defensively this year…..he just can’t seem to stay away from these nagging injuries so more DH time could be in his future sooner because of it.
Yankee doctors fail???
Why did it take so long for them to express serious concern about his knee and get an MRI?
Agree with Rich. Considering how much the team over-relies on A-rod, they need him 100%. A clean-up singles hitter is not going to get us to the promise land. Would be nice if Cano stepped up like last year. Pretty soon, they will be in some real trouble if they lean on Alex so much.
There’s no gurantee that Alex will be 100% a month from now, that’s what makes this so difficult. However, there’s NO chance he will be 100% playing like this……..and we do need his power. What a thing to wake up to.
“Why did it take so long for them to express serious concern about his knee and get an MRI?”
Seems like they have a thing with delaying MRIs
Alex in July: .258 .258 .290 (only 31 PAs)
Alex was getting beat by Niemann on pitches that he normally crushes….
“The question to me is would it be easier for the Yankees to reach those goals with Alex being in Tampa for the next 6 weeks and Nunez at 3B or Alex playing minus power?”
I think they could withstand losing the current version of A-Rod for a month if Nunez stays fairly hot and some of the other guys raise their games.
I might even play Cervelli more in the hope that he could supply more offense than Martin.
This should have been found out already. I think he should get it done now. His situation will just get worse and we need him healthy in the post more than we need him playing hurt now.
REPOST:
MaineYankee July 9th, 2011 at 10:20 am
Well, that picture looks a whole lot better than it is here. Gray dark and gloomy……..again.
We have another million dollar superstar who should be able to carry the team. His name is Mark Teixeira, but he really isn’t capable of doing so with a .240 average. When is the media going to blow the whistle on Tex?
Rich, that’s a huge amount of “ifs”
Strictly in terms of his on-field performance, it looks to me like he can play through this and help the club. He doesn’t need to hit home runs in bunches to help carry the club. So, I say he should wait until after the season, unless playing on it makes it worse, or if his discomfort has been increasing over time. If he does it now, I can’t imagine that he’ll be able to help much in the stretch run. However, I have no idea how much of his recent struggles at the plate are related to this injury. If he’s been hitting .256 this month because of the injury, then he might as well take a chance on the surgery; Nunez can replace that kind of production.
Wow, bad news.
Have the surgery now. They need a healthy (or reasonably healthy) Alex for the stretch one, one who can hit with power.
The Ramirez rumors seem more curious now. To me, his acquisition made little sense if Alex was healthy and merely slumping. Not it appears appears that either they knew something in the last week, but didn’t make it public (which would be understandable), or the person who started the rumor was fairly prescient.
“Dare I ask the Yankees to sign Reyes and move DJ to third? A-Rod can be the permanent DH next season.”
I think you have to at least roll that thought around…..not saying you do it but more DH time could help Alex stay healthy……diving around at 3rd and making off balance throws on slow rollers etc…..isn’t going to help his health. They need his bat…..
The only thing Rodriguez isn’t doing is hitting a ton of homers. As long as he’s producing runs and he can deal with the discomfort, he’ll play. If he doesn’t ply, NY can flush this season.
What a crock, all along it’s been ‘nothing to speak of’ with the knee. Now probable surgery. Another case of the Yankees withholding information which is their prerogative I suppose.
If Alex is the DH and Jeter is at 3B, Montero is a must at C.
“Rich, that’s a huge amount of “ifs””
Life is filled with ifs, Betsy.
No Reyes under any circumstances, please………..
This paints a grim picture at 3B. If he has the surgery now and no Chevez does that mean Pena over Nunez at 3B ? An almost automatic out. Fun stuff.
Girardi told the media Nunez is the 3B for now.
Rich,
Yes…..that factors in….how.confident are they that Montero can catch and how often.
All the more reason to infuse Montero into the lineup and get a good bat (Beltran-type) at the deadline.
Living with Martin-Nunez-Jeter at the bottom of the lineup will be rough. Nevermind Gardner’s streakiness, Tex’s .240 average, Posada, etc.
Given the makeup of the roster, Nunez will be at 3B if Girardi has a working brain.
That’s fine, Rich, but hoping for “ifs” to work out for a month is asking a lot. Who are you hoping to step up that hasn’t? I almost wish the news had been that it takes months to recover because then the decision would be easy – no surgery at this point.
blake
Or some catcher that can hit. It can’t be this version of Martin.
GreenBeret7 July 9th, 2011 at 10:47 am
The only thing Rodriguez isn’t doing is hitting a ton of homers. As long as he’s producing runs and he can deal with the discomfort, he’ll play. If he doesn’t ply, NY can flush this season.
——————-
I disagree. I think that the Yanks have enough pitching to see them through the loss of ARod. And the combination of Tex, Grandy, and Cano can keep the offense scoring, particularly now that Swisher and Posada are contributing.
If ARod goes out, the Yanks will have to make some moves. They ought to consider calling up Montero to see if he can supplant Martin at catcher and provide the club with a shot in the arm to replace some of the lost offense. Obviously, they also should look at picking up a solid veteran utility infielder (e.g., Ty Wigginton) to help the club. Losing Alex makes things tougher, but not impossible.
NY won’t get Ramirez for scrap. Chicago would smell blood in the water and hold him for ransom (not Cody, either).
Betsy
There’s no choice. In different ways, Cano, Tex, Jeter, and Martin can step up their games. Swisher, Posada, and Gardner need to be more consistent.
Yeah, the Ramirez ship has sailed.
Rich,
I don’t think Montero will catch full time next season either way…..hopefully he will be ready to catch half the games.
“Get him right for the postseasn” Are you nuts? Without their #4 hitter for a month (and when the Yankees or media says a month, it’s really 2 months) gone from an already anemic lineup (hitting .259 for the season as a team and A-Rod was their best hitter), playoffs baring a huge trade for a 3rd baseman and some bullpen help are going to quickly be a pipe dream I’m afraid. Wow, what a blow! Will Nunez be the savior, do they bring up Laird and/or Vazquez. Gotta at least let the kids play if Cash can’t swing a deal. I guess getting 3,000 hits isn’t that big a deal anymore if the season is now in jeapardy!
Blake, they aren’t even confident Montero is ready to hit at the MLB level. Fans are just hyper impatient -and act as if the Yankees have no clue what they are doing with him.
NY won’t get Ramirez for scrap. Chicago would smell blood in the water and hold him for ransom (not Cody, either).
——-
Ramirez is due 16 million next season if he is traded.
The only way the Cubs get more than scrap is to eat a lot of his salary.
I don’t know if the Mets will trade Reyes, but can he play 3B? Don’t see Jeter moving. Maybe Ramirez is a better option. I just don’t want to trade major farm pieces for a rental.
Uh… I don’t know. I wake up to read this and I am so totally bummed out.
The only close to ready 3rd baseman in the system is Laird. Whether he’s quite ready or not, it usually takes him more than a month to acclimate to a new league.
Damn.. this is awful.
I don’t know enough about the surgery to have an opinion, but I guess if they really believed he could be back with the team in a month they should just do it immediately. I’d rather have him get this out of the way now than risk him breaking down closer to October when we’ll need him a lot more.
At least Nunez and Pena aren’t rusty (isn’t that a comforting thought, guys?!).
Rich in NJ July 9th, 2011 at 10:51 am
Sometimes that seems to be asking a lot.
Betsy,
Im unsure what they really think of Montero or what their true plans for him are.
Running out to give away the farm to acquire Reyes would be a panic move, and it wouldn’t even solve the problem of replacing the third baseman.
Gardner should not lead off if Alex has surgery (assuming Jeter has to hit 1st or 2nd)
They are confident that Montero can hit on the ML level.
Let’s get Cody Ransom back
It’s looking more and more like Boston and Tampa are your Eastern Division winner and wild card winner. What a blow! Cashman now has to earn his bucks
Blake, I thought Newman made that pretty clear in his interview…..
Is Charlie Hayes ready, willing and able ? Does Aaron Boone want to come out of the ESPN booth ?
I’m thinking Mick Kelleher could play a little bit of third base….just let him keep the helmet on.
Jeter
Grandy
Tex
Cano
Swish
should be the top 5 or slight variations on that.
Newman statements about Montero in that interview contradicted Cashman’s with Francesa.
Oh, awesome.. timmy’s back.
I would never trade for Reyes…..I would consider him as a FA though.
Newman’s interview was very recent – what interview are you referring to, Rich?
Who has knee surgery and is back in a month? That’s a smoke screen to pacify fans, there’s no way he comes back in a month. He’s out till September or later if he has surgery imo.
Montero can hit…..he’s always been able to hit.
Ramirez’ option for 2012 will not kick in unless he wins the NL MVP this season. He also needed to be on 3 All Star teams or 2 2nd place MVP finishes. No option. He does however get $1 mil if traded and $2 mil in a buyout of option.
Blake, I don’t want Reyes under any circumstances – even as a FA. He’s had a few very good years and this great year is in his walk year. He has a hard time staying healthy. No way am I giving him a big contract – let some other team gamble on him.
Betsy
No Maas.
Shame Spencer July 9th, 2011 at 11:01 am
Oh, awesome.. timmy’s back.
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Nunez time. Get this day to day lineup younger. This kid needs to play every day in the 2nd half. The need for youth is so obvious to objective observers. Jeter needs to move down and brett up to lead off to spark the lineup like the pain in rear juan pierre used to. Tex has to start trying to hit to opposite field. No way should be hitting 240.
“Who has knee surgery and is back in a month? That’s a smoke screen to pacify fans, there’s no way he comes back in a month. He’s out till September or later if he has surgery imo.”
Yup.
Ramirez’ option for 2012 will not kick in unless he wins the NL MVP this season. He also needed to be on 3 All Star teams or 2 2nd place MVP finishes. No option. He does however get $1 mil if traded and $2 mil in a buyout of option.
——–
Nope. It kicks in with a trade.
timmyb72 July 9th, 2011 at 10:58 am
Nothing like giving up and throwing in the towel on July 9yj huh.
“He’s out till September or later if he has surgery imo.”
Your opinion is beyond worthless.
Hey 14-4 happened with Jeter out, can a similar record percentage now happen with A-rod out?. Mr. Nunez get ready to play a lot of 3rd base my man!
Just saw the last little (if he’s traded and exercises 2011 option (he did). Too expensive.
Betsy,
I keep possibilities open…
Oh, lol – I hate that site. No wonder I didn’t know about it. Well, I don’t know when that interview was conducted, but if Cashman and Newman (if what you say is true) can’t even get their acts together and are contradicting each other, that’s really not a good thing.
Some people recover from meniscus tears in as little as two weeks.
It completely depends on the person. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see a freak athlete like Alex back in less than a month.
A tear in the meniscus isn’t all that serious, it can cause swelling though, which limits movement. This usually is arthroscopic surgery done on a out patient basis and fairly quick rehab time. A lot depends on how much needs cleaning out, but when I had that surgery it took me about 2 weeks to be mostly back to normal and I had a lot taken out.
With Alex’s conditioning and good rehab he might not miss all that much time if he were to have it done now. Not doing anything could lead to more damage and it can also affect him in his batting as he will favor the knee, creating bad habits.
It just seems that it would make the most sense to get it done and get him back to good health. With the ASB coming, doing it right away would mean even less time off the field.
Unfortunately, Nunez needed to replace Jeter, not A-Rod.
Nunez was a spark for us because he was replacing a guy in Jeter with a .650 OPS with no XBHs and a .250 average.
Much more difficult to replace a .850 OPS 3B, even with the power outage.
No way he comes back in a month, that’s ludicrous and you know it. A 36 yrs old athlete that has knee surgery does not return in a month, sorry!
Setting up fans for disappointment with what you think are mendacious timetables would only anger fans.
That’s just not smart thinking.
Its only early July, even if we did get a fully healthy Arod back by the first week or so of September that’d still be ok by me. I think we could hang in until then, we have so far with far worse issues.
LGY July 9th, 2011 at 11:05 am
Thank you, Dr. Welby MD.
Betsy July 9th, 2011 at 11:02 am
Blake, I don’t want Reyes under any circumstances – even as a FA. He’s had a few very good years and this great year is in his walk year. He has a hard time staying healthy. No way am I giving him a big contract – let some other team gamble on him.
———–
I agree. The guy COULD be a great player, but he simply plays for a check. Right now, we are seeing what he is capable of doing, because he is looking for his big payday. Once he has his contract in hand, he’ll return to form. The club that signs him will wind up paying $20 million per year for a .750 OPS player. No thank you, I’ll pass.
No way he comes back in a month, that’s ludicrous and you know it. A 36 yrs old athlete that has knee surgery does not return in a month, sorry!
——
Are you aware of how many different types of surgeries you can have on your knee?
Nunez was a spark for us because he was replacing a guy in Jeter with a .650 OPS with no XBHs and a .250 average.
How dare you tell the truth about Jeter with all of the Jeter apologists on this blog?
timmyb72 July 9th, 2011 at 11:06 am
And thank you too, Dr. Schleprock MD.
LGY, he’s a raving lunatic.
Sabathia and Martin both had meniscus tears repaired this off season so the rehab plan is already mapped out if surgery is opted for.
How do we know what Reyes plays for?
Rich
Oh. My bad. Thanks for the heads up
“Are you aware of how many different types of surgeries you can have on your knee?”
Something tells me we could fill many books with all of the things timmy is unaware of…
Yogi Mantle July 9th, 2011 at 11:06 am
=================
Nice post. I’m not as sanguine about this as you seem to be, but it was a nice analysis nonetheless. And you made me feel a little better about his chances of playing this year
I’m going by how the Yankees do things, remember last season when Pettitte went on the DL and everyone including the Yankees said that he would be out for 15 days and he was out for 2 months?
A month is a very reasonable timetable for most menicus tears.
timmyb72 —
If ignorance is truly bliss you must be a very happy man.
Normal recovery for a miniscus tear is 2-4 weeks
That was a groin pull and a completely different injury….
If ignorance is truly bliss you must be a very happy man.
==============
‘happy boy’ don’t ya mean ?
Yankess always underestimate stays on the DL, it’s the Yankees way sorry! I can understand why they do it, they don’t want to frighten and keep their fans away. It’s smart business, just saying with the rehab after the surgery, the 2-3 games in the minors he’ll have to play, and the fact that the Yankees are extra cautious esp in cases like this, it won’t just be a month, sorry.
I’m out.
Today’s the day for Jeter, and the Yankees will win.
If the Cubs aren’t getting a real prospect for Ramierez then they would be better off keeping him and declining his option.
Plug Nunez in and keep rolling, get the surgery now. I don’t see the point in a trade if it’s only a month, with Nunez needing playing time too. Everyone will need to step up. Bat Cano fourth.
The Yankees will have Alex go through the surgery and I think we’ll call up Vasquez or Montero to replace his offense in the DH role.
They won’t replace it entirely, but they will at least be able to offset it from time to time. I think Nunez will be surprisingly good at 3B as a replacement.
Anyway the Yankees haven’t even announced if he’s having the surgery or a timetable…….Chad just said if he did it coukd be about a month because that’s a typical recovery for a slight tear
Yeah Price vs Burnett, this is a continuation of the free fall I’m afraid. Price has no hit stuff, this could be really ugly, sadly!
The honus is on Gardner to step up. He can’t go through these extended slumps where he hits fly balls.
The bottom of the lineup will be Martin-Nunez-Gardner-Jeter (leading off)
Nunez’ good numbers were largely based on 2 good games at Shea. Before that, he was hitting .250 as a starter. If he hits .250 and plays good D and pops an extra base hit every now and then, that is fine.
We all know Martin is a blackhole that has been getting worse and worse. Nothing left to say about Jeter. Teixeira is a .240 hitter now as well, so forget him carrying the team.
Gadner is the guy who needs to step up at the bottom of the order. If not, bring on Beltran.
Timmy,
Are you even a baseball fan? Do you enjoy it? Also Price had a terrible outing in his last game, and he’s having a down season (for him) this year.
charlestonchew July 9th, 2011 at 11:17 am
The Yankees will have Alex go through the surgery and I think we’ll call up Vasquez or Montero to replace his offense in the DH role.
They won’t replace it entirely, but they will at least be able to offset it from time to time. I think Nunez will be surprisingly good at 3B as a replacement.
============
Nunez’s defense concerns me more than his offense. It’s really a darn shame that Chavez can’t play–he would be the perfect solution to our problem. Cashman is going to have to make a move in the eventuality that ARod won’t make it back by September. Winning it all with Nunez at third base will be very tough.
Of course Jeter may squeak out a hit today and everyone will be excited and that will keep fans from thinking about losing their cleanup hitter for 4-6 weeks minimum and getting smoked again by the Rays, Hope I’m wrong but it’s not a happy picture long term if you’re the Steinbrenner Family.
The Yankees hit the you know what out of Price in Tampa this season, but Burnett, I believe, coughed up a four run lead in a matter of minutes.
We all know Martin is a blackhole that has been getting worse and worse. Nothing left to say about Jeter. Teixeira is a .240 hitter now as well, so forget him carrying the team.
We do? He drove a double in his last game. I don’t even understand how you can be a Yankee fan and complain about Martin (all-star, superb catcher/game caller), you manage to find time to complain about Jeter, and the guy with the most HRs on our team.
They should do this surgery Monday and hope he is back by mid august for the stretch run. Silly to wait.
Best bet for a fan to get the 3,000th hit ball is a slicing line drive down the right field line that bounces into the seats. Boy I’d like to have those seats today.
Aramis Ramirez could waive the 2012 guarantee that comes with being traded if he wanted to. No way of knowing if he’s that interested in playing in meaningful games. He hasn’t played in many during his career, that’s for sure.
The Yanks could survive with a Nunez/Chavez platoon, but who knows if/when Chavez might be healthy. Ty Wigginton would be a terrific pick up here, but its unlikely the Orioles will want to be cooperative. Does Troy Glaus have anything left?
Ty Wigginton is not an Oriole.
Wiggy is with Colorado.
Wiggington is on the Rockies…
From Sports Medicine:
Recovery Meniscus Tear Surgery
After about two hours in the recovery room, patients typically leave the hospital. Arthroscopic meniscus repair can cause pain and discomfort after surgery so pain medication is generally provided for up to three days after surgery..
A knee brace and cold packs are used after surgery to reduce swelling and control pain. The brace keeps the leg straight. Depending on the extent of the tear, patients may weight bear immediately or within one to two days. The surgeon will provide detailed instructions to follow. Keeping the leg and knee elevated in the days after surgery will also speed healing.
Physical therapy can begin quickly after surgery. The main focus is to decrease swelling, regain full range of motion and build muscle strength. The typical rehab plan includes six weeks in the brace, performing non weight-bearing, range of motion exercises. After six weeks, patients begin weight bearing and other exercises for another six weeks. Low impact exercise begins at 12 weeks, with full exercise added at 16 weeks.
Return to sport guidelines are fairly rigorous and a patient should have your doctor’s clearance be able to perform sports specific drills at top speed.
Tex is a .240 hitter with a top-10 OPS. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see him carry the team through the summer.
Why not give Brandon Laird a shot? Terrible start to the season, but he’s been smoking it lately — 8 game hit streak (.323) with 3 HR, 9 RBI in that span.
Where in the world is Eric Chavez?
MY GOD
Wiggy is with the Rockies, and they are only nominally in the race. Moreover, Wiggy has plenty of experience hitting in the AL East.
from Incarcerated Bob on Twitter:
**BREAKING MLB NEWS**Source: A-Rod has told those close to him that he is leaning towards surgery on knee – He will be done for 4-6 weeks
I’m happy for this news.
It was getting boring here.
They can just trade for Beltran and put him at 3rd.
Problem solved.
It makes sense for A-Rod to have the surgery now. It’s the smart move for him. I wish him well and a speedy recovery. I feel bad for the guy–he’s had so many health issues over the last several years..
Get Gary Sheffield out of retirement and put him at third. Maybe he can throw one into the seats like that night in 2004.
Can Tex carry this team if Arod is out?
“Thank you, Dr. Welby MD”
I think you and your alter ego should look in the mirror. Are you still “LMAO”.
Posters expressed concern over Alex. Of course You and Mrs Welby had to show everybody how smart you are by posting just normal “aches and pain”. Now– you are proven wrong AGAIN, and you persist in the same trolling course of action.
Pathetic.
GoldGlove9486 July 9th, 2011 at 11:36 am
Get Gary Sheffield out of retirement and put him at third. Maybe he can throw one into the seats like that night in 2004.
—————
Was that in ’04? I thought that happened back in the nineties, when he was with the Padres or the Brewers…
He played the infield on 7/1/04…A-Rod went to shortstop after Jeter went headfirst into the stands against Boston.
If incarcerated bob says he’s having surgery then that must mean he’s going to play through right……
my mistake on Wiggy… makes him easier to get out in Colorado. They are 7.5 back, 10.5 out of the wild card. Price shouldn’t be too high and he’s signed for 2012.
I agree, have the surgery today Alex
Okay. I guess that I must have forgotten about his stint at short for us. I was thinking of his famous intentional throw into the stands to force a trade back in the nineties. Thanks for clearing that up..
Oh I remember that too…he threw one over Tony Clark’s head in ’04 and I was cracking up.
Sheffield could hit, but man he was such an a**h*le…
Vazquez is barely hitting .250 with 70 strikeouts in his last 180 at bats.
Let’s aquire Reyes, move DJ to 3rd and ARod to DH? That seriously makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
IF anything like that were to happen, you would put the person least capable of good defense as a DH, not put a person just because they can hit. Jeter would be the DH in that case, no ARod.
—
I don’t think ARod not playing will cause us to automatically not make the playoffs. The only player I can say that about at this point, is CC.