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July 26, 2004

Under The Knife

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

by Will Carroll

The Jet Lag Tour continues, but UTK never sleeps. Heading into the trade deadline, injuries become even more important than normal, as contending teams attempt to fill gaps, evaluate their assets, and roll the dice on a stretch-run. There are a lot of rumors swirling around, and we may even see another Randy Myers-type deal sometime in August. For now, we'll focus on the injuries that have happened.

So, powered by my own incredibly broad bandwidth, on to the injuries...

• Lots of e-mailers asked about reports that Jason Giambi was tested for cancer last week. Giambi's been poked, prodded, and had every test known to man conducted over the last few weeks, including ones for cancer. As yet, there is still no solid diagnosis, post-parasitic. Since giardia is easily cleared up, and the body recovers quickly, the symptoms intransigence is puzzling. At some point, we may have to ask whether Giambi is dealing with a condition or merely has lost the skills necessary to play baseball at this level.

• Bone marrow edema isn't a diagnosis heard every day. In baseball, it's now a singular event, afflicting Magglio Ordonez, who just returned from knee surgery. Also called "transient osteoporosis," the edema is not just a short-term problem for the Sox' outfielder, it's also bad in the long-term; BME is a predictor of serious arthritis, gait imbalances, and increased risk for fractures near the affected bones. It's not good for the White Sox, for Ordonez, or Ordonez's agent, but it's not life-threatening, as some have feared. It could be managed in a way that could allow Ordonez back on the field, but as there is nothing with which to compare this, I have no way of putting a timeline on it.

• The Phillies seem to make their own problems, but the loss of Billy Wagner down the stretch could be crippling. Wagner has often hid injuries in the past, and with the latest shoulder problem, Phillies sources tell me that the left-hander definitely downplayed it. Wagner's pitching shoulder is not responding to the cortisone shots, so the DL is a distinct possibility. The Phillies hope to make a decision no later than Tuesday.

• The Reds may get their outfield back in place by mid-August, even if that's too late for this year. With Wily Mo Pena establishing himself, it will be interesting to see how Dave Miley works Austin Kearns back into the rotation, while spotting Ken Griffey Jr. out. The Reds surprised early, but building late is much more important. Griffey is making progress, running the bases with progressively more speed and explosiveness.

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