Jonathan Papelbon left Friday's game in the ninth inning with an apparent right shoulder injury.
Papelbon was working on a third straight day after throwing an inning with the Red Sox down by five runs on Wednesday. Maybe that had nothing to do with it, but the stupid usage pattern certainly couldn't have helped. The Red Sox will have to hope he merely strained a biceps or triceps muscle. If he's done for the year, Keith Foulke could close. He's throwing better than Mike Timlin.
Manager Terry Francona said Jonathan Papelbon felt a burning sensation in his shoulder before being removed from Friday's game in the ninth inning.
Papelbon wasn't still in pain after the game, which may be a good sign. Perhaps the best-case scenario here would be some sort of pinched nerve. He was shaking his hand after getting hurt, suggesting a momentarily loss of feeling. The worst-case scenarios are major rotator-cuff or labrum tears, sidelining him well into 2007. It could be a couple of days before the Red Sox know anything for sure. For what it's worth, Papelbon didn't seem to think it was an especially significant injury.
I hope he isn't hurt seriously...I am in a tight race for saves right now and need him to be healthy...couldn't stand using either Timlin or Foulke anyway...
Whether Jonathan Papelbon has an MRI on his shoulder will depend on how he feels Saturday. He currently believes he's day-to-day with a strain.
"Basically, I felt it a couple of pitches before I actually felt the larger strain," Papelbon said. "Right now, we don't really know what's going on. It's just basically some sort of strain in my shoulder. That's basically what we're going to go on right now." If it's really just a day-to-day thing, Papelbon should consider himself extremely fortunate. Continuing to pitch after he originally felt the strain was the height of foolishness. "The doctors and the trainers think it's just a fatigue issue," he said. "Hopefully, it is, and I'll be back in a few days. That would be the best-case scenario. So that's what I'm looking for and hoping for."
I know everyone is (including the team) is speculating on a strained muscle but that's not what his reaction on the mound looked like to me. He reacted immediately as if he had a sharp pain and grabbed the back of his neck toward the right shoulder - not the shoulder itself. After the initial reaction he didn't seem to be in much distress at all. Now maybe he's a really tough guy and even though he strained the muscle he was just keeping his cool out there. But just based on his reaction I immediately thought that he'd pinched a nerve in the area between the back, neck and shoulder. I would be shocked to see him pitch this weekend just because the season is lost for the Red Sox but if I'm right about it being a pinched nerve he shouldn't be out too much longer than that.
Jonathan Papelbon's MRI scheduled for Monday was pushed back to Tuesday because of the holiday.
They can get a police escort for a backup catcher any time they please, but finding a technician or two to look after one of the game's most dominant closers for an hour is a problem? Priorities, people.
Is it me or does anyone find it strange that Papelbon/Red Sox have taken this long to do this MRI?
An MRI on Jonathan Papelbon's shoulder revealed no major damage. The Red Sox are saying he experienced a slippage in his shoulder joint.
"Jonathan Papelbon continues to improve each day," Dr. Thomas Gill said in a statement. "Recent examination and testing are consistent with a transient subluxation event in the setting of a fatigued shoulder. After a period of rest, he will begin a shoulder strengthening program." The Red Sox didn't establish any sort of timetable for Papelbon's return. We're assuming that he'll miss at least the next two weeks, and unless the Red Sox are serious contenders by the middle of the month, there's a good chance he won't pitch again.
Cafe Home
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
by vykeengfan » Fri Sep 01, 2006 10:06 pm 
