Monday, July 19, 2004 |
Randy "DL" Johnson: A 2003 Retrospective
The drumbeat for Randy Johnson among Angels fans has started.
Ross Newhan in yesterday's Times said Arte's peregrinations around the park are now met with questions about Randy Johnson:
"They've always stopped me to say hello and kind of grade me on different things," Moreno said last week. "Some like this, others don't like that.Well, that's because he hasn't spoken with me yet. And that's also because those fans don't know what they're asking for. Will Carroll at Baseball Prospectus tracks injuries in his "Under the Knife" column; let's take a look at those. On April 22, 2003, Johnson was put on the DL for swelling of his knee, the one he uses to land on when he pitches. Then, the D'backs doctors decided he needed Synvisc (a synthetic lubricant) injections in his knee to keep the joint working. Then..."Now they're unanimous. They all want us to get Randy Johnson, and I'm getting blistered."
June 7, 2003: There are open questions about Randy Johnson, and Friday's UTK seems to have opened quite the can of worms surrounding the reigning Cy Young Award winner. As I reported, Johnson is having a series of injections to lubricate his knee and replace the missing cushion and lubrication that should naturally be there. The substance, Synvisc, is administered in a series of three injections, with the first performed Friday, the next scheduled on Tuesday and the final probably the next Friday. There are whispers coming from multiple sources that the Synvisc injections aren't the solution, but merely a stopgap measure to try and get Johnson through the season. The underlying problem is rumored to be an osteochondral defect and the normal therapy for that is a microfracture surgery or reconfiguration of the bone through an osteotomy.Please note, Marvin Benard -- Carroll's comp for Johnson's injury -- signed a minor-league contract with Toronto on May 18th. He has yet to play in the majors.The problem is similar to that of Mo Vaughn [emphasis mine], but a better recent comp is Marvin Benard. Benard had microfracture surgery, took about four months to get back into competitive shape, and has had some setbacks along the way. If Johnson can be babied through to the end of the season, he could have the more extensive surgery in the off-season. Still, despite the best efforts of a good Arizona medical staff, Johnson's knee could flare up under the unusual stresses placed on the plant leg of a power pitcher. There's nothing to say that the Unit can't do it, but if you're looking at risks, Johnson's red light just started flashing.
Johnson missed half a season last year due to injuries. And sure, he's working just fine this year -- so far. But who knows how long it will be before some other joint or tendon gives out. Is this really the pitcher you want on the mound?
In any case, why is it that Johnson has had a problem free season to this point? Can't the Angels put a trade together pending a thorough physical?
: 7/19/2004 03:41:00 PMNewer› ‹Older
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