202 replies to this topic

[Rasputin]

A couple reports on Twitter indicating it is a torn abductor muscle and he is going to see if he can hit with it tomorrow and if not, 3-4 weeks on DL.

[E5 Yaz]

edes ./ Pedroia meeting now with doctor, trainer GM and manager

[shepard50]

FWIW, that's the injury that ended Youkilis' 2010 season.

[BannedbyNYYFans.com]

If they know it's a torn muscle, what's the point of having him try and hit tomorrow?

[Buzzkill Pauley]

If they know it's a torn muscle, what's the point of having him try and hit tomorrow?

It's not torn enough yet?

[Rasputin]

If they know it's a torn muscle, what's the point of having him try and hit tomorrow?

Yeah, I don't get it either.

I have a hard time believing someone is going to be able to hit decently with an improperly attached thumb.

[BannedbyNYYFans.com]

It's not torn enough yet?

Exactly. If he can swing the bat and they just let him try to play through it, isn't it just gonna get worse? Great, this way he'll be placed on the 60 day DL come mid July.

[mabrowndog]

In his interview with reporters, it's hard to tell whether Pedroia says "abductor" or "adductor". The former opens the thumb from the hand, the latter closes it.

[BannedbyNYYFans.com]

Some good news about the tear in comparison to Youk's injury...

[PrometheusWakefield]

Better to lose him for 3 or 4 weeks now than have him ineffective all year.

[Doctor G]

If Dustin does go on the DL they will probably go with Ciriaco who at least has been getting regular ABs at Pawtucket and has been playing second. really can't expect much from Punto given the limited at bats he has gotten up to this point.

[The Gray Eagle]

Exactly. If he can swing the bat and they just let him try to play through it, isn't it just gonna get worse? Great, this way he'll be placed on the 60 day DL come mid July.

Yes. This is incredibly stupid. He's hurt, he should go on the DL, get better, and come back and kick ass. He's already tried playing through it for three weeks, and it's gotten worse, while he's hit like crap.

Hmm, what will happen if he tries to keep playing through it now that it's worse? He'll keep hitting like crap while the injury continues to not heal.

Is this team going to be wise with this injury or are they going to be foolish? How many times do these things have to keep happening before everyone wises up?

The very last thing they need to do is ask Pedroia his opinion on what should be done. His thumb could be entirely torn off and he would still think that he could go out there and play. And he could, he would just hit like garbage. Which he will do if he tries to play through this. He already has shown that, and now the injury is worse. Time to face reality. Get it fixed and let him come back strong.

[bosockboy]

My guess....they are going to try and get him through until Ellsbury/Crawford returns and if not better then, DL him. They should just bite the bullet, its a favorable stretch of home and interleague games coming up.

[JimBoSox9]

Better to lose him for 3 or 4 weeks now than have him ineffective all year.

This, and if only that had occurred to them three weeks ago, we'd be looking around the corner for his return. His slump obviously coincides with the injury. It shouldn't have taken them more than a week to decide that playing through the injury wasn't working. Fucking DL him and get him healthy. It's unbelievable that they made this mistake AGAIN.

[cornwalls@6]

But what about the sellout streak??!! It'll be in grave danger if one of the 2 most popular players on the ballclub is out for 3-4 weeks!! Sadly, only half-kidding.

[mabrowndog]

In his interview with reporters, it's hard to tell whether Pedroia says "abductor" or "adductor". The former opens the thumb from the hand, the latter closes it.

Sean McAdam

‏@Sean_McAdam
Correction on Pedroia injury: it's tear in the "adductor'' muscle in his right thumb.

So it is indeed the closing muscle.

I'm confused as to why the team is apparently concerned only with his ability to hit. I would think his ability to grip the ball on throws will be challenged as well, and not just on transfers from his glove. How the hell is he supposed to take those soft tosses from Aviles barehanded and throw to first when turning the DP without launching the ball into the seats?

Edited by mabrowndog, 30 May 2012 - 09:22 AM.

[Buzzkill Pauley]

Sean McAdam



So it is indeed the closing muscle.

I'm confused as to why the team is apparently concerned only with his ability to hit. I would think his ability to grip the ball on throws will be challenged as well, and not just on transfers from his glove. How the hell is he supposed to take those soft tosses from Aviles barehanded and throw to first when turning the DP without launching the ball into the seats?

I'm confused as to why the team is still considering that his ability to hit (.244/.271/.267 over the last 14 days) might magically return to above-Punto-level without mandating a DL trip to, you know, actually rest the muscle and allow it to heal up.

[Trlicek's Whip]

So it is indeed the closing muscle.

I'm confused as to why the team is apparently concerned only with his ability to hit. I would think his ability to grip the ball on throws will be challenged as well, and not just on transfers from his glove. How the hell is he supposed to take those soft tosses from Aviles barehanded and throw to first when turning the DP without launching the ball into the seats?

Not to mention the next time he dives all out and splays the hand out to instinctually stop his fall, brace or no brace, wouldn't that be enough of an unknown variable to NOT start him at risk of aggravating the injury?

[E5 Yaz]

I'm confused as to why the team is still considering that his ability to hit (.244/.271/.267 over the last 14 days) might magically return to above-Punto-level without mandating a DL trip to, you know, actually rest the muscle and allow it to heal up.

Just a guess, but they might know that rest alone isn't going to do enough to heal it and he'll need surgery. So it's one of those cases where he can't make it worse but it won't get better on its own. In which case, see what he can/can't do over the next few days, then move on

[Al Zarilla]

That "you can't make it worse" thing bothers me, always has. What if the guy unthinkingly starts favoring the wounded part and then screws up some other part of the body? I had a sore achilles for a while and walked with a slight limp. In a few days, the hip on the other side started acting up.

[Soxfan in Fla]

I'm confused as to why the team is still considering that his ability to hit (.244/.271/.267 over the last 14 days) might magically return to above-Punto-level without mandating a DL trip to, you know, actually rest the muscle and allow it to heal up.

Those numbers are pretty mediocre, but they are still .100 points above Punto level.

[uncannymanny]

it's one of those cases where he can't make it worse

This is just not true, and the past few seasons should have taught the team that.

I may have missed it upthread, but do any of the resident doctors know if this kind of injury definitely requires surgery at some point or is it actually possible for it to fully heal if he takes a DL trip?

(null)

[Worst Trade Evah]

Those numbers are pretty mediocre, but they are still .100 points above Punto level.

But not that far ahead of reasonable projections for Punto, who sucks, but shouldn't be expected to suck as badly as he has been. Punto's rZIP and uZIP projections for wOBA range between .278 and .294, either of which is better than Pedroia has managed lately. Sit Pedroia down and get him healthy. Playing through it is not going to end well; haven't we been through this with Cameron, Lackey, etc? I don't want to watch Pedroia out there rocking a sub .600 OPS for 3 months.

Edited by Worst Trade Evah, 30 May 2012 - 02:01 PM.

[Toe Nash]

Those numbers are pretty mediocre, but they are still .100 points above Punto level.

Also, if you go back another week (he said it bothered him for three weeks, not two, right?) he's either at .272/.299/.358 or .286/.333/.417, depending if you include May 7 when he had a HR or not.

His defense has still looked good. Even at his "current" level he's probably our best option unless he gets significantly worse or has more pain or both.

[Buzzkill Pauley]

Those numbers are pretty mediocre, but they are still .100 points above Punto level.

Punto is a career .247/.324/.325 hitter.

So lil' Nicky's actually projectable for offense about .100 OPS points above Pedroia's last two weeks.

[DaveRoberts'Shoes]

This is just not true, and the past few seasons should have taught the team that.

I may have missed it upthread, but do any of the resident doctors know if this kind of injury definitely requires surgery at some point or is it actually possible for it to fully heal if he takes a DL trip?

(null)

If it is indeed a muscle strain, and it sounds like that's what it is, he shouldn't need surgery under any circumstance. It basically comes down to how painful it is and how functional he can be with it. If he continues to struggle with it as he has for the last few weeks, I'd think they would DL him

[Buzzkill Pauley]

His defense has still looked good. Even at his "current" level he's probably our best option unless he gets significantly worse or has more pain or both.

No, the team's best option is to rest Pedroia, get production equivalent to what he could provide with the injury for the next two weeks, and have him return at 80-100%.

Yes, it would suck for Pedroia to go on the DL, but with this an injury likely to get worse with batting/diving stresses, this should be a slam dunk decision.

[Toe Nash]

No, the team's best option is to rest Pedroia, get production equivalent to what he could provide with the injury for the next two weeks, and have him return at 80-100%.

Yes, it would suck for Pedroia to go on the DL, but with this an injury likely to get worse with batting/diving stresses, this should be a slam dunk decision.

Well, since Buzzkill knows the best course of action I guess we should all just shut up and stop pointing out other possibilities.

Edit: To add some substance, it seems possible that Punto is getting cooked. He's making less contact (79% compared to 88% career) and striking out more (29.6% compared to 16.5%) so far than ever before. I'm not sure we should expect his career #s going forward.

If it was a slam dunk to DL Pedroia they would have done it by now.

Edited by Toe Nash, 30 May 2012 - 03:09 PM.

[mabrowndog]

If it is indeed a muscle strain, and it sounds like that's what it is, he shouldn't need surgery under any circumstance.

This is where the semantics of medical terminology become confusing to us laypersons. I've been told a "strain" is a "tear", but that there are varying degrees. It's just that we non-doctors habitually delineate them with concrete visualizations, like "bending" vs "breaking".

When we hear "strain" we're left with the impression that the muscle/tissue/tendon/etc. is still functionally intact, and that it was perhaps stretched a little beyond its normal or comfortable usage limits.

When we hear "tear", we immediately assume there's a significant level of separation or detachment damage. Even the phrase "slight tear" always sounds more severe than a "strain". When we don't hear the word "slight", in most cases we further assume surgery is required to make proper repairs.

I wish you and your colleagues would make up your damned minds.

Edited by mabrowndog, 30 May 2012 - 03:09 PM.

[Buzzkill Pauley]

Well, since Buzzkill knows the best course of action I guess we should all just shut up and stop pointing out other possibilities.

Oh come on. Pedroia's got a muscular injury that's likely to get worse over time, as he continues stressing the area through the simple act of playing the game. As you pointed out, his production has been going down steadily over the three weeks timeframe that he's had the injury.

4-week split: .296/.360/.429 (.789 OPS)
3-week split: .272/.299/.358 (.657 OPS)
2-week split: .244/.271/.267 (.538 OPS)

If there weren't a medical reason for this, it'd be simple enough to attribute it to a slump. And sure enough, his 1-week splits are better than his 2-week splits. But still well below his career norms, and bolstered by a great walk rate because he's still showing no ability to drive the ball (.286/.375/.286).

So aside from scoring macho-points with the Drew-haters, I can't see why the Sox would want to treat this any other way than the most logical: DL Pedroia for the minimum time, hold your nose and play Punto, call up Spears or Ciriaco to back up the middle infield, and activate Pedroia after his thumb's muscle fibers have had a chance to knit under immobilization.

[Alcohol&Overcalls]

So aside from scoring macho-points with the Drew-haters, I can't see why the Sox would want to treat this any other way than the most logical: DL Pedroia for the minimum time, hold your nose and play Punto, call up Spears or Ciriaco to back up the middle infield, and activate Pedroia after his thumb's muscle fibers have had a chance to knit under immobilization.

There are tons of reasons for taking alternative action, the most obvious being:

- They know more about the injury and its effects (or lack thereof) on the player, and feel the causation link between it and the slump isn't as strong as you clearly believe. Obviously, this could be right or wrong.

- The team feels 70% of Pedroia, even driving the ball with zero authority, is superior to any of the replacements, and that the fractions of a win garnered in this situation are worth going for given the team's position and the rest of the roster.

- Pain management techniques could relieve the issues leading to slumping, whether in whole or in part.

- They don't fear any further injury, so rather than committing to 15 days immediately, they'll give him a few attempts to right his particular ship, giving them only opportunity cost as the downside.

- The immediate above, with the added rider that the player himself would like to give it a go, allowing his wishes to be met within the same slanted-toward-reward/away-from-risk scenario.

And etc.

We could just as easily flip the rhetoric to say "Other than to appease the Tom Gill haters and show how careful they're being ..." but the most common thing is pretty simple: spending a day or two to make sure that sitting 15 is really necessary. The cost is the same number of games on the backside - the pot odds are like 5:1.

[Buzzkill Pauley]

We could just as easily flip the rhetoric to say "Other than to appease the Tom Gill haters and show how careful they're being ..." but the most common thing is pretty simple: spending a day or two to make sure that sitting 15 is really necessary. The cost is the same number of games on the backside - the pot odds are like 5:1.

And yet, the longer they spend to make sure that sitting 15 is really necessary, the longer they go with a short bench. With no backup middle infielder remaining on the 25-man roster, the roster-spot cost is far more critical than the 5-6 games lost to Pedroia.

Who plays 2B tonight, if either Aviles or Punto goes down on a HBP or a takeout slide in the 2nd inning? A broken Pedroia, ready and willing to exacerbate his thumb from 3 weeks recovery time to 6?

[mabrowndog]

Bradford

According to a team source, Dustin Pedroia is targeting next Monday's off day as the date in which a determination will be made if the second baseman is to play with his injured right thumb. Pedroia was optimistic that he would not be going on the 15-day disabled list due to a slight tear in his thumb's adductor muscle.

Pedroia, who did take a few swings Tuesday, will not swing a bat for the next few days while the swelling and bruising subsides. He was outfitted with a specially-made brace -- made by technicians at Newton-Wellesley Orthopedic Associates earlier in the day Wednesday -- which he will use when he begins hitting again. While not swinging a bat, Pedroia has been instructed wear a more cumbersome brace.

Pedroia said that the initial injury occurred in the Red Sox' May 2 game against Oakland when he fouled off a 2-0 fastball from Ryan Cook the seventh inning. After that game, X-rays taken on the Sox' second baseman's thumb didn't reveal the tear that an MRI taken Tuesday did.

Prior to Wednesday night's game against the Tigers, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine would only say that the team is taking the injury one day at a time, and did suggest there was a possibility Pedroia could play in the field if needed.

So that's a full week with a short roster. Crap.

Edited by mabrowndog, 30 May 2012 - 07:25 PM.

[Alcohol&Overcalls]

And yet, the longer they spend to make sure that sitting 15 is really necessary, the longer they go with a short bench. With no backup middle infielder remaining on the 25-man roster, the roster-spot cost is far more critical than the 5-6 games lost to Pedroia.

Who plays 2B tonight, if either Aviles or Punto goes down on a HBP or a takeout slide in the 2nd inning? A broken Pedroia, ready and willing to exacerbate his thumb from 3 weeks recovery time to 6?

So our disagreement is one of risk tolerance then, right? Because we've been carrying effectively no bench all year, at least in terms of appearances (and success) - I'm willing to tolerate the small chance of injury for the small upside of not using the 15 day.

[DaveRoberts'Shoes]

This is where the semantics of medical terminology become confusing to us laypersons. I've been told a "strain" is a "tear", but that there are varying degrees. It's just that we non-doctors habitually delineate them with concrete visualizations, like "bending" vs "breaking".

When we hear "strain" we're left with the impression that the muscle/tissue/tendon/etc. is still functionally intact, and that it was perhaps stretched a little beyond its normal or comfortable usage limits.

When we hear "tear", we immediately assume there's a significant level of separation or detachment damage. Even the phrase "slight tear" always sounds more severe than a "strain". When we don't hear the word "slight", in most cases we further assume surgery is required to make proper repairs.

I wish you and your colleagues would make up your damned minds.

Well, I guess you should come to the SaberSeminar, then...

Strains involve muscles, sprains are ligament injuries (i.e., you sprain your ankle, you strain your hamstring). In some cases, things are either torn or they aren't, for example the ACL - it's exceedingly rare to have a true partial tear of the ACL), but for the most part there are varying degrees. Most things in orthopedics have grades 1, 2 or 3 (we're basically glorified carpenters, we can't count very high) - for example, the MCL of the knee - a grade 1 is a true "sprain", where there is no actual disruption but the ligament is injured enough to cause inflammation and pain. A grade 2 is a partial tear, and a grade 3 is a full-thickness tear. Adding additional complexity is the fact that in some anatomic structures grade 3 injuries can heal (the MCL), but a full-thickness tear of the ACL will never heal.

With regards to Pedroia's injury, he has a partial tear of the muscle which should get better with time and should never require surgery - the question is, how much time would he need to be comfortable enough to swing the bat well. It's entirely possible he may be dealing with this to some degree or another for the rest of the year. Youkilis' injury was different because he actually tore the tendon off the bone - that would never heal on its own because the muscle causes the tendon to retract off the bone.

Freaking thumbs. Glad I'm not a hand surgeon.

[judyb]

So our disagreement is one of risk tolerance then, right? Because we've been carrying effectively no bench all year, at least in terms of appearances (and success) - I'm willing to tolerate the small chance of injury for the small upside of not using the 15 day.

It isn't just the injury risk, they can't even PH for Punto, and I'm not sure a week of injured Pedroia is likely to be worth the week of every PA Punto.

[Alcohol&Overcalls]

It isn't just the injury risk, they can't even PH for Punto, and I'm not sure a week of injured Pedroia is likely to be worth the week of every PA Punto.

Is there anybody available who projects as even marginally better than Punto? Granted, you or I would be hard-pressed to fail to live up to his current line, but what are the odds Ciriaco or etc. will be anything but sub-.600 OPS players?

No matter how long the bench is, the options will be terrible. That seems to be part of the thought process here - seeing if you can limit their damage.

[fineyoungarm]

Where did we end up about whether Aviles can play 2nd base competently? Never mind, I checked. He has played 150+ games at 2nd in the majors. I know that Iglesias is not setting the world on fire with his bat in Pawtucket, but is average is over .260 and obs mid .300's and ops over .600 - meh #s, but certainly superior to Punto's. Is Ig at SS and Aviles at 2nd not the way to go, if Pedroia goes on the DL?

Edited by fineyoungarm, 31 May 2012 - 06:23 AM.

[reggiecleveland]

I know we love our prospects, but moving a guy that has done a decent job for so a kid that can't hit can possibly be maybe a bit better than Pnto is a bad idea. I get that Punto is a whipping boy but insert "flair and grace" for "scrappy and gritty" and Iglesias is the same player now. Punto has actually had some stretches of getting on base in MLB. Hopefully Punto can get on base 30 percent of the time and play well in the field and the Sox can keep rolling until Pedroia recovers.

As a side note it makes me chuckle that some of the same people that feelt 450 ABs for Crawford were too small of a sample to say he was having a bad year last year are sure after 58 ABS Punto is a .412 OPS guy and not the .600-.650 guy he has been for his career.

[Buzzkill Pauley]

I know we love our prospects, but moving a guy that has done a decent job for so a kid that can't hit can possibly be maybe a bit better than Pnto is a bad idea. I get that Punto is a whipping boy but insert "flair and grace" for "scrappy and gritty" and Iglesias is the same player now. Punto has actually had some stretches of getting on base in MLB. Hopefully Punto can get on base 30 percent of the time and play well in the field and the Sox can keep rolling until Pedroia recovers.

Yep -- and Iglesias is injured now too. But the Sox still should be carrying one backup infielder able to field the middle of the diamond.

By keeping Pedroia off the DL, Sox are one bad HBP or strained hamstring away from seeing Podsednik at 2B.

[fineyoungarm]

The length of Iglesias' time on the bench is becoming worriesome - as is its "top secret" nature. Still until he went down, he was hitting over .300 for May and Carl Crawford never had a year like Punto did in 2007. Few have. Given Punto's plate appearances in 2012, it is not unreasonable to think that this year is 2007 redux.

So, assuming Iglesias is not down for more than a few additional games (big assumption), yeah - from the comfort of my dean I endorse playing him at SS and moving Aviles to 2nd - and giving Pedroia's thumb time to heal.

If Pedroia can play soon, but that slows the recovery and gives us a .240 hitter with meh power, he should go on the DL and heal. The team, amazingly, is in the thick of it. If it can stay within 5 games until he is close to 100%, then having him back at that level - well there are some real possibilities here.

[MyDaughterLovesTomGordon]

Strains involve muscles, sprains are ligament injuries (i.e., you sprain your ankle, you strain your hamstring). In some cases, things are either torn or they aren't, for example the ACL - it's exceedingly rare to have a true partial tear of the ACL), but for the most part there are varying degrees. Most things in orthopedics have grades 1, 2 or 3 (we're basically glorified carpenters, we can't count very high) - for example, the MCL of the knee - a grade 1 is a true "sprain", where there is no actual disruption but the ligament is injured enough to cause inflammation and pain. A grade 2 is a partial tear, and a grade 3 is a full-thickness tear. Adding additional complexity is the fact that in some anatomic structures grade 3 injuries can heal (the MCL), but a full-thickness tear of the ACL will never heal.

Can this be pinned like the using WAR thing? First sprain vs. strain thing I've seen that made sense to me and was easy to explain. This might help us discuss injuries more intelligently.

[Doctor G]

The length of Iglesias' time on the bench is becoming worriesome - as is its "top secret" nature. Still until he went down, he was hitting over .300 for May and Carl Crawford never had a year like Punto did in 2007. Few have. Given Punto's plate appearances in 2012, it is not unreasonable to think that this year is 2007 redux.

So, assuming Iglesias is not down for more than a few additional games (big assumption), yeah - from the comfort of my dean I endorse playing him at SS and moving Aviles to 2nd - and giving Pedroia's thumb time to heal.

If Pedroia can play soon, but that slows the recovery and gives us a .240 hitter with meh power, he should go on the DL and heal. The team, amazingly, is in the thick of it. If it can stay within 5 games until he is close to 100%, then having him back at that level - well there are some real possibilities here.

It doesn't make sense to expose Aviles to potential injury at second base when you have Ciriaco available to fill in for Dustin Pedroia. If Aviles gets taken out on a DP you compound the problem of Pedroia's injury.
Ciriaco is hitting .302 and has been the primary second baseman for the Pawsox.

[Toe Nash]

Yep -- and Iglesias is injured now too. But the Sox still should be carrying one backup infielder able to field the middle of the diamond.

By keeping Pedroia off the DL, Sox are one bad HBP or strained hamstring away from seeing Podsednik at 2B.

1. if Punto gets beaned, wouldn't you move Aviles to 2nd, Middlebrooks to short and Youk to third (Or WMB to second, I guess) before making an outfielder play the infield? Would WMB out of position be that bad? Honestly, I'm not sure, but it seems like he could make most routine plays and may only have issues on footwork around the bag, making the DP turn and maybe backing up plays. I mentioned short because it's on the same side of the infield as he normally plays. His range wouldn't be as good but he's pretty fast on the bases and as we know from his fielding at third he has quick reactions.

2. It would be one game, and probably just a portion of it, that you'd have to play this defensive alignment. If his expected UZR is -30 / 150 games you're costing the team at most 0.2 runs. And what's the chance of this happening, one in 25 games at worst? So by not Dling Pedroia you're costing maybe a 20% chance of costing the team less than a run. If Pedroia can miss a DL trip and play 5 games he's probably that much better than Ciriaco that it's worth that.

You rarely see teams PH for their catcher because they're worried about the risk of their second catcher being hurt, but catching is a pretty specialized skill. I don't see the same risk with other positions, even middle infield.

[fineyoungarm]

It doesn't make sense to expose Aviles to potential injury at second base when you have Ciriaco available to fill in for Dustin Pedroia. If Aviles gets taken out on a DP you compound the problem of Pedroia's injury.
Ciriaco is hitting .302 and has been the primary second baseman for the Pawsox.

My sense was that the big club was interested in getting a look at Iglesias at the major league level - but that may be largely the result of SoSH talk. Also, he's on the 40 man roster unlike Ciriaco - hardly conclusive, I know.

Mired here in New Orleans, I thought Tony Thomas was the primary 2nd baseman. (Another guy not on the 40 man roster, for whatever that is worth.)

I hope you realized that having expressed your thoughts about the dangers of playing 2nd you have angered the baseball gods, who may now act to have Aviles injured, during some routine play at SS.

About the talk of trying WMB at SS - has he played the position, or is the idea that, given his athleticism, he should be adequate?

[Buzzkill Pauley]

About the talk of trying WMB at SS - has he played the position, or is the idea that, given his athleticism, he should be adequate?

WMB was a shortstop in high school, five years ago. Immediately after being drafted, he was converted to 3B in XST, even before being placed at Lowell.

It's possible that the team could put him there in an emergency. But fielding an IF of AG-Punto/Aviles-WMB-Youk seems pretty silly to me, especially when the team's dedicated to immobilizing Pedroia's thumb for 7 days anyways.

Playing Punto over an injured Pedroia for an extra week just doesn't seem worth not carrying a utility infielder for 6 games. I guess I'm just risk-averse on this. I hated BobbyV carrying 8 pitchers in the pen for exactly the same reason.

[DaveRoberts'Shoes]

Can this be pinned like the using WAR thing? First sprain vs. strain thing I've seen that made sense to me and was easy to explain. This might help us discuss injuries more intelligently.

That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me all week

[E5 Yaz]

That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me all week

You owe him $10

[Reverend]

That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me all week

And yet, being a surgeon means never having to say, "Thank you."

I think what's lost in this discussion is that, as much as the board dislikes him, there very fact that Punto is on the team ought to be taken as prima facie evidence that the guys running the club don't think the other guys are ready yet.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

WMB was a shortstop in high school, five years ago. Immediately after being drafted, he was converted to 3B in XST, even before being placed at Lowell.

It's possible that the team could put him there in an emergency. But fielding an IF of AG-Punto/Aviles-WMB-Youk seems pretty silly to me, especially when the team's dedicated to immobilizing Pedroia's thumb for 7 days anyways.

Playing Punto over an injured Pedroia for an extra week just doesn't seem worth not carrying a utility infielder for 6 games. I guess I'm just risk-averse on this. I hated BobbyV carrying 8 pitchers in the pen for exactly the same reason.

According to @AlexSpeier, Valentine said today that Middlebrooks will take some grounders at SS during BP as the emergency solution should Aviles or Punto go down. He's not in the lineup tonight.