yeszir
04-03-2004, 09:21 AM
From: http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...to_garciaparra/ (http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2004/04/03/the_rest_appears_up_to_garciaparra/)
At Fenway Park yesterday to begin rehabilitation on his inflamed right Achilles' tendon, Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra said he will not be with his teammates in Baltimore for tomorrow night's season opener, even as a spectator.
Garciaparra, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday retroactive to March 26, said he will follow the plan of the medical staff: no baseball activity for two weeks. He does plan on continuing his workout program, which includes some pool work and weightlifting that do not put pressure on the heel, and he didn't rule out playing some catch during the "rest" period, vowing he'll be in baseball shape when he is able to return.
"If there's a time to take care of it," he said, "you take care of it now so it doesn't prolong and carry into the season and be a factor later on, and have to take three weeks off when you're right in the thick of things."
Garciaparra, who played only 21 games in 2001, when he underwent wrist surgery, thinks this time away from the game will be frustrating, but clearly not as bad as his prior prolonged absence.
"It's going to be real difficult," he said. "I don't like to sit and watch. That's where I am at right now, sitting and watching. At the same time, I'm also focused on what I have to do. The good thing is we have a plan on what we'd like to do. `Weeks' is just a thrown-out-there time frame. To put out a time frame for any injury is kind of tough, but the goal of the athlete is to reach it or be back before. The injury will tell you when it's ready. I want to be smart with that aspect of it, but at the same time there is a plan and what I have to do to move forward."
Garciaparra, who plans on being around the ballpark when the team is at home, began experiencing pain in the heel after being hit with a ball during batting practice in Fort Myers, Fla., March 5. He tried to play after that, but shut it down for good March 17. He went hitless in eight spring training at-bats. An MRI last week revealed no structural damage but a mild case of tendinitis, according to team doctor Bill Morgan.
Garciaparra didn't feel he did further harm to the injury when he was hitting and taking grounders. "I didn't feel it, but as I went out to do more baseball activities, such as running, I would feel it more and more," he said. "If I could play this game without running . . . Shutting it down is better than anything, so I'm not putting any stress on it, so I can give it complete time to heal and complete time to rest rather than just little by little and it taking it longer."
Garciaparra said Morgan and specialists have agreed that rest is the best prescription. "It's kind of in a unique area. . . . When you have inflammation, it's tough to get it out because there isn't a lot of blood flow going through that area," Garciaparra said. "So it takes a long time to come out, but once it's out, I can put it behind me."
Garciaparra feels the Sox can get by for a month without him and Trot Nixon, who is out with a mildly herniated disk in his back, as long as both can return in a reasonable amount of time. "I'm not concerned," Garciaparra said. "We have injuries, and that's part of the game. The good sign is that they're now and we can address them. Take care of these now. There's a lot of baseball to be played. We have to look at the big picture."
Asked if he would welcome negotiation on a contract extension while he is sidelined, Garciaparra said, "I'm not worried about their thinking. The season is starting, and I'm focused on the season. The focus is on the season and for me to get back healthy and playing."
Nomar reiterates the "look at the big picture" mentality.
At Fenway Park yesterday to begin rehabilitation on his inflamed right Achilles' tendon, Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra said he will not be with his teammates in Baltimore for tomorrow night's season opener, even as a spectator.
Garciaparra, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday retroactive to March 26, said he will follow the plan of the medical staff: no baseball activity for two weeks. He does plan on continuing his workout program, which includes some pool work and weightlifting that do not put pressure on the heel, and he didn't rule out playing some catch during the "rest" period, vowing he'll be in baseball shape when he is able to return.
"If there's a time to take care of it," he said, "you take care of it now so it doesn't prolong and carry into the season and be a factor later on, and have to take three weeks off when you're right in the thick of things."
Garciaparra, who played only 21 games in 2001, when he underwent wrist surgery, thinks this time away from the game will be frustrating, but clearly not as bad as his prior prolonged absence.
"It's going to be real difficult," he said. "I don't like to sit and watch. That's where I am at right now, sitting and watching. At the same time, I'm also focused on what I have to do. The good thing is we have a plan on what we'd like to do. `Weeks' is just a thrown-out-there time frame. To put out a time frame for any injury is kind of tough, but the goal of the athlete is to reach it or be back before. The injury will tell you when it's ready. I want to be smart with that aspect of it, but at the same time there is a plan and what I have to do to move forward."
Garciaparra, who plans on being around the ballpark when the team is at home, began experiencing pain in the heel after being hit with a ball during batting practice in Fort Myers, Fla., March 5. He tried to play after that, but shut it down for good March 17. He went hitless in eight spring training at-bats. An MRI last week revealed no structural damage but a mild case of tendinitis, according to team doctor Bill Morgan.
Garciaparra didn't feel he did further harm to the injury when he was hitting and taking grounders. "I didn't feel it, but as I went out to do more baseball activities, such as running, I would feel it more and more," he said. "If I could play this game without running . . . Shutting it down is better than anything, so I'm not putting any stress on it, so I can give it complete time to heal and complete time to rest rather than just little by little and it taking it longer."
Garciaparra said Morgan and specialists have agreed that rest is the best prescription. "It's kind of in a unique area. . . . When you have inflammation, it's tough to get it out because there isn't a lot of blood flow going through that area," Garciaparra said. "So it takes a long time to come out, but once it's out, I can put it behind me."
Garciaparra feels the Sox can get by for a month without him and Trot Nixon, who is out with a mildly herniated disk in his back, as long as both can return in a reasonable amount of time. "I'm not concerned," Garciaparra said. "We have injuries, and that's part of the game. The good sign is that they're now and we can address them. Take care of these now. There's a lot of baseball to be played. We have to look at the big picture."
Asked if he would welcome negotiation on a contract extension while he is sidelined, Garciaparra said, "I'm not worried about their thinking. The season is starting, and I'm focused on the season. The focus is on the season and for me to get back healthy and playing."
Nomar reiterates the "look at the big picture" mentality.