Bye Bye Billie

[CalvnHobs6]

Red Sox 3B Mueller to miss 4-6 weeks with right knee injury

May 25, 2004
BOSTON (Ticker) - Boston Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller, last year's American League batting champion, is expected to miss four to six weeks with right knee patellar tendinitis.

The Red Sox on Tuesday placed Mueller on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 20, and will undergo arthroscopic surgery Friday in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dr. David Zeman, who operated on Mueller's left knee in March 2002, will perform the procedure.

"Billy has some mild degeneration and mild arthritis in (his right) knee cap," Red Sox team physician Bill Morgan said. "They will shave off the knee cap and clean out the area and get him into a rehab program after that."

"This is an injury I've been dealing with for some time and this will eliminate what I've been going through for the last few weeks," said Mueller, who is batting .262 with five homers and 21 RBI in 36 games. "I've dealt with swelling the last 16 or 17 days or so. I'm not going on the field if I'm limited or hurting the team."

Rookie Kevin Youkilis will continue to play third base in Mueller's absence.

To take Mueller's roster spot, the Red Sox recalled catcher-designated hitter Andy Dominique from Class AAA Pawtucket of the International League.


I'm actually okay with this. Youki gets to play a lot, and Andy Dominique has been a monster in Pawtucket. As much as I like Mueller, this gives the Sox a serious chance to take a look at Kevin. But I hope for Bill's sake it's not extremely serious and he makes a quick recovery.

[YanksHater213]

too bad, he wasnt playing all that well anyways. plus as you said, Youkilis is playing well there too

[yeszir]

While it sucks that we lose our 3b, I like the fact that this gives us an extended look at Youkilis. Hopefully it isn't too early for him, and he'll be able to deliver.

Do you think, come July, we'll want Youki over Mueller? What then?

[CalvnHobs6]

Trade bait, that's what. Remember, we have some serious trade bait in Kim and Mueller, as well as Damon (although it'd be nice if we could keep him, especially with how he's playing right now)

[JMDurron]

I think it's more likely that Mueller will be recovering just as pitchers across the AL figure out Youklis, who is a somewhat unknown quantity right now. But an extended look is always nice. :)

[RedSoxRooter]

Originally posted by CalvnHobs6@May 25 2004, 07:07 PM
Trade bait, that's what. Remember, we have some serious trade bait in Kim and Mueller, as well as Damon (although it'd be nice if we could keep him, especially with how he's playing right now)
Are you serious? Nobody wants Kim right now - he's not even in the US. Mueller is (incorrectly) judged as a One Year Wonder who's injury prone and may be out half the year. And Damon makes, and will make, entirely too much money to move. If anyone's "trade bait" it's Youkilis.

[GrassInZimsTeeth]

Does anyone besides me think the whole medical staff for the Red Sox is somewhat suspicious? I've never seen such ambiguity over injuries before. What exactly is Nomar's injury? We know it involves his leg, specifically his Achilles tendon, but what's wrong with it exactly? Is it torn, frayed, swollen, stretched? I've seen dozens of conflicting reports. Mark Prior had a "similar" injury, in the sense that it was to his Achilles, and is pitching rehab games in the minors. There were no questions as to when he'd be back. It's kinda like that wrist injury that they knew Nomar had in September 2000, let him go all offseason with it, comes into spring with it, plays virtually all spring with it and then BOOM just as the season starts he needs surgery. How does that work?

What exactly is Trot's injury? First his butt, then his back. Why is it they can nail down Mueller's time frame to 4-6 weeks, with a surgery already scheduled, but the with the superstars there's no details?

[yagmaster]

Very observent, Zim, I agree that the injuries thus far have been odd. Why is Nomar's injury keeping him out so long. Wasn't he supposed to miss THE FIRST WEEK, not the first half.

If this is the case, maybe the team should investigate a new medical staff. I'm sure there are others that can be more competent than the one we have now.

[RedSoxRooter]

I think it's in the best interest of the club to keep it quiet. It's a psychological thing when another team comes into town knowing your team is banged up.

We probably don't know the truth about Kim so that everyone thinks he's still of some value.

I'm convinced to this day that Pedro tore (more than just "slighly torn" or "frayed") his rotator cuff.

Nomar is being treated with kid gloves for other reasons. First, the longer he sits out, the better the chances are he may sign for a little less (anywhere), but especially in Boston. Management also will probably say anything he wants them to say to keep him happy and atone for the offseason.

Trots injury sounds to be the most honest - and why not? The sox have nothing to lose or gain by lying about it. He's had a history of back problems (minors), and pulled his leg late last year. I think the leg was probably pulled about as badly recently as it was when he missed a month last year.

Remember Lyons was dealt for some guy(...) and wound up needing surgery right away.

I personally think Mendoza is a head case and that's why he sucks and isn't playing. I don't think he's injured, but I think head cases are more troublesome value-wise than a minor injury here or there. So the sox say it's a hip or shoulder tendenitis, but really he just doesn't have the marbles to pitch anymore - at least in Boston. Plus keeping him out of site (same with Kim) lessens the perception of how bad those two deals (2years/10million for each) really turned out.

Anyway, I think it's PR, but for the value of the franchise and nothing more.

[Tek04]

in redsox terms...this means 6 months :)