Middlebrook's injury

[FredLynn]

I guess it is sore or bruised but not broken ribs. Still and all, to be honest having played both games with bruised ribs, I would prefer playing football to baseball with sore ribs. You know you are going to be hurting playing football but you can do some things without having an impact on performance. Hard to think of anything that you do in baseball that would not be more difficult and painful with bruised ribs and I would expect performance to not be as good until he heals up.

 

Well Jung, the PeskyPole blog is insinuating that Middlebrooks is playing with two broken ribs and managed to convince the Sox staff to lie about it so he wouldn't have to answer questions about it every night. This directly contradicts what Farrell told us ("there are no broken ribs"). Personally, I think Farrell is more credible, but who knows?

 

For whatever reason I am not being allowed to post the link to the blog, but here are the relevant paragraphs:

 

The Red Sox have dropped six of their last seven and the bandwagon is quickly emptying out. Bad luck, sloppy play, poor pitching and injuries have been the main issues. One of those injured is Will Middlebrooks. He is hurt much more than he or the Red Sox have led you to believe. An inside source has told me that Middlebrooks has two broken and separated ribs. The third baseman was and is hell bent on playing through it. Apparently he was able to convince the Red Sox to let him play but also to keep the details of his injury quiet.

 

Middlebrooks is the ultimate gamer and feels the team needs him out there. The Red Sox do not have many options to replace him at this point. Middlebrooks wanted to keep it quiet because he did not want to be questioned on a nightly basis about playing with two broken ribs

[Behindenemylines]

Middlebrooks playing like he is hurt.

[pcbsoxfan]

or perhaps big league pitching coaches have had a little time to figure out his swing has a buttload of holes in it, and he's just not even a decent hitter. bad fingers don't make you miss a pitch by two feet, or swing at 3-2 pitch barely above your toes. this kid is in a serious mental slump and he belongs in triple-a until he can prove he can hit his weight!

[a700hitter]

He's right on the Mendoza Line after tonight's game. He can't seem to stay over the Mendoza Line.

[jung]

We have a couple guys now with rib issues which really sucks. It will not be comfortable for either player. Honesty there is a real chance in both cases that this f***s with their swings. Swinging WILL hurt. As sure as I am sitting here, both players will take the needle before games if these injuries are as advertised. Not sure there is even another way to play for them.

 

As for WMB's problems at the plate, they are what they are. He has to discipline himself. We could be looking at a terrific hitter once he gets himself straightened out. Guys who can become what I hope he is, become all time great hitters. He has the physical tools. Hopefully, the effort to get him where he needs to go will be unwavering. I am a little concerned that he and those assisting him are just a bit off the mark in what they are trying to accomplish. That worries me mainly because of the potential I think is there and not far away far away for WMB.

 

I am much encouraged by the defensive improvements he has made in one off season. Clearly he is willing to work.

[Behindenemylines]

Between last season and this season Middlebrooks seems to have a hard time staying healthy. I hope when he returns from his current problem he can stay on the field. Even with a low batting average he still is a threat to go deep on any pitch.