Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Posted: 10:37 a.m.
By John R. FingerCSNPhilly.com
CLEARWATER, Fla.The good news is there is no danger in Dom Brown reinjuring the hamate bone in his right wrist.
Its gone.
Brown had the hamate in his right wrist excised on Tuesday morning by Dr. Randall Culp. Phillies athletic trainer Scott Sheridan said Brown is expected to miss four-to-six weeks of action on the diamond, he will have the stitches from surgery removed in 10 days, and that the left-handed hitting rightfielder will wear a removable splint for three-to-four weeks.
After that its really how he progresses toward hitting, Sheridan said.
The biggest issue for Brown, said Sheridan, will be how well he tolerates the scar tissue from surgery. Otherwise, most baseball players recover fully after having the hamate removed.
There are a lot of questions as to why these things happen. Is it the bat or the knob, but from what Ive seen over time a lot of guys used to hold the bat a little off the end and they used to think thats what caused it, Sheridan explained. But the bone does not have a lot of blood supply and its just the attrition of hitting and things we have seen in the game.
The Phillies have plenty of players who have undergone the surgery.
MLB
Ben Francisco, who was Browns main competition for the everyday rightfielders gig, also had his hamate removed.
There really is no long-term concern on these, Sheridan said. You just take it out and there is no chance to re-fracture it because it isnt there.
In other words, now that the hamate is gone, its up to Brown from here on out. Brown can take the splint off and he will begin cardio work when he returns to Clearwater on Wednesday. When the stitches come out, Brown can take swings and manage the scar tissue, but wont be able to face live pitching for weeks.
As far as the other big injury in Phillies camp goes, the team says it will have no new news on Chase Utleys knee tendonitis on Tuesday since general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was not in camp. Its possible an update could come sometime this week.
E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com
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