Polanco hurts elbow as Phillies' injuries mount

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Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Posted: 4:07 p.m.Updated: 4:50 p.m.
By Jim SalisburyCSNPhilly.com

DUNEDIN, Fla.Staying healthy is always the biggest challenge that a veteran baseball team faces as it grinds its way through a 162-game season.

The Phillies are still 2 weeks away from the start of the regular season and already are having trouble staying healthy.

Third baseman Placido Polanco joined second baseman Chase Utley, closer Brad Lidge and outfielder Domonic Brown in the infirmary on Tuesday when he injured his left elbow taking a swing in the first inning of their win over the Toronto Blue Jays (see box).

Polanco was diagnosed with a hyperextension of the elbow and returned to Clearwater for treatment. He said he did not believe the injury to be serious and predicted hed only miss a few days.

Its nothing bad, he said. Ive had it a million times before.

Polanco said the teams medical staff decided to take precaution and shut him down because the hyperextension occurred in the same area in which he had surgery in November. Polanco had a bone spur removed and tendon damage repaired during the surgery.

The fact that I had surgery in that elbow, we're being very safe, he said. We'll play it safe and see how it feels tomorrow and the next day.

Polanco, 35,does not believe the hyperextension aggravated any of the surgically repaired areas.

Probably not, he said. But you can develop some scar tissue there and we have to keep an eye on that, stretch it all the time and ice it. But it's right on the same spot. It didn't make it any worse. I mean, what I had there is gone. But remember, every time they open you and you have surgery, it's the not the same. Hopefully with a couple days off, some anti-inflammatory medicine and ice I should be back.

Its just a day-to-day thing. When I've had it before, I never stopped playing because of it. But I had surgery so they took me out.

The Phillies will be one of the oldest teams in the majors this season. Only one of their projected opening day starters, 29-year-old Ben Francisco, is under 30. The Phils hope their rash of spring-training injuries is not a sign of things to come.

I'm not worried about mine because I know how it feels, Polanco said. I've had it before and just by talking to the trainer and the doctor, it seems like I'm going to be back soon. Chase is the one that worries me. But he seems to be getting better, slowly but surely.Manager Charlie Manuel said he was not worried about the possibility of his team's age starting to show."Never," he said. "Seriously. I don't worry about that. I don't have time for that. They're not trying to get hurt. You have to stay focused on what you're trying to accomplish. Those things are part of the game."Utley, 32,is out with chronic patellar tendinitis in his right knee. The Phillies are exploring non-surgical remedies, but his status for opening day seems doubtful. Utley continues to take batting practice but is not running or fielding ground balls.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday that Utleys condition was the same. Amaro said that Lidge, who is fighting biceps tendinitis, played catch Tuesday, will do so again on Wednesday and may throw in the bullpen on Thursday, depending how he feels. Lidge is 34.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com

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