One too many pitches like this one can do anyone in, even Wainwright (source: Associated Press)
When you hear that Nick Punto will be out twelve weeks due to injury, it’s like hearing that your Uncle Vinnie is getting a mole removed from his ass; you shrug and mumble, “okay, whatever.” But when you hear that Adam Wainwright’s increasingly tender right elbow – the one he throws with, mind you – has suddenly snapped and he’s being checked out for a possible Tommy John surgery … well, let’s just say it’s a dark, dark day.
One of the questions muttered quietly among Cardinal Nation regarded the state of Wainwright’s elbow. He had been so steady throughout his Cardinal career – almost robotically good – that the repeated pains he’s felt in the elbow over the years gave fans concern. It obviously gave the club enough of a concern that they worked a clause into Wainwright’s contract paying him significant money if he manages to avoid the disabled list this year. How long could we possibly expect Waino’s elbow to survive a repetitive strain injury like this?
Most doctors agree that it’s merely a matter of time for some players. Wainwright has been a hard-throwing curve ball specialist for his entire baseball career, and that puts significant stress on the elbow in ways that a knuckleball doesn’t. It’s probably likely that, barring a complete change in Wainwright’s mechanics and approach, this surgery would happen at some point in his career.
It’s just a bummer that it happened this year, which Wainwright will certainly miss. It takes 12-15 months to fully recover from the procedure.
Original Story:
http://redbirdrants.com/2011/02/23/wa...
