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Willingham reinjures back and setback till June 1


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CINCINNATI -- A couple of more weeks would be a more realistic time frame for Marlins left fielder Josh Willingham to get back on the field. On the disabled list since May 2, retroactive to April 28, Willingham talked about a best-case scenario being late May or June 1.

 

Willingham has been nursing a strained lower back. Last September, he was out of action because of a herniated disk.

 

"I think it's all correlated together," Willingham said. "What happens is, if you irritate the disk, it pushes on the nerve, and how the back reacts to that, is the muscles around it tighten up."

 

Willingham was eligible to be reinstated on Tuesday in Cincinnati, but he received a setback while taking a few swings in the batting cage on Monday. Before that bump in the road, the team was looking to get Willingham in a few rehab assignment games by Friday.

 

That timeline was thrown off course when Willingham aggravated his back injury.

 

"In my opinion, I might have been a little overanxious," he said. "I tried to do too much too soon, maybe, as far as swinging activities. Now I'm dealing with it."

 

Willingham has appeared in 25 games, and he was hitting .341 with six homers and 16 RBIs when he went down.

 

The Marlins were rained out on Thursday at Cincinnati, and the team will open Interleague Play on Friday against the Royals at Dolphin Stadium.

 

Willingham likely will see a doctor in the next couple of days to get another medical opinion. He consistently states that the back won't require surgery.

 

Recently, he received an epidural injection in his back.

 

Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

 

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In a way this is a blessing in disguise.

 

At least we (not us really, the front office) knows he's out for quite awhile. retro-actively put him on the 60 DL, clear a 40 man roster spot and bring someone in who can really contribute (Luis Gonzalez you've done more than your share this season and thank you, no disrespect meant).

 

I would bet this isn't the first shot of cortisone he's received since being DLed, just the most recent. If the first one didn't alleviate the problem this one is just a continuance of the same therapy. And as for his self-diagnosis, "gee, duh, ya think?" Of course it is.

 

Obviously Fredi would rather chew ground glass than play Carroll so you have to think Jones will be announced tomorrow if as nothing more than a stopgap (unless HE can't pass their physical) and the hunt will start in earnest for a legitimate fourth outfielder who can play everyday because an outfield of Gonzo, Ross and Hermida is totally unacceptable.

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It makes you wonder how long the team is going to be willing to ride this rollercoaster with Willingham (and Jacobs too for that matter). Early on I thought the club might trade him at some point but nowI think we'll keep him for the year. If they don't trade him I bet they're gonna push him to get that herniated disc fixed.

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It makes you wonder how long the team is going to be willing to ride this rollercoaster with Willingham (and Jacobs too for that matter). Early on I thought the club might trade him at some point but nowI think we'll keep him for the year. If they don't trade him I bet they're gonna push him to get that herniated disc fixed.

I wouldn't mind adding another left fielder for the future while trading Willingham for prospects.Chris Duncan or Jerry Owens could fill that spot nicely.Both are being squeezed out of the starting lineup by other players.Yet have great talent.

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You can't trade a guy on the DL. And even if he returns later in the season what team is really going to take a flyer on him with any kind of decent compensation.

 

 

I'm pretty positive you can trade a guy on the DL, just that most teams wouldn't accept it.

 

For instance Chris Denorfia was traded last year while on the DL.

 

Then again it was the 60 day DL, there might be a difference between 15/60 day when it comes to ability to trade.

 

It also isn't something where they could have taken him off the DL then traded him, because he wouldn't be eligibility to come off

 

http://www.rotoworld.com/Content/playerpag...MLb&id=4289

 

4/1: put on 15 day DL

4/13: transfered to 60 day DL

4/27: traded to A's

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It makes you wonder how long the team is going to be willing to ride this rollercoaster with Willingham (and Jacobs too for that matter). Early on I thought the club might trade him at some point but nowI think we'll keep him for the year. If they don't trade him I bet they're gonna push him to get that herniated disc fixed.

 

Trade him? They will then procede to both silence you by performing at their tops, trading them is something the Panthers or Dolphins would do... I would trust our management isnt that stupid.

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I was looking at denorfia and it seems he was actually injured in march and was never on the 2007 ml active roster. that may play a part in that particular case. there's also a clause that says that players on the dl can only be traded with the express permission (as opposed to simple "approval") of the commissioner's office.

 

I think I remember from somewhere this came about because the commissioner's office wanted to protect the integrity of the trade. It's one of the reasons that players can't be sent to the minors while on the dl, other than for a certain number of days for rehab. obviously at some point there was enough abuse of the system that the CO stepped in.

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If it means anything, I had three epidural injections, and they do help with back pain!

 

I have no doubt they help with the pain. But it isn't a cure. It's simply masking the problem. Hammer has chronic back problems and his remedy of just letting it rest isn't working. He let it rest over the off season and only made it about 6 weeks into the season. He needs to get it fixed, and as far as I know that means surgery. Yet here he is saying that it dosen't need that. Seems to me he is his own worst doctor.

 

As far as trading a player on the DL...I don't know the rule but I can't see why you can't do that. If you could find a team willing to take a guy with chronic back problems. Good luck with that.

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I didn't mean they would trade him while on the DL. I just mean that I think they were leary of his back issues before the season and if the right deal came along he would be expendable. If he can't stay healthy they're not going to keep him around , I don't care how well he plays when he's healthy. The problem is that everyone else is also aware of the back issues so I'm not sure how much trade value he has. Back problems are so unpredictable that nobody wants to gamble alot of money on players with that diagnosis. Look at McPhereson. The Angels decided to cut their losses. For us he was a cheap gamble but at least his back surgery is behing him. If Hammer is walking around with a bulging disc I don't think they are going to want to invest alot of money to keep him. IMO.

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I have no doubt they help with the pain. But it isn't a cure. It's simply masking the problem.

 

Actually Bob that's not how it works. Cortisone IS or can be therapeutic. Depending on the back (or joint) injury and where it's injected it can cure the problem.

 

When you get an epidural, a shot of cortisone as most people refer to it, you aren't really getting a shot of cortisone only, it's a "cocktail" of medications. The typical injection includes cortisone, lidocaine (that's the pain-killer), and any one or two other injury-specific drugs mixed together.

 

What it can't do is repair the muscular atrophy that sets in from lack of working out or use of the affected area. At this point one of the big things Willingham will have to overcome is getting back in playing shape before he attempts anymore batting practice, etc., that's why I think he's out for quite a while, regardless of whether the injections are successful or not.

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I think you have to be on the 60 day dl. it's one of those rules that requires research. I don't think you can be on an active roster and be traded while on the DL

2003 you are right once again, hell in the past it use to happen all the time. Not so much anymore in the era of the big contracts. Trading Hammer is not the answer, now Jake is a different story. Considering that the Marlins may wanna give Gabby Sanchez a serious look but you wouldn't trade Jake now. BTW I like Jake alot but he maybe better suited for the AL where he could DH, and not stress his wheels

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Disabled list

If a major league player cannot play because of a medical condition, he may be placed on the 15-day disabled list. The team then frees up a spot on its active major league roster of 25 players, and the player may not play for at least 15 consecutive days. An injured player may also be placed on the 60-day disabled list. The team then frees up a spot on both the active major-league roster and the 40-man roster; the player may not play for at least 60 consecutive days. Players on the 15-day disabled list are removed from the 25-man roster, but are still a part of the 40-man roster. Players on the 60-day disabled list do not count against either the 25-man or the 40-man roster.

 

Players placed on the 15-day disabled list may be moved to the 60-day list at any time, but not vice versa. Players may be placed on either disabled list retroactively for a maximum of 10 inactive days and may remain on either list for as long as required to recover. Injured players may not be traded without permission of the Commissioner nor may they be optioned to the minors, though they may be assigned to a minor league club for rehabilitation for a limited amount of time (30 days for pitchers, 20 for non-pitchers).

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_...s#Disabled_list

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