Pujols to have Tommy John?

[Benchwarmer]

I guess the rumors are that Pujols is going to see Dr. Andrews next week and possibly be looking at TJ surgery. I believe he was told last October, when he had minor surgery, that TJ was needed and he put it off. He apparently has 2 years left on his contract and would certainly have it done before he becomes a FA.

 

Even if he has it today, he probably wouldn't be ready to go until next June at the earliest. If Holliday doesn't sign and Pujols is out for 3-4 months, could be a break for us.

[SouthSideRyan]

I guess the rumors are that Pujols is going to see Dr. Andrews next week and possibly be looking at TJ surgery. I believe he was told last October, when he had minor surgery, that TJ was needed and he put it off. He apparently has 2 years left on his contract and would certainly have it done before he becomes a FA.

 

Even if he has it today, he probably wouldn't be ready to go until next June at the earliest. If Holliday doesn't sign and Pujols is out for 3-4 months, could be a break for us.

 

Comeback from TJS is way quicker for position players. I believe when Womack had it he didn't miss any time, and he had to make more throws than Pujols would. I doubt he'd miss any time.

[rocket]

better go ahead and do the other elbow too just to be safe.

[treebird]

i hope that mr. pujols' elbow doesn't get infected and lead to his untimely demise

[A-Cal]

i hope they get it cleared up and he doesn't have to miss any time whatsoever

 

yes, i am a pujols fan and i will be unless he comes up dirty

[BCVM22]

better go ahead and do the other elbow too just to be safe.

 

Both knees too, just be be sure.

[RedFlash]

At his age, could Pujols even survive surgery?

[cardinalsfan]

Doctors (and Cardinals) recommended Pujols to do TJS before 2009 season started and he declined. This is nothing new. Everybody know his elbow will give up one day. What the docs said was, it could be tomorrow or it could be after 20 years. No one can predict. That's why docs said better do TJS before his elbow gives up. But Pujols declined and I expect him to decline it this year as well. Just hoping and praying that his elbow will hold up through his playing career.

[imb]

maybe he'll go the way of kanye's mom and i can update my picture

[Clem Fandango]

Doctors (and Cardinals) recommended Pujols to do TJS before 2009 season started and he declined. This is nothing new. Everybody know his elbow will give up one day. What the docs said was, it could be tomorrow or it could be after 20 years. No one can predict. That's why docs said better do TJS before his elbow gives up. But Pujols declined and I expect him to decline it this year as well. Just hoping and praying that his elbow will hold up through his playing career.

 

I know it's not true, but the small conspiracy theorist in me believes that all of these potentially career threatening injuries that Pujols has are made up by the Cardinals to convince the public that at any point Pujols could be ruined, and as a result makes opposing teams assume he's lost a step so they aren't afraid to pitch to him instead of walking him the whole time. 5 years ago it was his plantar fasciitis that was going to be the dooming of his career since that's what put McGwire out. Now that's a non-issue, and instead it's his elbow.

 

Whatever, the man is a freak. He's gonna hit bombs until he's 50.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I know it's not true, but the small conspiracy theorist in me believes that all of these potentially career threatening injuries that Pujols has are made up by the Cardinals to convince the public that at any point Pujols could be ruined, and as a result makes opposing teams assume he's lost a step so they aren't afraid to pitch to him instead of walking him the whole time. 5 years ago it was his plantar fasciitis that was going to be the dooming of his career since that's what put McGwire out. Now that's a non-issue, and instead it's his elbow.

 

The Cardinals should be so lucky as to have Pujols walked all the time.

 

Whatever, the man is a freak. He's gonna hit bombs until he's 50.

 

Fortunately, that was last year. You can't make the jokes this easy.

[Clem Fandango]

Whatever, the man is a freak. He's gonna hit bombs until he's 50.

 

Fortunately, that was last year. You can't make the jokes this easy.

 

Touché. Well played, sir.

[erik316wttn]

I would shut him down till at least 2012. You can't be too careful with an injury like that.

[baseballfan50]

I've heard Albert will need Tommy John eventually. If he's going to do it, he needs to do it now, to give all offseason to heal.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I hope he waits and then decides to have it on April 1st myself.

[wolf stansson]

This has been an issue for longer than pre-2009. The problem started in '03. So obviously he's playing quite well on borrowed time, but I doubt he opts for surgery until he has to.

[daske17]

This has been an issue for longer than pre-2009. The problem started in '03. So obviously he's playing quite well on borrowed time, but I doubt he opts for surgery until he gets his next big contract.

 

Fixed.

[kujay]

What I've read here is that if he has the surgery it will be about June 15 before he could be expected back. Why not do it now on the Cardinals' time and dime.

[wolf stansson]

This has been an issue for longer than pre-2009. The problem started in '03. So obviously he's playing quite well on borrowed time, but I doubt he opts for surgery until he gets his next big contract.

 

Fixed.

I don't get it.

 

 

Edit - I do, but it's wildly stupid so I'm trying to passively get you to spell it out for me so I can respond to it specifically.

[daske17]

This has been an issue for longer than pre-2009. The problem started in '03. So obviously he's playing quite well on borrowed time, but I doubt he opts for surgery until he gets his next big contract.

 

Fixed.

I don't get it.

 

 

Edit - I do, but it's wildly stupid so I'm trying to passively get you to spell it out for me so I can respond to it specifically.

 

If there are any complications from the Tommy John surgery that would affect his hitting, he wouldn't want to diminish his value before his current contract is up.

 

I don't see why that's wildly stupid.

[BCVM22]

Per FOX Sports, Pujols to go under the knife tomorrow, but to remove bone spurs (or chips or whatever) from the elbow rather than full-on TJS.

[wolf stansson]

This has been an issue for longer than pre-2009. The problem started in '03. So obviously he's playing quite well on borrowed time, but I doubt he opts for surgery until he gets his next big contract.

 

Fixed.

I don't get it.

 

 

Edit - I do, but it's wildly stupid so I'm trying to passively get you to spell it out for me so I can respond to it specifically.

 

If there are any complications from the Tommy John surgery that would affect his hitting, he wouldn't want to diminish his value before his current contract is up.

 

I don't see why that's wildly stupid.

It's wildly stupid because 1- Tommy John has little or no adverse long-term effect on hitting, B- He has played through injuries his entire career, so there is nothing in his past behavior to suggest he'd try to manipulate his situation like that and 3- the Cardinals approached him about working out an extension last week and he turned them down. If he was so eager to get paid and get surgery, he'd have already done it.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10248184/Pujols-to-have-surgery-on-right-elbow

 

No TJ this offseason. He's getting 5 bone spurs removed and will not miss any time.

[illiniguy]

I guess I just don't get why he doesn't have it done now and not miss anytime. At some point its supposedly going to go. Why risk it during the middle of a season if you can choose when to have the surgery and not miss game time?

[daske17]

It's wildly stupid because 1- Tommy John has little or no adverse long-term effect on hitting, B- He has played through injuries his entire career, so there is nothing in his past behavior to suggest he'd try to manipulate his situation like that and 3- the Cardinals approached him about working out an extension last week and he turned them down. If he was so eager to get paid and get surgery, he'd have already done it.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10248184/Pujols-to-have-surgery-on-right-elbow

 

No TJ this offseason. He's getting 5 bone spurs removed and will not miss any time.

 

So you mean to tell me that if you were in line for a huge payday, you wouldn't want to minimize any risks you may have?

 

He's been able to play through this injury, as you've said. Now, especially considering the next off-season chance he'll have for TJS is his contract year, he's not going to opt for it until his next contact. But fine, my post is wildly stupid. You win.

[wolf stansson]

It's wildly stupid because 1- Tommy John has little or no adverse long-term effect on hitting, B- He has played through injuries his entire career, so there is nothing in his past behavior to suggest he'd try to manipulate his situation like that and 3- the Cardinals approached him about working out an extension last week and he turned them down. If he was so eager to get paid and get surgery, he'd have already done it.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10248184/Pujols-to-have-surgery-on-right-elbow

 

No TJ this offseason. He's getting 5 bone spurs removed and will not miss any time.

 

So you mean to tell me that if you were in line for a huge payday, you wouldn't want to minimize any risks you may have?

 

He's been able to play through this injury, as you've said. Now, especially considering the next off-season chance he'll have for TJS is his contract year, he's not going to opt for it until his next contact. But fine, my post is wildly stupid. You win.

It doesn't matter what I'd do. It doesn't matter what you think he should do.

 

It matters what he did. He turned down a contract extension. You're asserting he's going to sign a huge deal and get the surgery. Well, he was offered to start on that huge deal and he turned down the opportunity for now and opted for minor surgery. If it was his goal to maximize earning power and minimize the risk that his elbow would blow before the opportunity to sign a $250,000,000+ contract, THAN HE WOULD HAVE DONE IT LAST WEEK WHEN THAT OPTION WAS OFFERED BY THE CARDINALS. Instead, he has chosen to put off contract negotiations for now and undergo a procedure that doesn't fix the ligament problem. Sounds like he's ok with the risk.