This evening, I found myself wondering about Chien-Ming Wang.
You know…almost every plan around the Yankees starting rotation in 2009 mentions the need to fill in the rotation after the “given” presence of Wang. But, what if Worm Killer is not able to return from his injury and provide the same level of pitching that he was good for before getting hurt?
Not possible? Well…see this information from Dr. Jonathan Cluett who is a board certified orthopedic surgeon (whose subspecialty interests are in the areas of sports medicine and arthroscopy):
Healing is complicated in patients who sustain a Lisfranc injury. The most common complication of the Lisfranc injury is post-traumatic arthritis of the joint. Post-traumatic arthritis mimics degenerative arthritis, but its course is accelerated because of severe injury to a joint. This can lead to chronic pain in the injured joint, and may necessitate fusion of the joint in order to prevent chronic debilitating pain.
Yeah, I know, Brian Bruney had a Lisfranc injury and came back in 2008. But, Bruney, unlike Wang, did not have surgery. So, I have to believe that his case was not as severe as the situation with Wang.
As the blog The Disabled List Informer (which is written by a licensed Sports Physical Therapist with a Masters Degree in Physical Therapy and a Bachelors Degree in Rehabilitation Science – both from Northeastern University) wrote last June:
It has been revealed that Chien Ming Wang suffered a Lisfranc sprain and a tear of the Peroneus Longus tendon in his right foot , which will sideline him for a lengthy period of time – perhaps ending his season.
Complicating the recovery process to a degree is the involvement of the Peroneus Longus tendon, which provides lateral stability to the ankle. Both of these injuries are significant limitations for a pitcher, as the foot needs to stabilize when in single leg stance, and both of these parts of the anatomy are crucial for maintaining dynamic stability.
Further, back in June, Will Carroll had this to say about Wang and his condition:
No one knows feet like Dr. Philip Kwong of Kerlan-Jobe, so I’ll just let him tell you about Wang: “It is unusual to have both a Lisfranc ligament sprain and partial tear peroneal longus together, and longer time will be needed for recovery (8-12 weeks if no significant instability occurs at the Lisfranc joints). The combined injuries represent greater rotational stress than would be experienced for each injury alone. Prognosis and time line for recovery will depend on the exact amount of ligament/tendon tear sustained and on the amount of tissue remaining to provide stability. Healing is the formation of scar tissue and not regrowth of the normal ligament or tendon tissue; consequently, future problems such as arthritis can occur at Lisfranc’s joints or reinjury of the peroneal longus tendon.”
I’m not a doctor – and I don’t play one on T.V. – but, that sounds as if it’s possible that Wang is not out of the woods yet.
Hey, I’m not saying that Chien-Ming Wang will be a bust in 2009. Rather, I’m suggesting that it may be foolish to pencil him as being a positive part of the Yankees rotation next season – because we just don’t know, yet, how his injury and subsequent surgery will impact his career.
Like I said…I’m wondering about Wang. And, I’m wondering if the Yankees are wondering too?
Correction, 10/14/08, 11:52 pm EST: Wang did not have surgery to address his condition. My suggestion that he did, herein, is not correct.
14 Responses to “Wondering About Wang”
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October 14th, 2008 at 2:54 am
There is only so much you can plan for. what if the whole team dies in a plan crash before opening day!
October 14th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Sure, there’s no reason to worry about guys like A-Rod, Jeter, etc. – their numbers are just about the same every season and they are not coming off major injuries…
But, if the Yankees are not wondering about guys like Wang and Posada, and at least thinking about back-up plans, then they’re not doing a very good job, IMHO.
It’s sorta of like planning on having Pavano and Igawa, or Hughes and Kennedy, in your rotation with no safety net…
October 14th, 2008 at 8:43 am
“But, if the Yankees are not wondering about guys like Wang and Posada, and at least thinking about back-up plans, then they’re not doing a very good job, IMHO.”
do you really think they arent considering backup plans? really? seriously?
and dont give me this “they had no backup plan” nonsense.
that is what Alan Horne, Dan McCutcheon, Jeff Karstens, Darrell Rasner, Jeff Marquez, etc, were there for.
and then, when Horne and Karstens and Marquez got hurt, they had backups to the backups in Giese and Aceves, and even arms like Chase Wright if they were needed, along with flexibility to pick up a pitcher like a Ponson, or make a move at the deadline if they wanted, to bring in a pitcher.
you may not have liked their options, but the plan was there… and the rotation would have been more than fine if the offense couldve scored a couple more runs once and a while. so even after Hughes and Wang went down, and then Joba late in the season, they were still in the playoff picture into September.
October 14th, 2008 at 9:02 am
This discussion highlights the fact that there are NO sure things in the team’s starting rotation for 2009. Wang will be a question mark until he shows he can pitch in spring training and perhaps into the season. Joba, for all his promise, has to demonstrate that he, too, can withstand starting over a season withour serious injury. Pettite was less than brilliant over the second half of the season; Mussina may retire; Hughes remains unproven.
If the Yankees are serious about contending in 2009 — and given the aging of the line-up, this is clearly a team built for now — then Cashman needs to add AT LEAST two proven starting pitchers by trade or free agency, one of whom should be a clear front-of-rotation type. If Pettite and/or Mussina do not return, add another starter to that list. The team should not enter the season projecting Hughes as anything more than a #5 starter. I’d prefer to see him start the year at Scranton.
October 14th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Well said Scout.
October 14th, 2008 at 9:24 am
~~you may not have liked their options, but the plan was there…~~
Dude, that’s a pretty poor plan.
It’s like saying “If I lose my hair, as a back-up, I have that dead rat over in the corner that I can staple to the top of my head to make sure no one notices my bald spot…”
Is that a plan? Yeah. A good one? Heck no.
October 14th, 2008 at 10:09 am
It’s like saying “If I lose my hair, as a back-up, I have that dead rat over in the corner that I can staple to the top of my head to make sure no one notices my bald spot…”
lol
October 14th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Dude, that’s a pretty poor plan.
———-
How so? There were 8 options listed?
Going into the season, the rotation was supposed to be
Wang
Pettitte
Mussina
Hughes
Kennedy
Joba was in the pen, waiting to transition into the rotation sometime during the year, either taking Mussina’s spot, or Kennedy or Hughes depending on innings limits.
There were a backlog of arms in the minors, the aforementioned Kartsens, Wright, Horne, Rasner, etc, etc, etc.
Having said that, I agree the Yanks need to acquire at least two starters (FA, trade, in-house), and depending on how ST goes will see whether Hughes and Kennedy starts @ SWB or NY. Personally, I think Joba starts the year in the pen again (unless the Yanks are having him prepare to start next year).
October 14th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Just to remind you that CM Wang did not undergo surgery. The foot injury took longer than expected to heal. Bruney was the one got surgery recommendation and decided not to go into it.
October 14th, 2008 at 11:24 am
So, you are basing your concerns on two articles written in June. How about you find something a little more recent. this is from Pete Abe’s site in Sept.
“CMW is feeling pretty good these days. He’s out of his boot and has tossed the crutches. For the last week or so, he has been playing catch and is hoping to go on the road trip.
“Everything feels good,” Wang said last night, looking down at his right foot. “No pain.”
The plan is for Wang to head down to Tampa for a few weeks when the season is over and work his way up to throwing a bullpen or two. Once he throws off the mound, he’ll return to Taiwan. He will train at a facility in Arizona in January and plans to arrive in spring training in great shape, ready to throw.
October 14th, 2008 at 11:25 am
“Dude, that’s a pretty poor plan.”
again, like i said, you personally may not have liked it. in hindsight, it may look like a poor plan, but it was a plan and going into the season, recognizing they understood it would lean heavily on the development of their young pitchers, it was a good plan.
they were like 10 arms deep, and used every resource they had to, and if the offense scored a couple more runs, it was a plan that would have been good enough to get into the postseason.
you dont like it because you dont like Cashman.
but i agree with the notion that id like to see 2 veteran guys added to the rotation this offseason.
October 14th, 2008 at 11:49 am
aliado – thanks. I’ll correct that.
Rich M – playing catch and having no pain standing around, and having the injury be sound enough to make 30+ starts over a major league season are two different animals.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Steve, instead of couching you analysis in language that uses the words “may” and rhetorical questions, why don’t you come out with a proposed back-up plan? Who do you want signed? Who do you wanted moved to up or down to AAA and ready to fill on on the major league roster? It’s time for more concrete details.
October 15th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
What would I do?
I would still count on Wang. But,in my mind, he’s now – or should be – counted on as being a #3 or #4…and not your ace.
And, if he comes back as an ace…all the better.
The details of my plan? Build a time-machine, go back in time, and trade Hughes, Kennedy and Melky for Santana, to start…