Essentially, the procedure cleaned out Hafner's shoulder joint, removing chronic changes brought about by the grind of baseball. Hafner will begin physical therapy at Progressive Field on Thursday and the Indians expect him to be at 100 percent strength by the start of the 2009 season.
News: Indians DH Travis Hafner had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday and is expected to be ready for the start of next season. Renowned orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews performed the 45-minute operation on Hafner at St. Vincent Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., the club said. Andrews cleaned out Hafner's shoulder joint, the Indians said in a statement. He missed more than three months this season after losing most of the strength in his shoulder. The team did not indicate that Andrews found any abnormalities in Hafner's shoulder. He will begin physical therapy Thursday at Progressive Field.
Analysis: Hafner returned from the disabled list in September but was restricted from playing more than two days in a row. An exam at the end of the season indicated his shoulder strength declined from 75 percent to 70 percent. Hafner hit .197 with five homers and 24 RBI in 57 games for the Indians last season. He entered the 2008 season with a .290 career average and averaged 32 homers and 108 RBI in the previous four seasons. Hafner didn't impress in his return late in the season, and you obviously shouldn't draft him expecting to return to his .300-hitting, 40-homer ways. In fact, he's nothing more than a late-round flier going into 2009 because we have no way of knowing how much the shoulder surgery will help
Updating previous items, The Associated Press reports Cleveland Indians DH Travis Hafner (shoulder) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday, Oct. 14, and is expected to start the 2009 season on time. Dr. James Andrews performed the 45-minute procedure in Birmingham, Ala., during which he cleaned out Hafners shoulder joint. There was no mention of the doctor finding anything abnormal in Hafners shoulder. Hafner will start physical therapy Thursday, Oct. 16.
Slugger Travis Hafner underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, according to the AP. The procedure cleaned out Hafners right shoulder joint. No structural or nerve damage was found. Hafner will begin physical therapy Thursday and should be ready for the start of the 2009 season.Hafner first started having problems with the shoulder in spring training and eventually went on the disabled list May 30. HE did not return to the Indians until September 9 and continued to have discomfort down the stretch. The DH, who batted .197 with five home runs and 24 RBI in 57 games last season, is due to make $49 million over the next four years, with a $13 million option or a $2.75 million buyout for 2013.
Surgery on Travis Hafner's shoulder Tuesday revealed no structural damage. We're not sure that's good news. Hafner did have his shoulder joint cleaned out, which could at least temporarily take care of the pain he's dealt with. Still, it would have been more encouraging if Dr. James Andrews found a legitimate problem that would have been responsible for changing Hafner from one of the game's most feared hitters into a massive liability in the middle of Cleveland's lineup.Source: Indians.mlb.com
None.
No comments have been added yet. Let your voice be heard and add one!