Posted: Friday, May 29, 2009, 5:48 PM | 37 comments |
 

Myers confirms he will have surgery, WITH UPDATES
options
 

 

Brett Myers told the Inquirer that he will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip, and a return this season is a longshot. The operation will be performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly, who operated on Chase Utley last November, and will likely occur Thursday, though that date is not confirmed.

"This is the best option for me," he said.  "The doctor told me my hip would be unbelievably better when I come back."

“I have the same thing as Chase (Utley), a torn labrum (Myers also has bone spurs),” he said. “This is the best option for me.”

 
Myers said that while no surgery had been scheduled, a Thursday operation was a strong possibility. He and the doctors discussed a cortisone shot, enabling him to pitch through the rest of the season, but they told him “surgery was a no-brainer. If you (pitch through the injury), the chances of hurting your arm are greater. Ultimately, I could hurt my arm and need two surgeries.”
 
Team doc Michael Ciccotti said Myers will need at least three months, and perhaps as many as six weeks more than that before he can pitch.
 
***
 
A word about Myers’ decision. Believe me, the guy wanted to pitch this year. But one season is never, ever worth a risk to one’s long-term health. This is a game, and Myers has to worry about not only his ability to make a living in baseball after this year, but his future quality of life.
 
 Now, what happens to the Phillies? I'm sure you know that Ruben Amaro does not comment on specific trade rumors. But here’s what he had to say about the team’s general outlook in light of this news:
 
"We have to do what's right both business-wise and talent-wise. Each possible trade we can make we have to take on a case-by-case basis. It's not an open checkbook situation. We can't be so short-sighted that we make a move just to make a move and not consider the future.”
 
An internal candidate will make Myers next scheduled start on Tuesday, Amaro said.
The options include: Kyle Kendrick (4-3, 4.25 earned run avergage); Carlos Carrasco (0-6, 5.81); Drew Carpenter (2-0, 3.61); Rodrigo Lopez (2-2, 4.84); and Antonio Bastardo (1-0, 2.08).
 
Beyond that game, the team may be compelled to accelerate their search for a veteran starter via trade. Colorado’s Jason Marquis, Boston’s Brad Penny and Seattle’s Erik Bedard are a few of many pitchers who could become available. The team is not interested in free agent Pedro Martinez. In my opinion, Penny makes sense; ESPN’s Buster Olney speculated—and I stress that word-- this morning that a Jason Donald for Penny trade would work for both teams (I’d link to it, but you need a subscription). I know, I know: I think Donald is a good player, too. But you gotta give  to get.
 
My job in the immediate future will be to report on that situation, so stay tuned here and on Twitter (Larry King said the other day that he dictates his Tweets; for the record, I type my own).

 
Posted by Andy Martino @ 5:48 PM  Permalink | 37 comments
37
Comments   
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:16 PM, 05/29/2009
    Thank you for your contributions to the WS run. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
    — GodofSports
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:22 PM, 05/29/2009
    Hopefully he can come back and contribute in Sept.
    — Souf Phil
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:22 PM, 05/29/2009
    Good Luck Brett. Although you never did seem to hit your stride, thanks for being a trooper. Get well and come back blazing next year
    — Tozmanian
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:25 PM, 05/29/2009
    Todd Pratt! That was your best career hit! Myers will always be the pitcher who had a lot of potential, but...
    — Cazptain Philadelphia
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:28 PM, 05/29/2009
    Sleep on it Brett. No need for a hasty decision today.
    — RAS
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:39 PM, 05/29/2009
    It is easier to beat your wife with two fully functioning hips. I like how he says how this is the best decision for him. He was never a team player. He is paid 8 million dollars a year, and would complain about not being a closer anymore. He is a number 4 starter at best, and this officially marks the end of his Phillies Career.
    — FloridaBrian
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:44 PM, 05/29/2009
    It's the "best option" for him because his contract is up at the end of the year, and having surgery now may enable him to be fully healthy so he can field offers from other teams during the off-season. An average major league pitcher at best, hopefully the Phillies offer him arbitration, he declines it, and we get one or possibly two early round compensation draft picks.
    — delaina
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:48 PM, 05/29/2009
    He likely wouldn't decline arbitration (which would give him an extremely lucrative one year contract with which to re-prove himself, instead of cheaper, incentive-laden deal he might have to take coming out of surgery). Therefore, Phils likely won't offer it.
    — jason14
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:00 PM, 05/29/2009
    Jason14, I realize what you're saying. However, this past off-season the arbitration awards were way down, probably as a result of the economy. Therefore, I have a feeling that he would decline arbitration if he was convinced that, even coming off surgery, he could get a 2 or 3 year deal. Teams have proven again and again very shortsighted with respect to signing even average starting pitchers (see Silva, Carlos) to long term deals. So, I would offer arbitration and, in a worst case scenario, he accepts and we're stuck with him for just one year when he will clearly be playing for his next big contract. I'm not sure the Phillies lose either way.
    — delaina
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:18 PM, 05/29/2009
    Though Myers never lived up to his hype, he was one of our better starters this year. If Toronto is out of it in a month I'd love to see us send the farm for Halladay. That is, if Toronto would budge on him. Would probably cost an everday player too. A guy can dream ahah.
    — wearethechampions
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:29 PM, 05/29/2009
    Myers hasn't produced for a couple of years. I don't think it is a big loss. The Phillies will pick up another arm and be fine.
    — jtj06
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:58 PM, 05/29/2009
    Geez, I'm gonna start calling Durbin "Gasoline"...just put him into the fire and he makes it worse. How does a guy with such a low opponent AVG have such a high ERA and that's not even including all of the inherited runners he's allowed to score. Romero can't get back fast enough.
    — JimG


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About Matt Gelb and Bob Brookover












Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb team up for their third straight season covering the Phillies for the Inquirer and philly.com.

This is Brookover’s second stint writing about the Phillies, having joined the coverage team after seven years as an Eagles beat writer. Brookover was hired by The Inquirer in 2000 as the Phillies beat writer after spending 13 years writing about the team for two suburban newspapers. While on the Eagles beat, Brookover, who had covered just two winning Phillies teams in 15 seasons, saw the Phillies move into a cash-cow new ballpark and begin playing a brand of the game he found unrecognizable. Follow him on Twitter here.

Gelb is in his third season covering the Phillies. He was hired by The Inquirer in August 2009 after graduating from Syracuse University. He has also covered baseball at The Star-Ledger and Cape Cod Times. Born and raised in Bucks County, he attended Central Bucks High School West. Follow him on Twitter here.
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