Frandsen has warnings for Howard's Achilles recovery
Kevin Frandsen watched Ryan Howard's lengthy news conference on TV and his ears perked up. Howard, four months into his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, was asked if he had spoken to any athletes who also suffered the injury.
Frandsen has warnings for Howard's Achilles recovery
Matt Gelb
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Kevin Frandsen watched Ryan Howard's lengthy news conference on TV and his ears perked up. Howard, four months into his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, was asked if he had spoken to any athletes who also suffered the injury.
"Athletes? Not too, too many," Howard said. "It was more everyday people I ran into."
Frandsen laughed. "I was like, 'Hey! We talked about it.'"
Frandsen, an infielder in Phillies camp on a minor-league deal, is among a select group of baseball players in the past decade who had suffered a ruptured Achilles. Our research this winter found eight examples in the last 10 years. Coincidentally, three of the nine (counting Howard) reside in the Phillies' clubhouse this spring.
Frandsen tore his four springs ago while running the bases. He was going to start at second or third base for the San Francisco Giants. He had some minor tendinitis in the week before, but was cleared by doctors to play. Then, at age 25, he was facing major surgery.
"It was as tedious a process I've been around," Frandsen said.
Frandsen tore it March 24, 2008. He returned to play in the Giants' final game that season on Sept. 28. He was not 100 percent healthy.
"No chance," he said. "I don't think you're 100 percent for at least a year or year and a half, where you feel like you're doing everything you've done in the past. It took quite a long time. And I was early on every thing; ahead of schedule with no setbacks. When I played, everyone was like, 'Oh, you must be 100 percent.' No. It's still a process. The whole thing, you have to continue it."
The Phillies have targeted May as a loose timetable for Howard's return. Howard didn't want to affix such a date to his recovery. That may be semantics, but the overriding question is, what sort of player will Howard be upon his return?
Frandsen said he's spoken to Howard about what he'll encounter. While Howard participated in batting practice for the first time Wednesday, it's far from being a major milestone.
"Hitting is the easiest thing," Frandsen said. "There's no thought process in any of that."
The weirdest feeling, he said, will be when Howard busts it out of the batter's box for the first few times. Frandsen said that requires acclimation time.
"It's really screwed up," Frandsen said. "It doesn't feel normal. It doesn't hurt. It just feels really weird."
And Frandsen said, all things considered, he was lucky.
"I didn't have one setback," he said. "Looking back on it, I was as fortunate as could be. We were patient but we pushed at the same time. We made sure everything went according to plan. We didn't have to take two or three days off from doing it. Once it's free, you just have to get used to some of the feelings. They bring [the Achilles] down. It's a lot tighter and thicker. You have to break it up. You get to that point when you start playing and you have to keep going."
But when Frandsen sees Howard, he believes in the process.
"Just watching him walk around, it's awesome," Frandsen said. "I think he's in a good spot where's at, just by going off the look. I've been in that position."
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I really hope that they don't rush him back to quickly, if he has to miss an extra 30-50 games then that is what he has to do, let thome, wiggs and mayberry fill that spot while the pitching carries us then he can come back in a much better place.— mdb20- "I don't think you're 100 percent for at least a year or year and a half, where you feel like you're doing everything you've done in the past." That is a scary statement
— Dan Callahan 
Comment removed.- Howard was never exactly a gazelle running the bases. Now he'll be more like an elephant. It may take a ball to the gap for him to advance even one base.— SteveS11
- What's scary is that Kevin Frandsen is listed as 6'0 and 185 pounds. Ryan is probably closer to 250-260 pounds. I hope for a FULL recovery for Howard, but his size is likely to be a factor in the time such recovery takes. A year to a year and a half would not be a big surprise. A recurrence of that injury would be tragic, career-wise.— billroc35
- The Phillies are probably appearing a little too optimistic. A year recovery doesn't surprise me. (A year and a half isn't a big deal because of the offseason) Even though medical science has improved, the body still needs the recovery time. I'd wait until the all star break then bring him back slowly and being all the way back in September if possible. It's a shame they gave him 5 more years because if not, this would have been a perfect opportunity to sign Fielder and have 5-10 years with a younger healthier RH bat instead of Howard coming off an injury and wondering if he'll ever get back to 100%. The Phillies may regret the next 5 years with Howard.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- Fielder is lefthanded, Bill James...— JayDuce
- Comment removed.
- I'd still take him RH or LH.— AvoidSundanceVacations
- What's scary is the vision of Howard batting against lefthanders. He should come back as a platoon player.— farley
- Kevin Frandsen is the "wild card" this spring. Each player responds differently to surgery/rehab. Optimism is the only way to be. As for Kevin, he SHOULD be the utlity player for the infield instead of Michael "Mendoza" Martinez. Frandsen is a very good contact hitter who can actually get on base. He can play 3B/2B. If something happens will Rollins, I'd prefer Galvis at SS. Better defender and can't hit worse than .200. Martinez is a nice enough guy who can play just about anywhere on the diamond. However, he is an offensive liability that this team, especially w/o Howard in the line up, simply cannot afford to have.— drhoffman
- At howards size, he should be talking to Elton Brand, he is much more comparable than a middle infielder. Take it slow big guy.— skak
- Ryan isn't legging out to many triples, he will be fine.— KINGOFZED
- Hamels inks long-term deal with Phillies before Howard returns to starting lineup.— ijj
- Howard should listen to players that have gone through the process, even the ones who didn't make it back to playing, just sayin'...— DJ
