Lidge receives cortisone shot for sore elbow
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Lidge receives cortisone shot for sore elbow
Matt Gelb
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Closer Brad Lidge suffered what is being described as a minor setback in his return from two off-season surgeries Wednesday when he received a cortisone shot for inflammation and soreness in his right elbow.
The soreness is not related to Lidge's surgery on his elbow, Phillies team physician Michael Ciccotti said. Lidge had surgery on the inner part of his right elbow for some tendonitis. The soreness is on the outer part of the elbow and is something Lidge normally has in spring training.
But it has lingered longer than normal this spring. And that can partially explain why Lidge's velocity remains in the high 80s.
"Coming into spring training, every year Brad has some lateral -- or outer -- elbow soreness," Ciccotti said. "It's just part of his reconditioning routine. Because he started a little bit later this year with his throwing because of those two surgeries, that soreness has lingered a little bit longer. Normally it resolves by the second or third week in March."
Ciccotti said the timetable for Lidge's return remains mid-April. It could, he said, push Lidge back to around the third week of April. The home opener on April 12, which had been Lidge's goal, seems highly unlikely.
Lidge will be held out of throwing until Friday, when Lidge will long toss. Then, depending upon how that goes, he could throw a bullpen side session on Saturday or Sunday.
Ciccotti said as Lidge builds up arm strength, the soreness should go away.
"It's just a matter of jump starting and hoping to get him over this yearly lateral elbow soreness that he has," Ciccotti said.
Ciccotti said Lidge has shown no symptoms from where the off-season surgeries were performed. No MRI will be needed to examine the elbow, Ciccotti said, because there is no structural damage.
"We'll see how he does on Friday with long tossing," Ciccotti said. "We're anticipating he will feel comfortable and confident. Then we'll have him throw a bullpen Saturday or Sunday. That will dictate when he actually goes to the mound. We're certainly optimistic."
Meanwhile, the news on lefty J.C. Romero, who also had off-season elbow surgery, is better. Romero remains on schedule to return in mid-April and will pitch in another minor-league game on Thursday.
"J.C. is doing very well," Ciccotti said. "He's progressing along with the reconditioning type of achiness that all the throwers have as they come back from a surgical procedure. He's doing very well."
UPDATE (12:26 p.m.): Lidge just met with reporters briefly and had this to say:
Is this why your velocity hasn't consistently hit above 90?
"Yeah, I think so. We got to a point where it was stagnant for a couple weeks and wasn't going up like it normally should go up in spring training. My arm strength is good. My slider was coming around. Everything else was going the way it was, but velocity was just not going. Rather than projecting on when it will, we just decided to take action into our own hands. Get a cortisone shot and hopefully that will speed the process up a lot."
So you were feeling soreness?
"Yeah, I was feeling a little soreness in there. It's not something that I haven't experienced. Normally in February I always experience some joint pain in the back of my elbow. It almost always goes away at some point in March and we're on our way. But this year, obviously getting a very late start, that soreness I normally go through has come later and it's sticking around a little bit longer than we'd like.
Is there inflammation?
There is a little bit. That's kind of normal for me again. It's just in February instead of late March.
Are you concerned because it's the same limb you had surgery on?
"No. The reason there really isn't is because I've had this every year. The only difference this year is that it's just taking a lot longer. So we decided to instead of, 'Will it come back? A week? Two weeks? Let's just nip it right now and get over that hump so we know I'll be able to get back as fast as possible.'"
Is there any downside to a cortisone shot?
"You can't throw for a couple days. You're a couple days behind where you want to be. That being said, if it works like we're hoping it to, it's going to speed up things a lot on the other side of that. Right now, with what I have, there's not a whole lot of downside to it. I'm not exactly sure where it will take me, but our guess is that I'll feel a lot better on the other side of this."
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i am losing more and more faith in lidge everyday... madson/baez closer by committee... starting to get cautiously optimistic about romero.— therev
Comment removed.- does it really take 2 people to share the responsibility of running this blog?
- Comment removed.
- Where are all those posters doubting my medical and rehab and baseball knowledge last week? Anyone involved in medicine knows you don't get a cortisone injection one day and run out and throw two days later. You just don't do it. And besides, pain on the outside of the elbow is usually a sign that something is wrong on the other or inner side of the elbow. Lidge will continue to experience lost velocity and he will continue to try to throw harder to get it back, and he will continually get soreness from trying to throw harder. That's how it goes when your joint surfaces deteriorate and you can not get the mph on the ball that you strive for. Keep striving, keep hurting. It's clear that whatever Lidge says, we need to believe the opposite is happening. Yesterday's "I feel good" was a load of ****.— Mark1npt
- Where are all those posters doubting my medical and rehab and baseball knowledge last week? Anyone involved in medicine knows you don't get a cortisone injection one day and run out and throw two days later. You just don't do it. And besides, pain on the outside of the elbow is usually a sign that something is wrong on the other or inner side of the elbow. Lidge will continue to experience lost velocity and he will continue to try to throw harder to get it back, and he will continually get soreness from trying to throw harder. That's how it goes when your joint surfaces deteriorate and you can not get the mph on the ball that you strive for. Keep striving, keep hurting. It's clear that whatever Lidge says, we need to believe the opposite is happening. Yesterday's "I feel good" was a load of ****.— Mark1npt
- Dear Mark, I am here. I doubt your medical, rehab, baseball, fortune telling and posting knowledge. Sincerely, All of Philadelphia
- Diddo that, KicknDaNutz.— traugdog420
- hahah
- sounds ominous.— terryharmon
- What happened to Andy?— severthetoe
- Losers.......just by your screen names alone.....all alone in your basement man caves, playing xbox COD.....yeah, that's a life.— Mark1npt
- Isn't Lidge's everything's OK proclamation usually followed with surgery?— booman55
- Booman: Yes, Lidge will pitch for maybe 4 weeks total this season and will be bad, at best. Mark: You nailed it, and this is the end of the run for Lidge. We'll always have 2008, but I think the Phils call up Aumont at the end of the year- a la the Rays and David Price in 2008- to close.— maximusud
It seems obvious that Lidge cannot be counted on this year. If the Phillies get anything positive, it will be a plus. As someone who has had cortisone shots, you need to relax the area the shot is administered too for at least 3 days before resuming throwing.
Please address the closer issue now! We don't need another 7.2 ERA season full of excuses. Thank you Brad for 2008, your place in Phillies history is set, now let's move on.— burholme- What he's really trying to say is...don't expect much.
If they hadn't traded Cliff Lee, none of this would have happened.- With a $37.5M guaranteed contract, why should he be concerned?— Big Game
- Comment removed.
- Dear Mark ... once again, you could not be further from the truth. I play xbox in the living room.
- ok, my specialty is cancer, and not joints, but i've had a few steroid injections and i've given a few, and either his docs are overusing it, or something is wrong.— doc35
- Lidge will be as effective for the Phillies as Westbrook was for the Eagles this yeaer.— fmMD
- Concerned about Lidge? Ummm, seriously? We've been concerned about Lidge since about May 1, 2009, for crying out loud.— eman
- This is why I never put any stock into when he says he is healthy...I get what he is saying, but in previous articles don't just say "feeling healthy" w/o saying feeling the normal soreness...— phigglesfan75
- Lidge isn't concerned? Of course he isn't, he's still getting paid!— podunko
- It looks like Ed Wade got the best of this trade in the long run. Michael Bourn has turned into a very good centerfielder. In the short run the Phils won a championship with Lidge, so we can't complain too much I guess.— Jeff Dowder
- I think I need a cortisone shot to my temple.— RichieAllen64
- Mark1npt: i assume that you are a physical therapist and i respect your knowledge. Don't you think, however, that the Phillies medical staff has that same knowledge? What Lidge may be putting out there and what even the Phillies may be putting out there for the public is not necessarily what they are discussing internally. Keep your eyes open because if Lidge does not seem right by the end of April, I have a hard time believing that management will continue to run him out there again this year. Charlie may be loyal, but ruben is not dumb. Here's hoping Lidge makes a great recovery and can be 75% of what he was in 2008.— OBLawyer
