GaryMrMets
05-08-2003, 09:00 AM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/nym/news/nym_news.jsp?ymd=20030507&content_id=308854&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp
05/07/2003 8:18 PM ET
Notes: Vaughn consults doctors
Franco ready for rehab assignment; Piazza still resting
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Mo Vaughn will be seeking a second, third and possibly fourth opinion about the status of his arthritic left knee in hopes of finding someone who will provide a quick and adequate solution to the bone spurs that are causing him pain.
The big first baseman, with the blessing of the Mets and their team physician Dr. Andrew Rokito, will checking with several noted surgeons over the next few days, including Los Angeles-based Dr. Lewis Yocum, one of the doctors who performed Tommy John surgery on John Franco last May. Vaughn intends to get copiess of the MRI that was performed on his knee Tuesday and have them sent to Yocum and Drs. Arthur Pappas and William Morgan, both former Red Sox team physicians.
Vaughn said on Wednesday that he has complete trust in all three doctors but has a comfort level with Yocum because Yocum was honest enough to refer him to another doctor in 2001 when he needed surgery to repair a ruptured biceps muscle in his left arm in 2001. Yocum assisted Dr. Bernard Morrey in that operation.
"We have to figure out who can do this right and get me back out on the field," Vaughn said. "I think this is a one-shot deal. Whatever they are going to do, I think they will do it right away. I want to look at all the possibilities and weigh my options.
"We have to get the bone spurs out. That's not even a question because it will get worse. It's gotten worse since the spring. Rokito told me what they thought and he said he wanted me to get a second, third and fourth opinion."
Vaughn is of the belief that some sort of cushion can be inserted into his knee -- either surgically or through an injection -- once the bone spurs are removed. Such a cushion would prevent the bones in his knee from rubbing together.
New York general manager Steve Phillips said that he didn't know what the ultimate resolution would be regarding Vaughn. He also said that Vaughn's contract has disability coverage and that the Mets will be reimbursed for 75 percent of his salary after a 90-day deductible is met.
"Our primary focus is the player's health," Phillips said. "He's played in pain and it's affected his ability to perform."
Vaughn also indicated that when and if he did come back, it would not be as a part-time player or designated hitter.
"If I can't contribute the way I'm supposed to contribute, than what am I here for," Vaughn said. "I'm not going to flounder around out there. It's just not my way."
Franco set to go: Franco is expected to begin his rehab assignment sometime in the next few days. The left-handed setup man said he could head out to one of the Mets' minor league clubs, most likely Port St. Lucie, as early as Friday. Phillips, however, seemed to think later in the weekend or early next week was a more plausible date.
Either way, Franco's comeback continues to be a remarkable story. Next Thursday will be the one-year anniversary of when he had Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow. He threw a live batting practice for the second consecutive day on Wednesday and was clearly pleased with the results.
"Today was good," said Franco, 42, who threw 20 pitches in BP and 20 pitches in the bullpen. "My arm feels great. My location wasn't so good yesterday. But today was a lot better and my velocity was a lot better. I'm getting tired of facing Joe Mac [McEwing], Jay Bell and those guys [in batting practice]. Bell told me a week ago I should be out of here.
"I still have to go out and pitch but arm has been responding well. Now it's just a matter of getting some innings. I've been throwing batting practice for a month here so it's like I've almost thrown 14 innings here. People said I might be done but here I am in less than a year."
Franco indicated he would like to go to St. Lucie because the weather is warm and he'll be able to stay in one spot. Neither he nor Phillips would put a timetable on his return to the parent club, though.
"It could be a week, it could be 10 days, it could be two weeks," Franco said. "I don't know. I'd like to say 10 days to two weeks but I have to go down there and see how I feel. Hopefully it will be sooner than later."
He added that he wasn't worried about any statistics he would put up on the rehab -- good or bad -- that he was concentrating on getting in work in game situations. Franco is second on the all-time save list with 422 and has appeared in 998 games.
Piazza still sits: Mike Piazza remained out of the starting lineup on Wednesday, continuing to recover from the minor surgical procedure he underwent to have a mole removed from his abdomen. Piazza still had not received the biopsy results on Wednesday. He was available to pinch-hit.
"I wanted to give him another day," manager Art Howe said. "He's a nice weapon to have off the bench like that. I stayed away from him last night but I feel a little more comfortable using him tonight."
Piazza appeared as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning on Wednesday and drew a walk.
Burnitz on the mend: Jeromy Burnitz is back with the club after spending a few days home in San Diego and says he's hopeful of returning to action by the end of New York's next road trip to Denver and San Francisco. Burnitz has been out for the last two weeks after suffering a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal on his left hand when struck by a pitch from Houston's Billy Wagner.
The swelling has gone down considerably on Burnitz's hand and the discoloration has eased. He said he is feeling great and is optimistic about a quick return.
"I have got to believe it's going to be a week or so but we'll see," Burnitz said. "They [the Mets] will handle it the way they handle it. I just have to do everything I can to prepare myself for the day I get the green light. But it feels strong. I believe [returning] before a month is good. I want to play at the end of the next trip but they might want to hold me back."
Phillips indicated there's a good chance that a return for Burnitz at the end of the next road trip might not happen.
Clippings, Part II: The haircut caper didn't go away Wednesday after The New York Post ran a back-page story stating that closer Armando Benitez was the person giving Rey Sanchez a haircut last week in St. Louis while the Mets were busy getting beat by the Cardinals. When questioned about the incident by a group of reporters, Benitez denied any involvement, a denial that was backed up by several of his teammates as well as Phillips and Howe.
"I'm in the bullpen [during the game]," Benitez said. "What's the matter with you guys. I did not do it."
Said Howe: "Too bad Armando got dragged into. He's a totally innocent person."
Added Phillips: "Without a doubt it's a complete fabrication. It's fiction. Armando was not anywhere near it. Too much has been made of it for what happened."
Minor report: Aaron Heilman is 4-1 with 2.66 ERA in seven starts for Triple-A Norfolk. ... Jose Reyes, who remains a hot topic of conversation in New York, is hitting .257 through 29 games with 19 stolen bases in 21 attempts. He has four triples, eight RBIs and .328 on-base percentage. ... Bob Keppel is 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA in six starts for Double-A Binghamton. ... Binghamton's Ron Acuna is fourth in the Eastern League with a .357 average while Daniel Garcia is sixth at .355.
This and that: Cliff Floyd was out of the cleanup spot Wednesday after going 5-for-15 in four games. Tony Clark, who blasted a homer Tuesday night, was batting fourth. ... Grant Roberts (teres major muscle) is improving. Phillips said that "the knot in his armpit" is much better and he should start soft tossing in the next few days. ... David Cone (arthritic hip) is scheduled to throw a 60-pitch side session on Thursday and a 25-pitch bullpen session on Saturday.
Coming up: The Mets will conclude their series with the Dodgers on Thursday before playing a three-game set with San Diego this weekend.
Kevin T. Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story is not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
05/07/2003 8:18 PM ET
Notes: Vaughn consults doctors
Franco ready for rehab assignment; Piazza still resting
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
NEW YORK -- Mo Vaughn will be seeking a second, third and possibly fourth opinion about the status of his arthritic left knee in hopes of finding someone who will provide a quick and adequate solution to the bone spurs that are causing him pain.
The big first baseman, with the blessing of the Mets and their team physician Dr. Andrew Rokito, will checking with several noted surgeons over the next few days, including Los Angeles-based Dr. Lewis Yocum, one of the doctors who performed Tommy John surgery on John Franco last May. Vaughn intends to get copiess of the MRI that was performed on his knee Tuesday and have them sent to Yocum and Drs. Arthur Pappas and William Morgan, both former Red Sox team physicians.
Vaughn said on Wednesday that he has complete trust in all three doctors but has a comfort level with Yocum because Yocum was honest enough to refer him to another doctor in 2001 when he needed surgery to repair a ruptured biceps muscle in his left arm in 2001. Yocum assisted Dr. Bernard Morrey in that operation.
"We have to figure out who can do this right and get me back out on the field," Vaughn said. "I think this is a one-shot deal. Whatever they are going to do, I think they will do it right away. I want to look at all the possibilities and weigh my options.
"We have to get the bone spurs out. That's not even a question because it will get worse. It's gotten worse since the spring. Rokito told me what they thought and he said he wanted me to get a second, third and fourth opinion."
Vaughn is of the belief that some sort of cushion can be inserted into his knee -- either surgically or through an injection -- once the bone spurs are removed. Such a cushion would prevent the bones in his knee from rubbing together.
New York general manager Steve Phillips said that he didn't know what the ultimate resolution would be regarding Vaughn. He also said that Vaughn's contract has disability coverage and that the Mets will be reimbursed for 75 percent of his salary after a 90-day deductible is met.
"Our primary focus is the player's health," Phillips said. "He's played in pain and it's affected his ability to perform."
Vaughn also indicated that when and if he did come back, it would not be as a part-time player or designated hitter.
"If I can't contribute the way I'm supposed to contribute, than what am I here for," Vaughn said. "I'm not going to flounder around out there. It's just not my way."
Franco set to go: Franco is expected to begin his rehab assignment sometime in the next few days. The left-handed setup man said he could head out to one of the Mets' minor league clubs, most likely Port St. Lucie, as early as Friday. Phillips, however, seemed to think later in the weekend or early next week was a more plausible date.
Either way, Franco's comeback continues to be a remarkable story. Next Thursday will be the one-year anniversary of when he had Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow. He threw a live batting practice for the second consecutive day on Wednesday and was clearly pleased with the results.
"Today was good," said Franco, 42, who threw 20 pitches in BP and 20 pitches in the bullpen. "My arm feels great. My location wasn't so good yesterday. But today was a lot better and my velocity was a lot better. I'm getting tired of facing Joe Mac [McEwing], Jay Bell and those guys [in batting practice]. Bell told me a week ago I should be out of here.
"I still have to go out and pitch but arm has been responding well. Now it's just a matter of getting some innings. I've been throwing batting practice for a month here so it's like I've almost thrown 14 innings here. People said I might be done but here I am in less than a year."
Franco indicated he would like to go to St. Lucie because the weather is warm and he'll be able to stay in one spot. Neither he nor Phillips would put a timetable on his return to the parent club, though.
"It could be a week, it could be 10 days, it could be two weeks," Franco said. "I don't know. I'd like to say 10 days to two weeks but I have to go down there and see how I feel. Hopefully it will be sooner than later."
He added that he wasn't worried about any statistics he would put up on the rehab -- good or bad -- that he was concentrating on getting in work in game situations. Franco is second on the all-time save list with 422 and has appeared in 998 games.
Piazza still sits: Mike Piazza remained out of the starting lineup on Wednesday, continuing to recover from the minor surgical procedure he underwent to have a mole removed from his abdomen. Piazza still had not received the biopsy results on Wednesday. He was available to pinch-hit.
"I wanted to give him another day," manager Art Howe said. "He's a nice weapon to have off the bench like that. I stayed away from him last night but I feel a little more comfortable using him tonight."
Piazza appeared as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning on Wednesday and drew a walk.
Burnitz on the mend: Jeromy Burnitz is back with the club after spending a few days home in San Diego and says he's hopeful of returning to action by the end of New York's next road trip to Denver and San Francisco. Burnitz has been out for the last two weeks after suffering a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal on his left hand when struck by a pitch from Houston's Billy Wagner.
The swelling has gone down considerably on Burnitz's hand and the discoloration has eased. He said he is feeling great and is optimistic about a quick return.
"I have got to believe it's going to be a week or so but we'll see," Burnitz said. "They [the Mets] will handle it the way they handle it. I just have to do everything I can to prepare myself for the day I get the green light. But it feels strong. I believe [returning] before a month is good. I want to play at the end of the next trip but they might want to hold me back."
Phillips indicated there's a good chance that a return for Burnitz at the end of the next road trip might not happen.
Clippings, Part II: The haircut caper didn't go away Wednesday after The New York Post ran a back-page story stating that closer Armando Benitez was the person giving Rey Sanchez a haircut last week in St. Louis while the Mets were busy getting beat by the Cardinals. When questioned about the incident by a group of reporters, Benitez denied any involvement, a denial that was backed up by several of his teammates as well as Phillips and Howe.
"I'm in the bullpen [during the game]," Benitez said. "What's the matter with you guys. I did not do it."
Said Howe: "Too bad Armando got dragged into. He's a totally innocent person."
Added Phillips: "Without a doubt it's a complete fabrication. It's fiction. Armando was not anywhere near it. Too much has been made of it for what happened."
Minor report: Aaron Heilman is 4-1 with 2.66 ERA in seven starts for Triple-A Norfolk. ... Jose Reyes, who remains a hot topic of conversation in New York, is hitting .257 through 29 games with 19 stolen bases in 21 attempts. He has four triples, eight RBIs and .328 on-base percentage. ... Bob Keppel is 3-1 with a 1.67 ERA in six starts for Double-A Binghamton. ... Binghamton's Ron Acuna is fourth in the Eastern League with a .357 average while Daniel Garcia is sixth at .355.
This and that: Cliff Floyd was out of the cleanup spot Wednesday after going 5-for-15 in four games. Tony Clark, who blasted a homer Tuesday night, was batting fourth. ... Grant Roberts (teres major muscle) is improving. Phillips said that "the knot in his armpit" is much better and he should start soft tossing in the next few days. ... David Cone (arthritic hip) is scheduled to throw a 60-pitch side session on Thursday and a 25-pitch bullpen session on Saturday.
Coming up: The Mets will conclude their series with the Dodgers on Thursday before playing a three-game set with San Diego this weekend.
Kevin T. Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story is not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.