Spitball67
03-16-2006, 03:57 PM
Prior's injury nothing more than strain
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
MESA, Ariz. -- Chicago Cubs right-hander Mark Prior has a posterior shoulder strain, and he'll undergo an MRI arthrogram on Thursday to confirm the diagnosis and to make sure that the problem is nothing more serious.
Prior was examined on Wednesday by orthopedic specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum in Anaheim, but he could not have the MRI at that time because of personal business at his home in San Diego. Prior underwent the test in Mesa on Thursday.
Cubs athletic trainer Mark O'Neal said that he, Yocum, Prior and the team doctors will meet on Saturday to go over the test results and make a decision on the next step. However, O'Neal said that he was encouraged after Yocum's exam.
"For me, I'm very pleased," O'Neal said Thursday. "There's extremely bad news that could've come out of it. This is a posterior shoulder strain, and we'll deal with it like you would a hamstring strain. Unfortunately, it's in the shoulder. For us, it's pretty good news."
Prior halted a bullpen session on Tuesday, complaining of pain in his right shoulder, which prompted the Cubs to send him to Yocum. Before that, the right-hander had not had any problems this spring.
"They're all going through preventative exercises that we go through in the offseason," O'Neal said. "No, this has nothing to do with anything he's done this offseason.
"Mark felt uncomfortable enough with the way he felt on Tuesday that he was not comfortable pushing it beyond that," O'Neal said.
Could this problem have developed over time?
"He had no complaints until he came off the field the other day, and the complaints were significant enough," O'Neal said. "He was telling us he was definitely in pain making some of his throws, and that's when we decided to progress the way we did. I can't answer why it started the other day and it hadn't prior."
Because Prior is having an MRI arthrogram and dye will be injected, he will not be allowed to do any activity for 48 hours. The next step will be to see the test results.
"We will progress him as tolerated, and I know that's a term you don't like hearing," O'Neal said. "We'll let him do what he's capable of doing and we won't try to do more, and we'll try to push him as much as we can without jeopardizing any setbacks. I don't think it's wise to speculate when we're going to start doing things until we get the results of the MRI."
The reason Prior stopped his session was because he was experiencing pain, not soreness.
"There isn't a pitcher out there who we don't treat for soreness," O'Neal said. "Unfortunately, Mark was describing it as pain."
Once again, the Cubs have to deal with Prior and Kerry Wood being out with injuries. Wood is rehabbing from arthroscopic shoulder surgery that he had last August. Wood underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week on his right knee to take care of a tear in his medial meniscus.
"You would think over the course of a winter -- actually three winters, two winters -- that guys would come back strong and healthy, which hasn't been the case," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "Woody had a little setback with his knee, but his arm is doing well. He's throwing the ball great. Hopefully, Woody will be ready soon. How soon, we don't know. We have Wade Miller coming on pretty strong. We just have to pull our belts a little tighter and do what we have to do."
The Cubs had put Prior on a structured program this spring in an attempt to avoid any injuries. Baker is thinking positively.
"We don't know what it is -- we have to find out what it is," Baker said. "We'll find out Saturday."
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
MESA, Ariz. -- Chicago Cubs right-hander Mark Prior has a posterior shoulder strain, and he'll undergo an MRI arthrogram on Thursday to confirm the diagnosis and to make sure that the problem is nothing more serious.
Prior was examined on Wednesday by orthopedic specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum in Anaheim, but he could not have the MRI at that time because of personal business at his home in San Diego. Prior underwent the test in Mesa on Thursday.
Cubs athletic trainer Mark O'Neal said that he, Yocum, Prior and the team doctors will meet on Saturday to go over the test results and make a decision on the next step. However, O'Neal said that he was encouraged after Yocum's exam.
"For me, I'm very pleased," O'Neal said Thursday. "There's extremely bad news that could've come out of it. This is a posterior shoulder strain, and we'll deal with it like you would a hamstring strain. Unfortunately, it's in the shoulder. For us, it's pretty good news."
Prior halted a bullpen session on Tuesday, complaining of pain in his right shoulder, which prompted the Cubs to send him to Yocum. Before that, the right-hander had not had any problems this spring.
"They're all going through preventative exercises that we go through in the offseason," O'Neal said. "No, this has nothing to do with anything he's done this offseason.
"Mark felt uncomfortable enough with the way he felt on Tuesday that he was not comfortable pushing it beyond that," O'Neal said.
Could this problem have developed over time?
"He had no complaints until he came off the field the other day, and the complaints were significant enough," O'Neal said. "He was telling us he was definitely in pain making some of his throws, and that's when we decided to progress the way we did. I can't answer why it started the other day and it hadn't prior."
Because Prior is having an MRI arthrogram and dye will be injected, he will not be allowed to do any activity for 48 hours. The next step will be to see the test results.
"We will progress him as tolerated, and I know that's a term you don't like hearing," O'Neal said. "We'll let him do what he's capable of doing and we won't try to do more, and we'll try to push him as much as we can without jeopardizing any setbacks. I don't think it's wise to speculate when we're going to start doing things until we get the results of the MRI."
The reason Prior stopped his session was because he was experiencing pain, not soreness.
"There isn't a pitcher out there who we don't treat for soreness," O'Neal said. "Unfortunately, Mark was describing it as pain."
Once again, the Cubs have to deal with Prior and Kerry Wood being out with injuries. Wood is rehabbing from arthroscopic shoulder surgery that he had last August. Wood underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week on his right knee to take care of a tear in his medial meniscus.
"You would think over the course of a winter -- actually three winters, two winters -- that guys would come back strong and healthy, which hasn't been the case," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "Woody had a little setback with his knee, but his arm is doing well. He's throwing the ball great. Hopefully, Woody will be ready soon. How soon, we don't know. We have Wade Miller coming on pretty strong. We just have to pull our belts a little tighter and do what we have to do."
The Cubs had put Prior on a structured program this spring in an attempt to avoid any injuries. Baker is thinking positively.
"We don't know what it is -- we have to find out what it is," Baker said. "We'll find out Saturday."