Thank god Burnett Injury not serious

[raptorsfan29]

5 days and he should be back. MRI was negitive.

Burnett injury not serious: Jays GM
Mar. 18, 2006. 08:23 PM
GEOFF BAKER
SPORTS REPORTER

DUNEDIN, Fla. - A relieved Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said Saturday night that a problem with scar tissue in pitcher A.J. Burnett's right elbow caused him to pull himself out of a game earlier in the day.

Burnett had "Tommy John'' ligament transplant surgery on his elbow three years ago and the team had feared a far more serious recurrence of some kind. But scar tissue often forms post-surgery and can break up, causing pain and discomfort, which is apparently what happened to Burnett as he pitched in an 8-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

The team was told by doctors to rest Burnett for at least five days and then try to have him resume his normal throwing regimen.

"We hope so, we hope he can do that,'' Ricciardi said after results of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam were made known to him. "Obviously, we're going to err on the side of caution.''

The Jays committed $55 million (all figures U.S.) to Burnett this winter in hopes he'd become a true No. 2 starter behind staff ace Roy Halladay. Toronto just two days ago gave Halladay a contract extension of three years, $40 million to bring his current deal more in-line with Burnett's.

So naturally, when the pitcher pulled himself from Saturday's start just one pitch into the second inning, a sense of despair began to creep into the Toronto dugout. The Jays were tight-lipped about Burnett's situation afterwards, telling coaches and staff not to give details of what was wrong with him.

Burnett was taken for the exam and Ricciardi said it showed "scar tissue breaking up'' to be the cause of the discomfort - not any serious elbow problem. The exam requires a red dye to be injected into the elbow, which can take about five days to dissipate.

The Jays will gladly wait that long, even if it causes Burnett to miss his first start of the season - something that is still up in the air. Toronto has capable spot starters in Scott Downs and Pete Walker who could be turned to if Burnett can't make it to the mound.

But for a while on Saturday, the question was whether the Jays would even get to see Burnett at all in 2006.

"It would be a big blow if it's something serious,'' Jays manager John Gibbons said moments after the game, while the team awaited the MRI results. "We're hoping not. But I mean, even if it's nothing serious it's going to set him back. We don't know for how long. I mean, we're pulling for the kid. And if it's something serious, then we've got to make adjustments like we did last year.''

Gibbons said Burnett felt discomfort in the general elbow area, but wasn't certain whether it was in the actual joint or his forearm.

There was also some question as to when exactly Burnett began experiencing the discomfort. Gibbons said he thought it came after Burnett threw his 18th and final pitch of the day to open the second inning against hitter Alejandro Machado.

But Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, one of the first to the mound along with trainer Dave Abraham, said Burnett had felt something in his elbow the previous inning and tried to shake it off. After just one pitch, Burnett used his hand to make a cutting motion across his throat to signal the dugout that he couldn't continue.

"He thought he might have felt whatever in the first inning and then in the second inning it just didn't come around,'' Arnsberg said, adding that he'd never have allowed Burnett to start the second inning had he known the pitcher was hurting.

"Of course not,'' he said. "That's ludicrous.''

Jays catcher Bengie Molina said he'd started the second inning off by calling for a fastball from Burnett, but added that the pitcher seemed to hesitate "like he was throwing a change-up'' instead.

"He kept saying he was sore, he was sore,'' Molina said of what Burnett told Jays trainer Dave Abraham on the mound. "He couldn't do another pitch. He couldn't handle it.''

For now, at least, it appears the Jays have dodged one serious bullet.

"For me, it's not about how much money they spent,'' Molina said. "For me, it's about the team. We need him and I think it's going to be a big loss if we lose him. I hope not. I hope everything is fine

[EDGECRUSHER]

Phew, now he can go back to underachieving 

Burnett's health isn't as important as Halladay's.