Derrek Lee has thumb surgery
Free agent Derrek Lee needed surgery on his right thumb to repair a torn ligament last Friday. Lee underwent the surgery at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles by specialist Dr. Steven Shin. He’s expected to be ready to play by Spring Training.
Lee was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Atlanta Braves in August of 2010. He hit .251 for the Cubs with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs in 418 at bats. His numbers dropped in Atlanta where he hit .287, but he had only three home runs with 24 RBIs. Pain in his
thumb is reportedly the cause of his drop-off in production.
In 2009 he hit .306 with 35 home runs and 111 RBIs.
He is coming off a contract that saw him paid $65 million over five years, and the 35-year-old will likely not see a team offer him that kind of money in this offseason.
While the injury may have been a significant factor to his decline in numbers, teams are unlikely to risk that his injury was the only factor. He’s nearing the end of his career, and that could be as much or more of a factor then a torn ligament in his thumb.
The only way anyone will know for sure is to see him play in 2011. He’ll likely need to sign a one-year deal, and prove that his thumb was the major factor in his poor numbers, not his age.
He’s already stated that he’s like to sign with a team that has a chance to make the play-offs, but if he does that, he’ll probably have to sign on as a bench player. Or if he moves to the American League, he may find a team that’s willing to split his time
between first and the designated hitter role.
Lee has 312 career home runs and 1019 RBIs. His career batting average is .282 in 6527 at bats.
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