Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Howard to undergo surgery, likely to miss next season – MLB News
After an unexpected loss in the National League Division Series, the Philadelphia Phillies suffered another gust when first baseman and star slugger Ryan Howard’s MRI revealed a crack in his left Achilles ligament.
Howard cannot have surgery until the swelling on his left ankle subsides. Sources at the ballclub stated that they are still unsure if the slugger will be available for the next season.
An Achilles injury usually occurs for men between the age of 30 and 40 who are actively participating in tough sports. The problem usually increases when medicine and injections are excessively taken to reduce pain. According to Mayo Clinic, steroids like
cortisone deteriorate the strength in tendons and can lead to Achilles tendon ruptures.
Prior to the post-season, Howard received a cortisone shot in his left ankle and missed a few games towards the end of the regular season. Initially, it was done with the intent of helping Howard through the playoffs, but it proved to be fatal and Howard
is now out for the most of next season.
From the time of surgery, it takes at least six months to recover from a ruptured Achilles. However, with the time of surgery still not certain and taking into account the time required to get back into the Majors, a time frame of at least nine to twelve
months is expected for Howard’s recovery.
The injury occurred during Game 5 of the National League Division Series against St. Louis Cardinals. With two outs in the ninth inning and trailing 0-1, Howard grounded a ball to second baseman and then collapsed on the first-base line, just three strides
away from the plate. That proved to be the final play of the game and Howard had to be helped off the field. After the game, Howard walked away on clutches.
Howard joins Cole Hamels, Placido Polanco and Hunter Pence on the list of players expected to spend most of the off-season recovering from surgeries. Hamels is scheduled to have a surgery on his left elbow on October 14 while Polanco and Pence will undergo
MRIs to get a better idea on the extent of their sports hernias.
Philadelphia’s first baseman signed a five-year 125-million-dollar contract this year and is likely to miss the most of the first season of his contract.
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