Youkilis to Have Surgery, Out for Season
The Red Sox's record of injuries this season has just taken yet another turn for the worse. Team officials received the worst news possible regarding Kevin Youkilis’s torn muscle in his thumb. After several opinions from various doctors, Youkilis has no choice but to undergo season-ending surgery, adding more woes to the team, which has been fighting an uphill battle all season.
Manager Terry Francona was asked if there was any chance Youkilis would be able to play in the post-season should the Red Sox make it that far. Francona replied that they would have to wait until around Thanksgiving for the star first-baseman to be available.
The thumb will have to be immobilized for six weeks before being re-evaluated. Youkilis suffered the injury in an August 2 game against the Cleveland Indians. He was placed on the Disabled List the following day and visited a hand specialist in Cleveland when he heard of the extent of the injury.
"It really stinks," Youkilis said following the visit. “[This injury] is very rare. Zero athletes have had it, at least as far as the doctors have said. It was a freak accident. I don't know how it happened or the reason behind it. It just happened."
Red Sox slugger and designated hitter David Ortiz had a funny feeling that the news would be bad: "I knew this was coming. That's a major hit, it just got worse around here. Everyone knows Youk is a guy who plays the game hard. When guys like Youkilis and [Dustin] Pedroia come out of games you know there is a problem.” Indeed there is.
This has been the story of the Red Sox's season as the team just continues to suffer injuries to some of their best players. Just as some players come back from their injuries, more seem to head out. And since the Red Sox are still able to compete despite all their injuries, one can only imagine what a healthy Red Sox team could be doing this season.
Ortiz went on to say that while losing Youkilis is a serious blow, the team still must not give up in making their push for the play-offs: "He is one of the best players we have, no question about it. But you gotta do what you gotta do, you gotta take care of that [thumb]. You have to come back healthy next year," he said. “We have to fight it. It's not over yet, you can't hang it up. You have to try to compete."
The Red Sox have just under two months to recover from their injury-depleted season and make a push for the play-offs.
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