NEW YORK — Tommy Hanson had another MRI on his sore shoulder Friday, after which he and the Braves heard words no pitcher wants to hear: tear in the rotator cuff.
The Braves, however, said that the specific type of tear that Hanson has — a small undersurface rotator-cuff tear — usually doesn’t require surgery, and general manager Frank Wren said the team remained hopeful that Hanson “can return in the next few weeks.”
But with just 30 games left in the regular season, it’s uncertain if there’s enough time left for Hanson to make it back even if he has no further setbacks. He has been on the disabled list nearly three weeks and hasn’t pitched since Aug. 6.
Three other words that raise red flags when it comes to pitchers’ injuries: Dr. James Andrews. The renowned orthopedic surgeon will meet with Hanson on Monday at Andrews’ clinic in Pensacola, Fla. Andrews presumably will look over the MRI and give his recommendation to Hanson.
Hanson has been on the disabled list since Aug. 7 with what had been diagnosed as tendinitis. An MRI on Aug. 9 showed no structural damage, just as an MRI in June showed no structural damage. Both times, Hanson was diagnosed with tendinitis and given a cortisone shot.
He came back from the first DL stint and pitched well for several starts, though he conceded that the shoulder was still tight at times.
The MRI on Friday was a more sophisticated dye-contrast, where dye is injected in a vein in order to provide a more clear, detailed picture of the area to be examined.
“It was not a new injury, based on the MRI reading,” Wren said.
Rotation could be shuffled
Jair Jurrjens and Mike Minor were the Braves’ scheduled starters Saturday and Sunday against the Mets, but those games were postponed Friday because Hurricane Irene was expected to hit the New York City area this weekend.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez wasn’t sure how he would line up the rotation after the Braves have three days off, including Monday’s open date.
Gonzalez planned to hash it out with pitching coach Roger McDowell and announce plans later this weekend, perhaps at the team’s workout Sunday at Turner Field.
Gonzalez wants to avoid a repeat of the situation the Braves had at the All-Star break, when a couple of pitchers got nearly double their normal rest and did not pitch well coming out of the break. The Braves could have a pitcher throw in simulated game conditions at the workout Sunday, or Gonzalez also mentioned the possibility of having a pitcher make a minor-league start.
If a pitcher is sent to a minor-league affiliate that’s finishing its season, that pitcher would not have to wait the normal 10-day period to return to the majors after being optioned to a minor-league team. He could return once that affiliate’s season concluded, in some cases next week.
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