Michael Pineda will seek a second opinion on his shoulder:
“It’s confusing, because he asked for the second opinion before we had the first,” conceded manager Joe Girardi, who added he had not been given the results of the exam performed on Pineda on Tuesday by Yankees team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad. Pineda will be examined by Mets team doctor David Altchek in New York on Wednesday.
“I don’t know if (Ahmad) will talk to Altchek first and they’ll discuss what they see before they put something out; that way there’s maybe not a conflicting report,” Girardi said.
Michael’s agent requested the second opinion. In a way, it might be more efficient. If Michael is fine, then he wants to get back to the mound as soon as possible. Not waiting for another diagnosis means whatever decision the doctors reach about therapy, Pineda can start it quickly.
I think the question is not about what kind of therapy to have, it’s about whether to repair the shoulder surgically. Very likely he has a torn labrum or rotator cuff. MRI’s, even contrast dyed MRI’s, don’t always show them.
This is an injury he likely suffered last year and has not improved after an offseason of rest, in fact it got worse.
You don’t lose velocity at his age for no reason, and I think his excuse for the lower velocity in ST and last year in the 2nd half smacks of deception.
Delaying surgery means 2012 and 2013 would be lost seasons, having surgery now gives him hope to salvage part of 2013.
If he comes off the DL and then gets optioned to the minors, and then it is decided to have surgery, I think his service clock is stopped until he recovers, while if he has the surgery now while being on the DL while on the 25 man roster, it keeps ticking. Might be wrong on that, no time to check.
pft » I was including surgery in therapy.