Philly Sports Jabronis
By Todd Zolecki, Phillies.com
CLEARWATER, Fla. — The prognosis is not good for Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee.
Multiple doctors, including orthopedist Dr. James Andrews, still see the same tear in the common flexor tendon in Lee’s left elbow, which continues to cause him problems. They agree Lee should resume his throwing program to see if he can minimize the discomfort, even though it appears to be a long shot.
If he cannot, surgery is the next option.
“We’re not terribly optimistic, but there is still the possibility he can come back and throw, and throw with a minimal amount of discomfort,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday at Bright House Field. “It got worse the last time [he tried to pitch through it], so the probability of that happening again is probably pretty high, but we don’t know that, and we probably won’t know it until he starts to throw and goes through his progressions.”
Lengthy rehab stints have not benefitted Cliff Lee and now he most likely needs surgery if he can’t pitch through pain. Photo Credit: MLB
Lee has attempted to rehab twice from the injury. He tried unsuccessfully last summer and again in the winter.
Lee pitched two innings Thursday against the Astros in Kissimmee, Fla., and said afterward he felt normal. But the following day, he felt a return of the discomfort he initially experienced last season.
Simply put, the discomfort has not gone away with rehab.
Recovery from surgery would take six to eight months, which Lee acknowledged Monday could end his career. Lee is in the final year of his five-year, $120 million contract. He has a $12.5 million buyout on a $27.5 million club option for 2016, but Lee has hinted in the past that he has no plans to pitch beyond this deal.
“We’re not to that point yet, because we have to see how he does with his throwing progression here moving forward,” Amaro said about potential surgery.
It might not take long to see if Lee can minimize the pain.
“It may not even take a couple of weeks,” Amaro said. “It may take a couple of days. If he feels discomfort, then he might have to shut it down. He threw today and felt OK. Really didn’t feel anything different. It’s a very, very mild sensation he’s got in there. But he’s just going to continue to throw, and if it gets worse and worse, then he might have to shut it down, and we’ll figure out where to go from there.”
The Phillies also announced catcher John Hester, who is a non-roster invitee, had surgery to repair a complex tear of the medial meniscus in his left knee. He will take at least six weeks to recover from the surgery.
Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
