Saturday, September 15, 2007

A MRI a Day Keeps the Surgeon Away

Why don't teams give players MRI's on a regular basis instead of waiting for a player to experience pain before administering the exam? For example, if pitchers are MRI'd on even a bimonthly basis, teams may be able to catch a minor rotator cuff tear and shut a pitcher down for a couple weeks. As it stands now, the MRI isn't conducted until after the injury has occurred and that point we are looking at major surgery. Considering the investment franchises make in their players, shouldn't they take every possible preventative measure to nip a potential major injury in the bud? As much as I despise the word proactive (I think it's nothing more than a corporate created buzz word used to make people work harder and longer for the same pay), that's the approach teams should take to prevent major injuries.

If I turn up missing in the next few weeks please direct detectives to question Dr. James Andrews and Dr. David Altchek.

1 comment:

Tremont said...

That is the most insightful thought you have posted in months and I do not mean that as a backhanded compliment. MRIs cost peanuts for a baseball team. The net effect would probably be a couple more 15 day DL stints every season. But you might be able to prevent one Tommy John surgery or a labrum tear every year or two. The trade-off is worth it.